Hawaii has been one of the world's strictest destinations during the coronavirus pandemic, but Gov. David Ige sees light at the end of the tunnel.
Ige said Friday that as long as COVID-19 vaccination rates in Hawaii continue to rise, he will end travel restrictions starting with flights between the Hawaiian islands.
Beginning June 15, travelers will be able to fly freely inter-island without needing a COVID test or vaccination, according to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Hawaii doesn't have a great deal of residents and Ige, afraid that a steady influx of tourists would have spread the virus more easily through its population, put strict mandates on who could visit Hawaii and when.
But having a smaller amount of residents also means being able to vaccinate people more quickly. Ige said 52 percent of Hawaii residents are current fully vaccinated.
When the total vaccination rate reaches 60 percent, he said the Safe Travels program will accept vaccination cards from anywhere on the mainland. This will allow travelers vaccinated anywhere on the continental U.S. to travel to Hawaii without needing to take a COVID test or quarantine.
When the total vaccination rate reaches 70 percent, Ige said, all travel restrictions will be lifted, and the Safe Travels program will be terminated.
Like other states, Hawaii has been actively encouraging its residents to get vaccinated through various incentive programs, including deals and discounts at certain Hawaii businesses and win prizes such as 1 million HawaiianMiles from Hawaiian Airlines.
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