Hawaii is ending certain Covid-19 safety precautions for domestic travelers later this month
Long security lines are visible at Kahului Airport as passengers wait for departing flights from the island of Maui on August 5.
By Paradise Afshar and Travis Caldwell, CNN
Hawaii’s Safe Travels program, established to slow the spread of Covid-19 through safety precautions for travelers, will come to an end on March 25, the state’s governor announced.
Domestic passengers arriving in Hawaii after the program ends won’t need to follow earlier regulations, like showing proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test to bypass quarantine, according to Gov. David Ige.
“It is important to remember that we’re talking about domestic travel only, this does not apply to international travelers which have different requirements set by the federal government,” Ige said Tuesday. “It’s also equally important to note that all Safe Travels requirements must be met by incoming domestic passengers prior to March 25.”
International travelers 18 and older who are not US citizens, US nationals, lawful permanent residents or green card holders must be fully vaccinated to enter the US. Children 17 and younger are exempt.
All air passengers age 2 or older with a flight departing to the US from another country are required to show a negative result from a Covid-19 viral test taken no more than one day before travel, or present documentation of having recovered from Covid-19 in the past 90 days before they board their flight.
Hawaii is one of a number of states easing Covid-19 restrictions as cases and hospitalizations wane following the Omicron surge over the 2021 holiday season.
Throughout the pandemic, Hawaii has maintained some of the strictest travel measures of any state and had relatively low Covid-19 numbers compared to other states.
Officials are continuing to review the state’s indoor masking requirements, Ige said.
“Masks will continue to be required for indoor workplaces and airports even with Safe Travels and employee vaccination and testing requirements going away,” Ige said. “The pandemic is not over.”
The-CNN-Wire
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