Gov. David Ige today announced a pre-arrival testing program for travelers from South Korea starting Feb. 5.

In order to bypass Hawaii’s mandatory 10-day quarantine, travelers must receive a negative COVID-19 test result from a “trusted testing partner” in South Korea, with the test taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure. The program is similar to rules already in effect for mainland and Japan arrivals.

“The pre-travel testing program is just one layer of the state’s comprehensive Safe Travels Hawai‘i program, which has served us well in protecting our residents and visitors. We are excited to safely welcome back travelers from Korea,” Ige said in a news release.

The state Department of Health approved the use of the COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) conducted by a laboratory authorized by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency for the pre-travel test. The following four trusted testing partners in Korea have been approved as of today:

>> Yonsei University Health System, Severance Hospital

>> Kangbuk Samsung Hospital

>> Inha University Hospital

>> Asan Medical Center

“We continue to inform visitors before and after they arrive in the Hawaiian Islands to make them more mindful and aware about their responsibility to keep themselves and our residents safe,” John De Fries, president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority said in the release. “HTA will work with Hawai‘i Tourism Korea to expand collaboration with airlines, and will also work with Korea’s leading industry and brand partners to develop sustainable travel themes to Hawai‘i that comply with our state’s travel policies and guidelines.”

Korean nationals traveling abroad are still subject to a 14-day quarantine upon their return.

For more information visit hawaiicovid19.com/travel/ and gohawaii.com/kr/special-alerts-information-korean.