Kauai Mayor Derek SK Kawakami is trying to return to the state’s Safe Travels Hawaii program, which would make it unnecessary for visitors from outside the state of Kauai to stay in a resort bubble or spend time on another Hawaiian island to qualify for a quarantine exemption.
If Governor David Ige approves Kawakami’s proposed emergency rule 25, transpacific travelers who successfully participate in the state’s Safe Travels pre-trip test program will be able to begin exempting themselves from the island’s 10-day quarantine on April 5.
“Kaua’i remains one of the safest places in the United States during the pandemic, thanks to the efforts of our residents towards the community and the restrictions on travel towards health,” said Kawakami in a statement. “In the past few months, our community’s efforts have given us the opportunity to safely return to the state’s safe travel program.”
Kawakami said more than 24,000 doses of the vaccine were administered in Kauai and, in April, he is confident that employees in the hospitality and food industries will receive the vaccines.
“The case count across the state and across the continent is stabilizing. Our local hospitals are working together and have outbreak plans for additional ICU capacity, if necessary, ”he said. “They also obtained more equipment and have COVID testing and treatment options available to respond to any increase in COVID-19 cases.”
Kawakami’s request comes at a time when Hawaii lawmakers are considering a move that requires the Hawaii Safe Travels program to be consistent across the state. House Bill 1286 says Ige’s decision to allow a county to opt out of the safe travel program “ended up resulting in a patchwork of requirements in all counties that are difficult to navigate for visitors and residents and, as such, the economic impact of the pandemic in the state is increasing. “
The order also marks the first glimpse of hope for many companies that depend on tourism in Kauai.
Trips to Kauai plummeted after Kawakami opted out of the Safe Travels program, starting December 2, requiring all travelers to Kauai to go through a mandatory 10-day quarantine with no trial option.
As of January 5, Kauai ended the month-long tourism stoppage, allowing passengers between islands to participate in Hawaii Safe Travels and introducing its own trans-Pacific entry program. But these changes did little to restore tourism to Kauai, which lagged behind the rest of the state due to its stricter travel requirements.
In January, the year-on-year drop in visitor arrivals from the rest of the islands ranged from 72% on Maui to 79% on the island of Hawaii, to almost 85% on Oahu and almost 97% on Kauai.
In January, visitor spending on Kauai was $ 10.2 million, down almost 95% from the same month in 2020. Total visitor days also fell by almost 90% compared to January 2020. There were 3,987 visitors to Kauai in January, compared to 113,847 visitors a year ago.
Currently, trans-Pacific travelers can avoid quarantine on Kauai if they first go to another island in Hawaii using the Hawaii Safe Travels pre-arrival testing program and spend at least 72 hours on that island before traveling to Kauai. But before entering Kauai, they would still need to audition with one of the state’s trusted international travel partners.
A second option to avoid the 10-day quarantine on Kauai is for visitors to stay in the “resort bubbles”. In this case, visitors must have a negative COVID test before arriving in Kauai. This test does not have to come from the list of trusted test partners released by the state. After arriving, they must go directly to a designated resort balloon for at least three days.
If Ige approves Kawakami’s request, as of April 5, out-of-state travelers to Kauai will take a pre-trip test from one of the state’s trusted test and travel partners within 72 hours of their departure for Kauai. A list of trusted partners is available here.
They must also create a Safe Travels account and complete the state of Hawaii mandatory travel and health form. The negative test will only be accepted if they upload the negative test results to their Safe Travels account before the final leg of their trip to Hawaii.
Get more information about the state of Hawaii’s safe travel program requirements here.
Although Kauai’s travel policies are the most stringent in the state, local residents enjoy more freedom. Since May 2020, Kauai companies of various types, as well as many sporting and social activities, have been allowed to operate and remain open, as long as they follow the containment guidelines.
“It has been a year since the pandemic hit Hawaii and we thank the people of Kauai for their sacrifices that have allowed us to remain safe, healthy and open,” said Dr. Janet Berreman, Kauai district health officer, in a statement. “With the distribution of the vaccine to high-risk groups and the improvement of the situation on the continent, the Kauai District Health Office supports the opening of transpacific trips with a single pre-trip test at this time. We continue to monitor new developments, particularly the transmission of new variants, and we emphasize the need for everyone to continue to practice wearing masks, physical distance and other safety precautions ”.
Recognizing that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to advise travelers to take a test before and after their trip, Kauai County and the Kauai District Health Office are offering the COVID-19 test. free at the Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall during the week, from 8 am to 3 pm. Recent travelers and employees in high-risk sectors are encouraged to use this free trial program.
“Although post-trip testing is not mandatory, we are grateful to our visitors industry partners for going the extra mile to keep our community safe by encouraging their guests to take a test after arrival,” added Mayor Kawakami. “We have a number of Kauai properties already committed and we expect more to come on stream in the coming weeks.”
The following Kauai hotels have agreed to make post-trip testing available to their guests at varying costs:
>> Kaua’i Marriott Resort & Beach Club
>> Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort & Spa
>> The Cliffs at Princeville
>> The Club in Kukui’ula
>> Kaua’i Timbers in Hoku’ala
>> Sheraton Kaua’i in Coconut Beach
>> The point in Po’ipū
>> Hanalei Colony Resort
>> Koloa Landing Resort
>> Paradise Suite
For more information on COVID-19 in Kauai and travel rules, visit kauai.gov/COVID-19.