Hawaii Travel Updates: Latest News on COVID-19 Vaccine Passports, Restrictions

Update: April 12, 2021 at 1:20 p.m. ET

Hawaii Governor David Ige signed a new proclamation Friday that revealed plans to allow vaccinated travelers to bypass mandatory quarantine upon arriving in the state.

According to USA Today, fully vaccinated travelers would be able to avoid coronavirus testing and quarantine by uploading valid vaccination documents to the Safe Travels Program or showing proof in person.

The provision must receive approval from Maj. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara, director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. No timeline was provided for when the vaccine passport will be made available.

Tourism officials in Hawaii are calling on Governor David Ige to lift inter-island travel quarantines and implement a COVID-19 vaccine exemption program to help infuse money into an economy hit hard by the pandemic.

According to KHON2.com, Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association president Mufi Hannemann said the state’s economy has been devastated by the travel restrictions, with hotels only reaching 50-percent capacity during the usually busier spring travel period.

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“The economy is still hurting, people are out of work, and it’s not just hotels and airlines that we’re looking at here, we’re looking at small businesses, restaurants, mom and pop shops, retail attractions, you know, they need the visitors to come back,” Hannemann told KHON2.

In response, Governor Ige said an increase in confirmed coronavirus cases in Maui, Oahu and other areas is why he has not lifted the inter-island travel restrictions yet. In addition, he revealed the state might not be ready to implement a vaccine passport program until July.

Hawaiian Airlines president Peter Ingram said the outdated restrictions must be revised, as the climate has change surrounding COVID-19 since the rules were implemented in August 2020.

“We should look at evolving our policy so that we aren’t putting burdens on a movement of people or other restrictions that that are no longer necessary,” Ingram said.

While Ingram favors lifting inter-island quarantines without a coronavirus vaccine passport program, Hannemann believes the state should roll out the program for inter-island travel first and open it to mainland travelers after a trial period.