No COVID Vaccine Card? No Problem. Hawaii Changes Travel Rules

Hawaii has had strict Covid-19 travel-related restrictions under its “Hawaii’s Safe Travels program” for exactly two years, but it is now coming to an end.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced in a press conference on Sunday that, “The mandatory quarantine for incoming passengers and the Safe Travels program will end. Passengers arriving from any domestic destination will not have to show proof of vaccination or a pre-travel test.”

The change will be for domestic travelers only, and international travelers will still need to follow other requirements. The first day the changes are set to go into effect will be for travelers arriving beginning March 26.

The pandemic caused Hawaii to have some of the strictest travel requirements of any state in the U.S. Hawaii will still have an indoor mask mandate for public areas and airports, but it is being reviewed by officials.

Ige explained that Hawaii completely handles its schools, jails and hospitals through the state, and that this is why its Covid-19 situation has been “more complex than other areas.”

“We started the Safe Travels program to protect the health, lives and livelihoods of the people of Hawaii. 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,” Ige said in a press release.

Several mayors from different counties in Hawaii also released statements in the press release. They commended the people of the state for their cooperation that has led them to finally be able to get rid of the restrictions.

“We thank our entire state who came together, made tremendous sacrifices and overcame the greatest challenge our society has faced in recent history. We thank Governor Ige, the state Department of Health, and all of our partners across the islands, for your leadership and guidance. The ability for us to now see life beyond COVID is a testament to your collective work," Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami of Kauaʻi County said.