Traveling to Hawaii during Covid

Summary

Traveling to Hawaii during Covid requires adherence to specific rules depending on vaccination status, with vaccinated individuals having fewer restrictions.

Abstract

As of January 13, 2022, vaccinated travelers to Hawaii can enjoy a more streamlined travel experience, as they are not required to take a Covid-19 test to enter Hawaii or to return home, nor do they need to quarantine. They must create a Safe Travels profile, complete travel details, and upload their vaccination card. In contrast, non-vaccinated travelers face significant challenges, including the need for a Covid-19 PCR test from a Hawaiian-approved establishment 72 hours before departure, and repeated testing every 48 hours while in Hawaii to access most establishments. The article advises non-vaccinated individuals to consider traveling to other destinations like Mexico or the mainland USA instead.

Opinions

The author suggests that traveling to Hawaii is relatively easy for vaccinated individuals, using words like "ease" and "no quarantine."
The author expresses that the process for non-vaccinated travelers is difficult, calling it a "nightmare" and advising against visiting Hawaii until vaccinated.
There is an emphasis on the importance of getting a PCR test from a Hawaiian-approved vendor, highlighting a personal anecdote of a client's negative experience with a reputable but non-approved source.
The author provides a practical tip for both vaccinated and non-vaccinated travelers to mark their calendar for the health questionnaire the day before travel.
The author's opinion is clear that the current testing requirements for non-vaccinated individuals are a significant deterrent to visiting Hawaii.
The article concludes with a cost-effective alternative to ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4), suggesting ZAI.chat as a more affordable option.

The hardest place to travel to in the US

Times they are a-changin' but as of right now (January 13, 2022) here are the rules and restrictions to travel to Hawaii:

Before you go: Vaccinated travelers If you’re vaccinated then good news for you — you can travel to Hawaii with ease! You do not need to take a Covid-19 test to get to Hawaii and you do not need one to get home. No quarantine is necessary either. Even better you can travel between the islands without needing a test or quarantine.

If you’re vaccinated then good news for you — you can travel to Hawaii with ease!

Here’s what you DO need to do: create a Safe Travels profile at https://travel.hawaii.gov/#/ and fill out your travel details.

Tip: have your flight info handy when filling out your travel details.

You’ll also need to upload a picture of your vaccination card showing both doses of the vaccine have been taken (at the time of writing this, a booster shot is not required to be fully vaccinated).

You can do this first step the same day you book your flights, so you don’t need to wait!

One day before travel: Vaccinated Travelers Mark your calendar because one day before you depart for Hawaii you’ll be prompted through email to fill out a health questionnaire. Once you fill this out then you will receive a QR code which is the code needed to enter Hawaii.

While in Hawaii: Vaccinated travelers: Bring your vaccination card around with you to show as proof and you’ll be allowed in restaurants, luaus, tours, and other activities throughout the islands of Hawaii.

Before you go: Non-vaccinated travelers I’m sorry to say but this trip is going to be a nightmare for you. Here’s the process:

First, fill out the Safe Travels profile just like vaccinated travelers here: https://travel.hawaii.gov/#/

Then, 72 hours before your flight departure get a Covid-19 PCR test at a Hawaiian-approved establishment. Full list here: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/

Please note: you MUST get your Covid-19 PCR test (not antigen test, but a PCR test) from one of these approved vendors of Hawaii. I just had a horror story of a client who received their PCR test from an extremely reputable source but it was not part of the Hawaii travel partners PCR test and thus ensued the nightmare).

One day before travel: Non-vaccinated Travelers Just like the vaccinated travelers make sure to mark your calendar one day before you depart for Hawaii as you’ll be prompted through email to fill out a health questionnaire. Once you fill this out then you will receive a QR code which is the code needed to enter Hawaii.

While in Hawaii: Non-vaccinated travelers: This is where you will most likely decide not to visit Hawaii (at least not at the time being). Just about every establishment (tour companies, restaurants, museums, luaus, and hotels) make you show a negative Covid-19 test to enter their establishment. But here’s the kicker — the test must be less than 48 hours old. So that means if you’re doing a 10-day Hawaiian vacation then you must get tested every 2 days for a total of 5 times, plus the testing to get to Hawaii, for a total of 6 tests. And the waiting time for these test results can vary (sometimes 24 hours and sometimes 72 or 96 hours).

In summary: For my non-vaccinated travelers, my encouragement to you is to save Hawaii for later. In the meantime visit Mexico, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica, or stay in the mainland USA.

Mahalo!