US Covid cases are at a weekly average of over 120k per day and more than a thousand average COVID deaths each week. So the US does not appear to be in any kind of controlled phase of COVID.
And as of today, neither is Hawaii. While the CDC just said that the US “7-day moving average of daily new cases (118,515) increased 37.3% compared with the previous 7-day moving average,” Hawaii cases have just jumped after having dropped to under 100 per day, indicating a big change.
While Hawaii has been doing relatively well, today there were 282 reported new COVID cases statewide. That is about triple what we were seeing just a few weeks ago. Yesterday, there were 214 new cases. The Hawaii Department of Health said there had already been a 121% increase just since Thanksgiving.
So what does that mean for Hawaii-bound visitors?
Experts are saying there is a need to remain vigilant in any further lifting of restrictions, lest they not be promptly reinstated.
Hawaii remains in a challenging position in terms of its fragile healthcare system, due to our physical isolation, small population, and other factors.
It remains unclear as to whether Hawaii will choose to implement any additional Covid restrictions on its own right now, or will await more data and national guidance. In the meantime, as you know, each county is free to maintain its own Covid restrictions. On Maui and Oahu, for example, proof of vaccination or recent testing is required for indoor restaurant dining.
Any changes to Safe Travels are definitely on hold at this time: Vaccination, testing.
Vaccination or testing exemptions, to avoid quarantine, will remain in effect, indefinitely. Safe Travels is Hawaii’s website portal for proof of these, and that too is to remain in place for the foreseeable future.
Hawaii mask mandate continues, as California adds theirs.
The Hawaii indoor mask mandate indoors will also stay put. Governor Ige said recently, “I think it’s the one thing we will continue to have in place.” Hawaii has been one of just a handful of states that have retained masks for indoor settings for both vaccinated and unvaccinated. But that too is changing
Governor Ige said that there are no longer any metrics upon which the state can rely for any further changes to COVID rules. At one point he had said that at 70% fully vaccinated (which has been achieved), the state would eliminate Safe Travels.
As of today, in California, indoor masks are again required due to climbing Covid cases and concerns about the new omicron coronavirus variant. California’s mandate is set to continue through January 15 at this point.
LT Gov Green talked about what will must likely happen coming for the new year for Safe Travels. He said it’s very likely that the Booster shot info will be included in Safe Travels. He’s not so much worried about covid numbers as he is worried about hospital numbers. He expects the covid numbers to increase because of the holidays and than a settling come Feb/March.
Aloha Guys
Clearly after 2 yrs of no closure it’s time to declare failure and admit that these measures don’t work. It’s insanity to try the same thing and expect a different outcome.
But clearly pols are aren’t concerned what the data not the related sci.
Hi,
My wife and I just made reservations to visit Oahu in January. We uploaded our CDC COVID vaccination cards to the SAFE Travel Hawaii site under the COVID Vaccine Exception/Exemption section, are we still requied to get the COVID test prior our flight to Hawaii? It is very confusing. Thank you for your feedback and assistance.
Hi Steve.
No, just the vaccination exemption will suffice. Just complete the health questionnaire within 24 hours of travel. Have a good time on Oahu.
Aloha.
Aloha BOH Bro’s
My hope is would be booked travelers to Hawaii panic over Omnicron and start canceling, so I can score another sweet deal Maui.
Our thoughts are with all Hawaiians. Why can’t Hawaii mandate that people who are from those highly infected mainland states are not allowed to travel to Hawaii unless they are double vac’d, isolate on arrival and get tested.Here in Australia we have this in place in some states. Hope you get through this soon
Mahalo
We are coming “home” for a two month vacation in January. We are vaccinated and boostered up. We will stay away from family and friends for 10 days after landing. we want to protect our Ohana and ourselves!
There certainly are a lot of public health experts who visit here. Unfortunately some of them don’t grasp the meaning of such words and phrases as “increased,” “jumped,” “tripled,” “fragile healthcare system.” It’s pretty simple and straightforward to follow Safe Travels, or go elsewhere. It looks like plenty of people are willing to do what’s necessary to visit the islands, and those who aren’t have lots of options; time to get planning those trips.
800000 deaths and 50000000 cases in the US. Why? Because of ill informed people. It is not wearing masks and not using covid passports that has got you to this point. Here in Canada our case and mortality rate is a third of the US per capita because we do simple things like wear a mask in public places and show vaccination status at restaurants etc. It’s about trying to take care of each other. I’m sure the people of Oahu would be grateful if you did go to Florida.
I appreciate the wisdom of Hawaii officials sticking with mask mandates and other precautions. In my county on the mainland mask wearing is pretty universal and the Covid death rate is very low. In other counties in our state very few people wear masks and relatively few are vaccinated and the death rate is 10 times as high in those counties. Hang in there Hawaii!
Paul, please show some factual comparable statistics. Your claim that, “In other counties…few people wear masks and relatively few are vaccinated and the death rate is 10 times as high in those counties.” is highly suspect, and likely inaccurate. I’ve traveled from CA all across the West and Midwest, and in virtually every place I go, people wear masks indoors, even in counties that don’t enforce mandates.
If you’re going to make a claim, back it with statistical facts.
As of Dec. 5, 2021, according to the WHO, there have been ZERO deaths from the Omicron Variant in the ENTIRE WORLD.
Some say that Covid has gone from a pandemic to being endemic.
scitechdaily.com/is-covid-19-here-to-stay-biologists-explain-what-it-means-for-a-virus-to-become-endemic/
The vast majority of the current surge in cases in the U.S. right now is driven by Delta. We haven’t hit the real upsurge in Omicron yet, that won’t happen for several weeks at least. Delta is known to be dangerous so even if Omicron proves out to meet the optimistic scenario there is a real and growing situation with Delta.
I’m not sure the prognosis for Omicron is necessarily “cool so it’s way more mild”.
First reports of deaths are now trickling in from the UK. More worrisome, Bloomberg reports today that excess deaths in South Africa have started to track Covid deaths. This is also what happened during their Delta wave.
From what I’m hearing Omicron gets into the airways but not the lungs. It causes a scratchy throat but not a score throat. Delta is a whole different animal!! The best way to stop all virus is to wear a good mask properly.
This is, so far, not a definitive supportive finding. The group who published this result of their “laboratory analysis” cautions: “Less efficient replication in the lungs may suggest lower severity, but severity in humans is not determined only by virus replication but also the host immune response”