Hawaii Considers Stricter Covid-19 Travel Restrictions For 2022

Hawaii is looking to tighten its travel restrictions this year in light of the highly contagious omicron variant.

International inbound travelers are now required to provide proof of full vaccination. Travelers will also need to produce negative test results that were received within in the last 24-hours, rather than the previously required three-day window. Visitors from mainland U.S. and its territories are required to self-quarantine for five days if they have not been fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated travelers can avoid the quarantine period. A hard copy of the traveler’s vaccination card must be produced to be accepted when entering unless it’s validated with Digital Health Pass Partners (AZOVA, CLEAR and CommonPass).

Hawaii’s Lt. Gov. Josh Green acknowledged that Hawaii may have to make adjustments due to the limited medical centers available.

“The recommendation should be that you’re either boosted or tested, real straightforward, and I think that will come in the New Year,” Green said late last year.

With the multitude of tourists that visit Hawaii each year, the state has set some of the strictest rules. The state even launched a “Safe Travels” program, and Gov. David Ige (D) urged tourists to delay their trips this past summer to give Hawaii’s hospitality industry time to recoup.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now requires a five-day isolation period, instead of the previous 10 days since the omicron variant symptoms do not prove to be the same type of risk as the delta variant. This is good news for travelers who test positive after arriving at their destination.

“The majority of our visitors do not have the funds to spend an extra two weeks during the holidays and so, for those visitors, they are happy that the CDC has changed the rules,” Jessica Lani Rich, from the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii told KITV4 News.