by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:12 AM ET, Fri August 21, 2020
Hawaii is working to establish an Enhanced Movement Quarantine (EMQ) with resorts and hotels that would allow tourists to visit the state again with heavy restrictions.
According to MauiNow.com, Governor David Ige announced the "resort bubble" as part of a supplementary emergency proclamation, which would require guests staying at hotels in Hawaii to stay in clearly defined geographical areas and limit contact with locals and other travelers.
The EMQ protocols will be established by each county with resort and hotel facilities and provide visitors the chance to enjoy aspects of the islands without being subjected to a 14-day quarantine.
To be eligible to arrive in Hawaii as part of the EMQ, tourists must comply with all state, county and industry safety and health standards, including completing all documentation and respecting mandatory mask policies.
"We continue to work on digitizing and refining the travel screening process as well as developing enforceable, safe alternatives to self-quarantine," Governor Ige said.
Resorts and hotels will need to define the geographical regions guests must not leave, which can include adjacent shoreline areas where beach access is permitted. Each facility must also provide capacity for isolating any positive or suspected COVID-19 cases.
In addition, travelers must sign waivers confirming they have "voluntarily elected to participate in the EMQ, will voluntarily agree to electronic monitoring and other requirements and voluntarily waived express privacy protections, including to health information, as necessary to accomplish public health purposes."
Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami said the EMQ should make enforcement of quarantine measures easier for authorities, but it's up to arriving travelers to stick to the guidelines and keep everyone safe.
The state's 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement for out-of-state visitors and the inter-island travel quarantine for those arriving in the counties of Kauai, Hawaii, Maui and Kalawao will remain in place.
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