In the continuing saga of when visitors can go to Hawaii, there is another delay. Yesterday, Hawaii Governor David Ige postponed the reopening again.
Yesterday, Gov. Ige announced that the proposed reopening of September 1st has been delayed. The reopening of September 1st was for visitors and residents arriving in the islands to use Covid-19 test results that meet the Hawaii State Health Department guidelines. Not meeting the guidelines means that arrivals to Hawaii were subject to the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
“I have been working closely with all of our county mayors and we agree that reinstating part of the inter-island travel quarantine is necessary and the right thing to do at this time. We must protect our neighbor island residents in light of the alarming increase in COVID-19 cases on O‘ahu,” said Gov. Ige.
The state had intended to ease restrictions for incoming mainland and international travelers, as well, announcing that, starting October 1, 2020, travelers could bypass the quarantine mandate as long as they had received a valid COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) within 72 hours of boarding their flight to Hawaii and could show proof of a negative test result upon arrival at the airport.
The Hawaii Health Department will not conduct Covid-19 at the airports.
Hotels And Rental Units
Short-term rentals are considered non-essential businesses and are prohibited from being offered for rent.
Here is a list of hotels and resorts by island with their current operating status.
Many hotels are only accepting reservations on or after October 1, 2020.
Penalties For Failure To Quarantine
A verification and tracking procedure is in place at all airports throughout the islands, and that process begins as soon as an arriving passenger disembarks. It continues with follow-up calls and monitoring throughout the 14-day mandatory quarantine period, or until the traveler departs, whichever comes first. Failure to comply with the quarantine order can result in a fine of up to $5,000.00.
There have been cases where visitors were caught by the vacation photos posted on social media. Some hotels have locked out their guests that have left the hotel.
Official Information
The Governor’s office is still reviewing the situation and will not make another decision for at least a week or two. They refer visitors looking for current status to the Hawaii Department of Transportation webpage.
Final Thoughts
It is not surprising that Hawaii’s reopening has been delayed again. The infection rate is still out of control in Hawaii and the states where visitors are coming from. Many bars and restaurants that serve alcohol have either been shut down or have stopped serving alcohol.
This situation changes every couple of weeks. Travel Codex will continue to monitor the situation and update this story as new information is available.
