As the state nears a fully vaccinated rate of 55%, Gov. David Ige announced major changes to the state's Safe Travels Program.
All restrictions on inter-island travel will be lifted, and fully vaccinated residents returning to the state will be permitted without restrictions starting June 15, he said Friday.
Quarantines, COVID-19 tests and vaccination cards will not be required for anyone when flying between the islands. Vaccinated residents can already travel freely inter-island.
Ige also announced that beginning June 15, residents entering the state who have been vaccinated in Hawaii will be exempt from quarantine and COVID-19 testing.
As more people get vaccinated, Hawai‘i is looking to change some of its restrictions on travel based on vaccination rates. The benchmarks are as follows: pic.twitter.com/FAzU9IAxK3
— Governor David Ige (@GovHawaii) June 4, 2021
According to the state, Hawaii is currently 52% fully vaccinated and 59% of the population has had at least one dose.
Once the state reaches a fully vaccinated rate of 60%, vaccinated trans-Pacific travelers will also be exempt from quarantine and testing requirements. Those travelers must have received their vaccinations within the country and then upload a proof of vaccination to the Safe Travels Program, he said.
Right now, travelers arriving from out of state must spend 10 days in quarantine or, to bypass that quarantine, they must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken before departure for the islands.
If and when the state reaches 70% vaccinated, all travel restrictions will be lifted and the state will end its Safe Travels Program, Ige said.
Hawaii will also lift its requirement that people wear masks indoors once that level has been reached, he said.
“The easing of travel restrictions is a direct result of our robust vaccination rate, and a community that sacrificed and did what it had to do over the past year and a half to stop the spread of COVID-19. We need to push hard now so we can get to the point where Safe Travels is no longer needed to keep the people of Hawai‘i safe,” he said.
He stressed the state continues to monitor COVID-19 variants, healthcare capacity and other metrics.
Ige also announced that June is HI Got Vaccinated month. To get the state to 70%, there are a few deals to entice the vaccine-hesitant.
One of the big offerings: Hawaiian Airlines is offering 10 prizes, each consisting of 100,000 HawaiianMiles.
So many people went to the website after the state announced its existence that the site crashed. Health Department spokesman Brooks Baehr said 500 people signed up for prizes in the first hour.
