Travel To Hawaii During COVID-19 Pandemic
Helping You To Enjoy A Healthy, Stress-Free Hawaii Vacation
Things can look a little crazy but as Hawaii travel experts itʻs our job to make your travel to Hawaii during the COVID-19 pandemic just a little bit better.
We are keeping up with everything there is to know about Hawaii so you donʻt have to. We are keeping track of the activity calendars, island rules, and state proclamations that seem to be changing all the time.
Our Hawaii-based, local travel experts are here to help you make sure your vacation works.
Check out these tips and ideas to stay healthy on your Hawaiian vacation.
Our dedicated team is here to guide you through the process of getting to Hawaii and having a dream vacation.
There are a few steps you need to go through to explore Hawaii without having to quarantine. Let’s look at how itʻs done.
First, and foremost, to make a vacation a reality you need a negative test result within 72 hours prior to the direct (or last leg) of your journey to Hawaii or be fully vaccinated in the USA. Every person in the party 6 years and older, must have a negative test result from a variety of “Trusted Partners” set by the State Of Hawaii in they are not vaccinated.
Getting a test for children under 18 is more difficult so double-check all your testing options.
You must be arriving from the mainland with a negative test or be vaccinated and exhibit no symptoms to bypass quarantine.
There are no extra test requirements to travel around the state.
Most group size restrictions are now dropped but social distancing is encouraged so venues will be limiting capacity where they feel necessary. In all indoor venues, a mask is still required.
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Travel into the state and quarantine is bypassed by a negative test within 72-hours or being fully vaccinated.
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Here is an example, most flights to Hawaii arrive in the evening so they will be leaving many of the major continental US cities between 3pm and 7pm. A flight from SFO at 6:45pm on Monday, means I need to take the test anytime after 6:45pm on Friday.
Each airline is working to partner with local labs and other services in their main West Coast hubs that have direct flights to Hawaii. These options are not great yet as anyone with connecting flights from other places can not utilize their services. This is due to the fact that these testing services are outside of the airport and you would have to leave the security area to get tested. The only in terminal option is San Francisco (SFO) but you will pay a significant amount for that convenience, currently about $250 per person.
The best way is convenient drive-up testing that you can schedule ahead of time and have the results in your hand within an hour. If you live in a major city, itʻs not too difficult to find a few options to give you this test. You can make appointments online to schedule a time to visit a location, like CVS, Walgreens, or a local lab that is certified.
Unfortunately, for most of the country, getting a test done in-person can be many hours drive away, especially if you donʻt live near an Interstate Highway. The only option at that point is an at-home testing kit.
This system seems pretty advanced. The medical professional will watch you, using Zoom App, spit into a tube until there is enough to get a good reading. They make sure you are doing it correctly and there is no tampering with the sample. You seal it up, put it back into the envelope and drop it at the UPS, USPS or FedEx to be sent overnight to the lab. Within 2-3 days you will have your results on the computer.
We recommend Vault as the results are supervised and mailing is simple. You can also order individual tests for each member of your group. Be sure to order your test from the site a week before your flight.
There are at-home testing kits that are not-supervised and they will not be accepted by Hawaii officials. Watch out for the at-home kits that require you to visit a specific place to actually have it done.
Believe it or not, there is no active screening for temperatures or symptoms prior to boarding your flight to Hawaii. There may be some random checks but there is no extra required screening for every person in place for domestic travelers.
You will be required to wear a mask from the moment you enter the terminal where you start your journey until you get in your own rental car or walk into your hotel room if you are using transportation or airport shuttles.
Once you arrive in Hawaii, you will undergo screening for symptoms at that point. You must declare you are symptom-free and your temperature will be checked. If you show symptoms or have a fever, you will be required to take a second test and remain in quarantine until a test is provided that shows you are negative.
Before departing for your vacation, take the first step at home: check the airline and airport websites for the most up-to-date, reliable information regarding flight changes and cancellations as well as requirements like negative test results, temperature checks, and other screenings. Things might take a little longer at TSA so be sure to get started with plenty of time to spare.
We want to be straight up with visitors. We got to share what happens if you get a positive test while in Hawaii. You must quarantine for 5 days in the accommodation (a quarantine approved hotel or residence), no matter how long your trip originally was. This means if your original trip was only 3-days, it just got extended for 2 more days. There are programs and grants that can help cover the costs related to being in quarantine as well as community groups that can provide contactless services.
You will not be allowed to board a plane back to the mainland if it is known that you are a COVID-19 carrier.