Travel to Hawaii during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go

Editor’s Note — Coronavirus cases remain high across the globe. Health officials caution that travel increases your chances of getting and spreading the virus. Staying home is the best way to stem transmission. Below is information on what to know if you still plan to travel, last updated on April 30.

(CNN) — If you’re planning to travel to Hawaii, here’s what you’ll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The basics

Hawaii reopened to visitors from within the United States and a small number of countries in October, but visitors must provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 test result.
All air passengers entering the United States must now present a negative test result. See below for details on which test types are approved specifically for the state of Hawaii, including for Americans arriving from other states.

What’s on offer

Spectacular surfing, sandy beaches, traditional Pacific culture and rugged volcanoes — including the ongoing eruption of Kīlauea. You can get daily updates on volcanic activity from the US Geological Survey here.

Hawaii’s geographical position and proud history make it unlike anywhere else in the United States.

Who can go

Travelers from other US states, Canada, Japan and South Korea are allowed to bypass Hawaii’s mandatory 10-day quarantine on most islands by following strict pre-travel testing rules (see below).

As of April 17, travelers from Taiwan are also eligible to bypass quarantine through testing. Travelers from Taiwan are still subject to quarantine when they return home.

Beyond those countries, Hawaii is following CDC guidelines, meaning those who have been in Brazil, China, the European Schengen Area, Iran, Ireland, South Africa and the United Kingdom in the past 14 days will be denied entry. Travelers from India will be restricted from entering the United States starting May 4. Travelers from all other countries must undergo a 10-day quarantine. Check the Safe Travels Hawai’i site for details as the situation evolves.
All tourists must also complete a Safe Travels Hawaii form, and many will need to undergo a health screening on arrival.
Japan Airlines also recently added a preclearance program, and All Nippon Airways is adding one soon, according to Hawaii officials.
Travelers on select flights on Delta Air Lines and United Airlines from Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL) can enroll and use CLEAR’s Health Pass to securely link their test results to their verified identity before traveling.

What are the restrictions?

Hawaii’s travel restrictions change often.

Currently, all travelers must either undergo a 10-day quarantine or — if traveling from a handful of countries (listed above) — avoid quarantine by presenting a negative test from a “trusted partner,” a list of which can be found on the Hawaii Covid-19 website.

For air travelers age 5 and over entering Hawaii from abroad, getting a test from one of Hawaii’s approved Trusted Testing Partners will be particularly important because some tests accepted under the US testing entry requirement that went into effect in January would not allow travelers to bypass Hawaii’s quarantine.

Travelers, including those arriving from the US mainland, must have a negative test result before departing on the last leg of their trip to Hawaii. Test results must be uploaded to the Safe Travels Hawaii site before your flight to the islands or printed out prior to departure with the hard copy ready to present upon arrival. Otherwise, you will incur the 10-day quarantine.
There is a mandatory contact tracing requirement for all travelers from both the mainland and inter-island to Maui. All travelers to Maui have to download the AlohaSafe Alert app or another exposure notification app on their mobile phones. If you don’t, you’ll have to go into a mandatory 10-day quarantine.

Starting May 4, trans-Pacific travelers who are eligible to bypass quarantine (those from the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea) flying direct into Kahului, Maui, will have to take an additional rapid Covid-19 test upon arrival. The test is free.

Registration with Safe Travels Hawaii as soon as flights are booked is mandatory for all travelers older than 18. The form will generate a unique QR code that must be scanned on arrival. Negative tests must be uploaded here, and a questionnaire must be completed 24 hours ahead of travel.

Fully vaccinated Hawaii residents traveling between counties may bypass pre-travel testing and quarantine starting May 11 with CDC proof of vaccination cards.

What’s the Covid situation?

With only about 33,850 cases and 483 deaths reported as of April 30, Hawaii has seen relatively low Covid numbers compared with other US states. Strict lockdown measures were put in place in March 2020 to ensure that the islands were not overwhelmed.

What can visitors expect?

Restrictions vary by island, although there is a statewide mask mandate — they must be worn whenever out in public.

Oahu has implemented a four-tier system of restrictions. It’s in Tier 3 until at least May 5. (Tier 4 is the least restrictive).
This means social gatherings of up to 10 people are allowed. Groups of 10 people are allowed in restaurants regardless of household or living unit. Groups are also limited to 10 people at beaches. Weddings organized by event planning professionals at outdoor venues are now allowed with a maximum of 100 people per event (including staff). Commercial recreational boating is allowed up to 50% capacity. Helicopter tours, plane tours and skydiving are allowed.
Maui, Molokai and Lanai — all in Maui County — allow for gatherings of up to five people. Beaches and Maui County Parks are open.
On Hawaii Island, outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people are permitted as long as masks are worn and social distancing rules followed. Indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people. Beaches are open.
Kauai is currently in Tier 4, meaning gatherings of 10 people are allowed indoors and 25 outdoors. Restaurants and bars are open but limited to 50% capacity indoors. Beaches are open.

Useful links

Our recent coverage

What’s it like traveling to Hawaii during the pandemic? CNN’s Brekke Fletcher wrote about her experience here.

Joe Minihane, Julia Buckley, Marnie Hunter and Forrest Brown contributed to this report

source: cnn.com