What visitors need to know now about Hawaii travel.
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574 thoughts on “Hawaii Delays Reopening Amid Failed Pre-Travel Testing Plans”
What visitors need to know now about Hawaii travel.
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Aloha, the mainland is a mess with dramatic increase of C0vid cases, hospitalizations and death. It is wise to hold off on allowing visitors. if not, you will soon be just like the mainland with even more illness and death. 🙁
Second that. But some people only see what they want to see.
Mine is more of a question? My husband and I are ORIGINALLY from ‘Oahu and have been TRYING to move permanently to Hilo because we bought a house since April 7 with our dog. We have EVERYTHING in place the first time and our dog’s flight got cancelled so we had to cancel our flights but, ALL of our furniture is already there! Here’s my question??
Are WE still able to fly because TECHNICALLY, we ARE NOT tourists because if we DON’T or CAN’T, we’ll be HOMELESS with our dog… I look forward for ANY answers-MAHALO in advance 🤙🌺
Hi Emma.
You can fly of course, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’ll be subject to the 14-day rule.
Aloha.
Yes, there are flights available. Hawaiian has been reliable through HNL. I’ve gone to my second home on Kauai and needed to quar antine. If you are moving there, that’s what you’ll need to do for two weeks…
What a Gong Show Hawaii Goverment is.. I believe I’ll take my businesses, investments and jobs off the Island before governor Ige destroys it completely. ! He’s destroying the livelihood of everyone on the islands. ! Isn’t this illegal ??? And aren’t law suits already filed to make Hawaii open back up ? Anyone know What’s happening in that direction ?
Hawai’i is not closed, so of course there’s no way to “open back up.” If you’re referring to travel restrictions and business closures, many other states have quarantines, and most states are not allowing all businesses to operate. As for legality, Ige isn’t doing anything that dozens of other governors aren’t doing on the mainland.
If you do leave HI, please don’t come to CA – we don’t need more people who can’t see the need for restrictions.
Hey Dave R … you’re beginning to sound like IGE’s P.R. person! You live in San Diego but you have PLENTY to say about what we’re experiencing in Hawaii?!?!? Look at the economic C0VID stats…the last I saw, HI is the 49th LOWEST state in the nation & that was BEFORE this latest proclamation which further destroys our economy. We’ve heard enough of your “know it all” remarks … please stay in SD & keep your remarks there as well.
Aloha MP!
🤙
Please do! For everyone of you threatening to take your money and investment elsewhere there are 100 of us who will happily take your place and RESPECT Hawaii and Hawaiians. You sound like an entitled me first kind of person. Thats not the Hawaiian spirit.
In case all the complainers haven’t noticed it’s getting worse not better on the mainland. With the states left to decide what to do and no federal help testing results are getting slower not faster. If Ige opens Hawaii and cases spike like the rest of the US where will the sick people go? How many ICU beds on the smaller islands? Kauai has nine ICU beds, Maui has 29, and Hawaii Island has 24. I’d love to go to Kaua’i but I’ll wait until it makes sense. Stay safe, wash your hands and wear a mask.
Jim and I have tkts for July28 from PHX to HNL. We will be with family on Oahu, babysitting. seriously! Willing to do the 14 day quarentine at my son’s house. Will we still be able to go? We can also take a test if need be.
Aloha Patty,
Yes, you will still be able to go, and you will have to do the 14 day quar antine, unless things change…again, for the 3rd time in the last week! LOL
Of course you can travel. As long as you have a valid address to quar antine, you can go and they will let you in assuming you don’t have a fever or symptoms. You should know though that technically you need to quar antine from the other members of your household for 14 days. For example, stay in a separate room and have them leave food outside… You should not be babysitting while in quar antine according to the order you will have to sign on arrival. Testing does not remove quar antine requirement yet.
So You are saying that FL just breaking the daily record of positive cases doesn’t bother you? I agree that the Gov. is between and a rock and a very hard place as families struggles will only intensify when subsidies run out, but really? No valid excuse? When the same bad decisions to open prematurely have now allowed the Continental U.S. to be the pariah of the world. You did no doubt here that the EU listed the U.S. as persona non grata until the mainland can get its virus act together.
Aloha James,
I think that’s a bit over dramatic, when you are only talking about “number of cases” and not actual “death rates”. The majority of cases happening now are running in a far lower age group. I believe I heard today that it was low to mid 30’s age range, of which the vast majority (likely in the 99th+ percentile) will not die. Many of whom will likely not even go to doctors. That you think this is only because of opening up early, and not because of the millions of people protesting without practicing social distancing (many not wearing masks), is a bit boggling to me. The reality is that if Herd Immunity does not eventually kick in, then we will see far more economic devastation, and death from the fallout, not only from C0vid.
This is a total and complete political ploy/sham to lockdown our state at the cost of the people’s lives, livelihoods. SHAMEFUL!!! It is so blatantly obvious. Delay after delay after delay with the same excuses. Even if testing were to be made available on arrival, I am concluding that most will be tested with C0vid unfounded as it will be.
GOD HELPUS!
Please. Read the news. See what’s happening all over the US (and the world). There’s no evil plot, just a really nasty disease, and a refusal by too many people to take it seriously. If the US had done a total shutdown for 3 weeks back in January, there wouldn’t be all the problems today. But we didn’t, so here we are. Sick people can’t work, and they don’t spend money except on hospital bills. Flooding the state with germ spreaders is a formula for disaster.
Dave, really? LOL…Now you are making claims that, “If the US had done a total shutdown for 3 weeks back in January, there wouldn’t be all the problems today.”???🤷♂️
Again, you might actually want to go back and “read the news” about what was going on in January. You act like these people in Government knew how this was going to play out, as you sit there playing “armchair quarterback” with that “20/20 hindsight” you got going on.🙄
LOL, there is no way in Hell that the a “Full Shutdown” was possible in January, as people were spread out all over the world, and the logistics would have been a complete and utter nightmare…not to mention, there wasn’t even ONE confirmed case in the US at the time. Even now, it would take at least a few weeks, just to get people where they need to be, let alone just do a “Full Stop”. Frankly, it’s ridiculous to suggest it’s even possible now, let alone then when the World was in Full Swing…🤣
You really need to do a LOT more of what you are suggesting others do…
of course the Germans can figure it out.
[link removed re on-site testing at Frankfuert].
Duane
As a thirty year resident in Hawaii this demonstrates once again the level of leadership incompetence.
How so?
What a mess. What a complete mess. It just seems like there is really no effective leadership when it comes to balancing between the need to keep Hawaiian residents safe while still trying to save your economy.
Why in the world did they tout the partnership with CVS when it apparently didn’t have a realistic chance of being a viable option? Now we, like others going to visit family and friends, will have to cancel trans-Pacific and inter-island flights for our entire family.
My bet is that come September they’ll kick the can down the road even more. I feel bad for the businesses that invested money expecting to welcome tourists come August 1st and their workers. They are going to lose a lot of money. There is no way this is going to be good for Hawaii’s economy.
MONEY is that all you all think about? I have lost two personal friends and two others are intubated RIGHT NOW in the hospital and may not make it. But hey lets worry about MONEY Good grief. I thought you all were about LIFE?
Well this put the nail in. Glad I cancelled my two week trip in August.
Honestly the governor and the powers that be In Hawaii have had Months to figure this out!!At this rate next summer doesn’t look good either 😥
What were they supposed to “figure out?” A miracle cure? Hawai’i has done much better than many mainland states. Millions are out of work all over the US, plus millions of cases of C19, overloaded hospitals, 135,000 dead and counting. At least Hawai’i has kept illness and deaths way down. Why do so many people choose to blame Ige? It makes no sense.
Sigh. Given that the state government has dithered for some 28 years about the Coco Palms property, by comparison a simpler issue, we may not have clearance to visit Hawaii again until at least 2048.
Right on, you’ve got it!
Blaming the disease on the HI government makes zero sense. And it would make even less sense to let hordes of visitors in, especially since so many of them have made it obvious that they won’t abide by the rules.
Dave R. Like I said earlier, [edited] you are NOT a part of the story here in HI. Perhaps you didn’t know that even Ige’s top officials said, on anonymity back in May or June that 1) He’s indecisive. 2) He’s not a leader. 3) He’s in “way over his head.” So it doesn’t get much worse than that when your own ‘team members’ consider you in those terms now does it Dave? Please stop trying to defend the indefensible!!!
MP, not to mention Ige’s approval rating has been at the bottom of the list since long before this crisis came along…
Now that made me laugh, Kevin! 🤣🤣🤣
This is a total and complete political ploy/sham to lockdown our state at the cost of the people’s lives, livelihoods. SHAMEFUL!!! It is so blatantly obvious. Delay after delay after delay with the same excuses. Even if testing were to be made available on arrival, I am concluding that most will be tested with C0vid unfounded as it will be.
GOD HELPUS!
Once again the Governor announces a plan to make a plan that will be subject to modification or cancellation without notice. “Let’s kick the can down the road another month and see what happens.” What happens is Hawaii’s economy is decimated. Businesses continue to close, placing additional stain on Hawaii’s social safety net while simultaneously reducing tax revenues required to fund it and the cycle spirals out of control.
Nero fiddles as Rome burns.
If the people of Hawaii re-elect Ige, I have no sympathy for them.
You mean [edited] Fiddles while the USA burns.
[edited] Its not a freaking HOAX if we TRULY had real leadership [edited] none of us would be complaining we cannot come to Hawaii. [edited] Its about the safety and well being of ALL citizens.
Aloha, and thank you for the updates. As of July 12, 2020, all Arizona hospitals reported bed shortages due to the influx of C0VID-19 patients. I think this fact should make people pause and consider that hospitals on the islands probably are not equipped to handle a possible wave of critically ill tourists, or island residents who may become ill from exposure to tourists who may have the virus, but have no symptoms.
Hi Lee.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Aloha BOH,
I was saddened to hear the news today. My heart goes out to the people of the islands. Stay safe and healthy. See you soon…hopefully in December!
Hi Jared.
Thanks.
Aloha.
They have medical military ships.
Repercussions have already hit….25-40% unemployment, business failures abound, domestic abuse up, schools upside down, rents not paid, mortgages in arrears…
The new [edited] Hawaii…its an abject failure.
As a Kama’aina, I feel relieved that the state is pushing back reopening to tourists. We have had inadequate medical facilities to handle our own residents even before C0VID-19. Now Quest has taken away 50% our reagents so our testing capability has declined by that much, and our virus numbers are rising. The countries that have fared the best through this pan demic have focused on the health of their people rather than the economy. Please, everyone, I implore you to understand that we are not trying to be unwelcoming; rather, we are trying to handle the very precarious medical situation in which Hawaii is positioned. Be well! Mahalo
Hi Sherri.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Very disappointing, but not surprising given the increase in cases on the mainland particular California. I’m booked for late October in Maui and am still crossing my fingers. Hawaii needs to get their act together on the pre-test protocols otherwise this will never work. They can’t keep extending the 14 day quar antine on a rolling basis. At some point they’re going to need to either come up with a system to allow visitors in or just wait it out until the vaccine comes on the market and stay shut down.
Just wait till round 2 of c0vid In fall and supposing they cant protect themselves with masks anymore.
Then what will hawaii officials hide behind then? Who will be the scapegoat?? Will they be able to blame tourists for the problem then? Tribal warfare in waikiki streets?!
Aloha,
Thank you for your timely updates as we all continue to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.
I’m a (legal) vacation rental owner on Hawaii Island. I noticed that this newest statement includes needing to quarantine at a hotel for 14 days before staying in a vacation rental. Before I had understood the directives to mean that visitors could quarantine in a legal vacation rental. So we’re looking at another couple of months at least before the vacation rental economy – along with so many other businesses – might begin to recover. I understand the need for caution, but Egads!
Mahalo nui loa
Hi Honucat.
Thanks.
Aloha.
So is there any exemption for those who have had C0vid and have re-covered? An antibody test perhaps? Has this even been addressed? Thanks!
Hi Susan.
There are no exceptions thus far.
Aloha.
I feel sorry for the tourism industry in Hawaii. Their Govenor is going to backrupt them. Someone with a clue needs to take change. This 14 day isolation is abosoluty rediculous. People are going to vacation in Mexico, where they are open and welcome the tourist.
Well as long as these governors are protecting the citizens in their communities then so be it. I’m a nurse that works directly with Covid positive patients and I wouldn’t want any place of tourism including my home of Las Vegas to open up prematurely and spread this virus unnecessarily. I love Hawaii and as much as I miss it I’ll wait to go back until this calms down
Did you really want to use Mexico as an example? They are at 35000 deaths and rapidly climbing. I feel sorry for the tourism industry too but it needs to be done correctly.
yeah Mexico with 35000 deaths. By all means PLEASE DO GO THERE> THANKS
After I let this sink in I will be canceling our trip that we have been planning since last September. I really feel bad for the people that live there losing jobs and probably no end in sight because the govenor is an idiot. Life has to go on. You can’t live in a bubble or can you??? I would still like to take my husband and girls to Hawaii have an awesome time and help the economy, but the Moran running the show thinks you don’t need anybody!! I hope he does not get reelected.I appreciate you keeping us informed and trying to spread a little hope into our lives.
Aloha until we meet again.
Hi Pam.
Thanks for all of your comments.
Aloha.
Pam,
Good I am glad. With an attitude like that you do not deserve Hawaii. We all feel bad for people who are out of work but they should not be FORCED to come back to work just to accommodate YOU. What a selfish attitude you have.
So is Texas Arizona governors idiots too? Desantis is the real idiot because he flat out REFUSES to do ANYTHING to protect his people or tourists and guess what massive infections are sky rocketing but by all means keep spewing your selfish thoughts here. Life has to go on. Listen to yourself. I have lost two personal friends and two others are intubated right now in hospitals struggling for their lives but by god [edited] I hope you NEVER come to Hawaii again with your selfish attitude.
Paul,
I truly feel bad that you have lost friends…many people have, but to spew your anger and rudeness toward Pam, just because she doesn’t agree with your ideology, is unacceptable. She has every right to voice her opinion, which was not directed at you, and for you to berate her for calling Ige an idiot, as you inturn call another Governor an idiot is flat out scandalous. You really need to take your anger and rudeness elsewhere…
fair enough. So I was just supposed to let that roll? Ok sorry
You pose such great questions and I wish the Governor’s office would think about your ideas beforehand.
Fortunately, our move isn’t until the first week of November so we still have time to play the wait-and-see-game. For now…..
This whole situation is insane. The CDC says the mortality rate is .26% (the flu in 2017 was worse and we didn’t cancel the world). Also the PCR test is utterly useless- up to 80% false positives. The media is not free press. Happy I got to Maui in February, could be my last. Be well everyone.
with that kind of an attitude please do not come back. Myself and many others will be MORE than happy to take your place with that attitude. Very anti american. [edited] Good lord
Sounds like yet another failure of Hawaii to promote its main source of income tourism.
Its island time even on critical crazy issues like c0vid and they can’t even manage to get tests done? No. Why visit?
People work really hard for the increasingly little money they get. If that wasn’t bad enough just add few benefits, no more pensions on retirement and government can take your job away at will. Plus you can now get c0vid. 19 ways to mess up everyones life and counting, with a bonus of roughly 1% chance of death.
It’s no ones fault, the C0vid pan demic is bigger than anyone, any nation could have planned for. Travel to anywhere, except emergencies, just shouldn’t even be considered right now. The faster we stop the spread, the better. Wait for the vaccine-and that might be a long time in the future, but that’s our only hope. It’s not business as usual in any regard, and we have to face this reality…
I have always felt that there is something much more sinister behind all of this besides the threat of death from a virus. I am not trying to downplay the fact that many have died and many more will. But trying to hide from a virus? It just won’t work.
What a mess! So sorry for all who have just had their travel plans screwed up again. What a disappointment. All the more reason to ‘just not plan’ on a trip to Hawaii any time soon.
No doubt everyone is planning on another government bail out. But that can only last so long. Someone has to pay the piper eventually. It will be all of us. This is all crazier that we have ever seen in our lifetime. Very, very sad.
“I have always felt that there is something much more sinister behind all of this besides the threat of death from a virus.”
Yes the ENTIRE world, Media, doctors, nurses, hospitals everyone is out to just Destroy [edited]. GOOD GRIEF
This is a serious question: I literally just cancelled an August vacation last week, thinking next July (2021) would be a for sure thing. Is it? I think Ige & Clowns will still be around so I’m really getting concerned that Hawaii won’t get past this crisis until they get immunity passports. IDK. Feel so sorry for all the good Hawaiians who want to work. This will be generationally painful for them (maybe for us all).
SoCal Matt
This is probably the best decision for the State to make at this time. It appears that the State does not have the infrastructure or decision making capabilities to allow visitors in to Hawaii right now. I don’t mean that as a slam to the State – this is something that world has not experienced before so this is all new to everyone and must be done right.
My family had a visit planned to Maui on 8/10 but I cancelled it this past weekend. While I really wanted our visit to work, I am actually relieved about the cancellation. Maui will always be there and we can visit when this world calms down.
Michael i think the state has been continuously making poor decisions across the board for its people. Hawaii is well known for passing the buck and putting things off. They always put hawaiians needs first and tend to try and ignore or find ways around us laws.
The citizens and tourists deserve a concrete reopening plan as of june 1st like Florida and the carribean. There really is no valid excuse for that not to have happened without delays. The federal govt should step in and allow tourism and force hawaii officials to do something about the problem. Hawaii is only so well off because of all the help financial and guidance of the USA.
What the HELL? FORCE Them to open? The islands could very quickly become overwhelmed if ONE bad case comes to the islands.
So the state is making poor decisions to SAVE LIVES? So what you think they should put your needs FIRST ahead of Hawaiians? My how selfish of you. Ignore US laws? like what?
Its NOT the federal governments place nor decision to make to open up or not. Yes lets have a concrete open by florida then start setting all kinds of records with new infections. [edited] “The federal government should step in and ALLOW tourism and FORCE Hawaiian officials to do something? [edited] HAWAII IS A US STATE FINANCIAL HELP AND GUIDANCE?
Ever heard of STATES RIGHTS? [edited] You have no idea of what the Hawaiian spirit is. NO ONE should be FORCED open. We are not North Korea we are the USA.
So I am confused. If you get a test and a negative result within 72 hours, you can still travel after aug 1?
Because of the lack of certainty, we postponed our September trip to Kauai to the end of the year. We are concerned for the Kama’aina and their livelihoods, having just relocated to the Mainland this January. Mahalo nui loa for your updates, and aloha awakea!
Hi Phil.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Hawaiian clown show. Lol.
So coming from phila in Feb thru Dallas…if layover cities are an issue does one consider JFK direct into HON
If my daughter is visiting California and then returning to her home state of Oahu can she turn in a test on her return or does she still have to wuarrntine for 14 days in Hawaii?
Quar antine
Who would want to book any travel to Hawaii with all those uncertainties? I know from a friend who lives on Oahu that businesses are suffering badly. Is this the decision of the politician (governor) or medical advisors? In New Zealand, there are no cases of the virus and all decisions were made by medical advisors and NONE were made by politicians.
New Zealand locked down early on February 2, 2020, when they banned entry to foreign travelers. Then on March 16, made everyone entering from away to self isolate for 14 days. It worked. Hawaii is doing the same thing to a degree, and the numbers of C0vid19 are drastically lower than the mainland USA. Having people quar antine for 14 days is reducing the spread. It is protecting the islands. Visitors that don’t want to quar antine should stay home. I’m sad that the Islanders are suffering financially but better broke than dead.
S.O.S.- different day. What if everyone chose not to fly anywhere? Would the airlines suddenly come up with a sensible approach? Let’s see.
So is it basically saying we can’t go to Hawaii ? That seems like HAWAII is acting as though they are not part of the United States 😡
No it’s not acting like it’s not part of the United States. The Hawaiian Islands have a very limited number of ICU beds and medical staff. They are trying to protect the residents from the situations you now see in Texas and Florida. The false sense of entitlement that prevails on the mainland doesn’t exist here. We all want to survive and want to protect each other.
If the virus gets out of control here Hawaii’s tourism industry will never recover.
You may be taking this too personally. Remember, this is the Governor making these decisions. I hardly doubt these are the views of everyone in HI, as they would like to get back to work as well. Please don’t politicize this. Mahalo.
Hi Claudia.
Thanks.
Aloha.
Please dont politicize this. YOU JUST DID Mahalo
Many states have similar 14 day quar antines in place. …just harder to enforce with folks being able to drive wily nily.
I keep seeing this [edited] comment. So is Texas acting like its not part of the USA? NY? Any number of other states who are doing their very best to keep this virus down? [edited] I hope you NEVER go back to Hawaii so that the rest of us can take your place.
How can you not infer politics, profanity, rudeness or off-topic subjects when discussing the insanity and ineptness of Hawaiian [edited] leaders.
Has the been any news regarding the virus on Ni’ihau?
It still seems that Hawaii (the State) is not all that serious about re-opening tourism. They have models of what works for testing but don’t want to do so. How long before the economic meltdown gets really too far along and has severe local repercussions?
Repercussions have already hit….25-40% unemployment, business failures abound, domestic abuse up, schools upside down, rents not paid, mortgages in arrears.
The new [edited] Hawaii…its an abject failure.
So if my grandson gets tested 72 hours before coming 8/3/20 and gets his results is he OK or do I have to postpone his trip again?
Mahalo
Hi Ivy.
Postpone again. Sorry.
Aloha.