![]() “Hawaii maintained its mask mandate and our consistency helped to keep COVID case numbers and hospitalizations as low as possible during the surge. “Many states dropped their mask mandates earlier in the pandemic, only to have to reinstate them once the Delta variant surged,” Ige said. The state’s mask mandate will remain in place. Right now, we are seeing lower case counts, and hospitalizations are coming down.” “The program put in place safety protocols that included a multi-layered screening and testing approach that kept our communities safe during the COVID-19 surges that endangered the most vulnerable of our citizens. “We started the Safe Travels program to protect the health, lives and livelihoods of the people of Hawaii,” Ige said in a press release. Ige also announced that, starting on March 26, state and county employees and visitors to state facilities will no longer be required to provide vaccination status or negative COVID-19 test results. Travelers arriving to Hawaii now through March 25 are still subject to Safe Travels requirements. The lifting of these protocols does not apply to international travelers, who will continue to follow requirements put in place by the federal government. Incoming passengers will also no longer be required to create a Safe Travels account. Beginning March 26, domestic travelers will not have to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a pre-travel negative test result to enter Hawaii. David Ige announced March 1 that he is ending the state’s travel quarantine and Safe Travels program on March 25. … You do not need an emergency proclamation to take precautions.Hawaii Gov. In the month of February, we reported 143 COVID-related deaths, and each one is a tragic loss to our community. “Tragically, we continue to see those that we know and love continue to suffer from COVID-19. “What it does is really just make it easier to come here, but there will probably not be too much of an adjustment.”ĭespite his announcement, Ige urged residents to remain vigilant, saying that the novel coronavirus remains a threat. “I don’t really see a major change happening because of Safe Travels (ending),” Birch said. “From a group standpoint, it means that maybe we’ll see more tour groups booking trips to the island,” Birch said.Ĭurrently, Birch said, travel to the Big Island is still 25-30% down from before the pandemic, but that shortfall likely will not be filled until international travel can freely resume. ![]() Ross Birch, Executive Director for the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, said the end of county restrictions will likely have a more immediate effect on tourism than the end of Safe Travels. ![]() Ige’s announcement came one day after Mayor Mitch Roth announced the immediate end of all countywide COVID restrictions, most notably the restrictions on indoor and outdoor gathering sizes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), we continue to monitor the COVID cases as well as the hospital status, and will be moving forward based on that information,” Ige said, later adding that he does not expect to drop the mask mandate before the 25th. “The state Department of Health is reviewing the … last suggestions by the (U.S. The only two restrictions that may still be in place after March 25 are the restrictions on international travel - which are set by the federal government - and the statewide indoor mask mandate. Beginning March 26, domestic travelers flying into Hawaii will no longer have to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test in order to avoid a post-arrival quarantine.Īt the same time, Ige said, state and county employees no longer will be required to provide their vaccination status or a negative COVID test.
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