Travel to Hawaii COVID-19 Information
This post provides the most up-to-date information on Hawaii COVID-19 restrictions and policies, and their impact on vacation rentals.
How to Prepare to Travel to Hawaii
To avoid 14-day quarantine after your arrival in Hawaii, take Covid-19 test within 72 hours of your flight and have negative results. Consult the official list of Hawaii accepted trusted testing and travel partners.
The following video explains the steps you need to take to prepare for your travel to Hawaii.
There are 4 counties in Hawaii, and travel requirements differ depending on the island you travel to. Make sure to check the latest Covid-19 requirements for your destination island:
Big Island (Hawaii county)
Oahu (Honolulu county)
Maui (Maui county)
Kauai (Kauai county)
October 8, 2020 – Update on October 15 Hawaii Pre-Travel Testing
The following is an excerpt from a Maui Now article. Read the full story.
Hawaiʻi’s pre-travel testing program requires passengers five and older to take a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified laboratory within 72 hours from the final leg of departure and produce a negative result in order to avoid the state’s 14-day mandatory quarantine. A trained professional must observe all tests. Only test results from trusted testing partners approved by the Hawaiʻi Department of Health will be accepted.
This expanded list of partners was announced today and includes:
AFC Urgent Care
Carbon Health
CityHealth Urgent Care
Color
CVS Health
Hawaiian Airlines
Kaiser Permanente (for members only)
Quest Diagnostics
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
Vault Health
Walgreens
October 1, 2020 – Gov. Ige has denied Maui and Kauai Counties’ request for the second test
Gov. Ige has denied Maui and Kauai Counties’ requests for the second Covid test after the arrival. The Counties are continuing to work with the governor on ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their communities.
October 4, 2020 – The October 15 pre-travel testing opening is endangered
The county mayors have decided that they want all arrivals to Hawaii to take a SECOND test within 72 hours AFTER arrival. During those proposed 72 hours, all arriving would need to remain quarantined, and on Maui at least, that means travelers would need to stay in quarantine-approved accommodations (which excludes vacation rentals).
Here are links to media reports with two county mayors of Maui and Kauai on record pushing for the second test.
Maui Mayor Victorino
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/video/2020/10/02/maui-mayor-mike-victorino-explains-how-nd-test-travelers-would-work/
Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/10/02/kauai-mayor-asks-governor-ok-require-second-covid-test-all-arrivals/
Hawaii Lt Governor Josh Green is on record opposing the second test as it will severely reduce the number of visitors who will come.
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/10/01/live-lt-gov-josh-green-discuss-details-testing-program-trans-pacific-visitors/
It sounds like the mayors need the Governor’s approval to implement the second test requirement.
If you believe, that the second test should not be added, here are links to two petitions that you can sign and send to other people to sign.
Kauai
https://www.change.org/p/david-y-ige-pressure-gov-ige-to-deny-kauia-s-additional-quarantine-request
Maui
https://www.change.org/p/hawaii-governor-david-y-ige-request-gov-ige-to-deny-maui-s-additional-quarantine-request
September 16, 2020 – Pre-testing program is delayed until October 15, 2020
August 19, 2020 – Pre-testing program is delayed until October 1, 2020
Gov. David Ige has delayed the pre-testing program until October 1, 2020. Until then, visitors coming to Hawaii will still have to abide by the 14 day quarantine. Enforcement of the quarantine is in place via tips from the public and investigations by county police departments.
July 13, 2020 – September 1, 2020 is New Date for Resumption of Trans-Pacific Travel to Hawaii
The Mayors of the four Hawaii counties asked the Governor and Lt Governor to delay the August 1 reopening of trans-pacific travel to Hawaii, even with the requirement to have a negative COVID test. During July 13 press conference, Gov. David Ige thanked the Mayors for their work and announced that the reopening date to be extended to September 1, 2020.
June 24, 2020 – Hawaii Is Planned to be Open for Travel on August 1, 2020
Hawaii will reopen on August 1 to tourists who have taken the COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to their flight to Hawaii and tested negative. This is great news for the tourist industry in Hawaii and strikes a fair balance between the economy of Hawaii and the health of the residents.
This announcement was made by Gov. David Ige on June 24, 2020.
New Vacation Rental Cleaning Guidelines
Rental by Owner Awareness Association (RBOAA) compiled Enhanced Cleaning Protocols for owners to prepare for welcoming guests during the ongoing epidemic.
RBOAA relies on the support of their members to keep up the work. To show your support and start receiving their newsletters, join or renew your membership in RBOAA.
Hawaii COVID-19 FAQ
Each municipality makes their best efforts to create such a document. For travelers to Hawaii, the best source is Coronavirus FAQ on Hawaii.gov.
Hawaii 14-day Quarantine Rules
On March 26, 2020 the mandatory 14-day quarantine took effect in the State of Hawaii. All visitors and residents arriving through Hawaii airports are required to stay in their designated quarantine location for 14 days or the whole duration of their stay in the Hawaii, whichever is shorter.
In the beginning of June, Gov. David Ige removed the requirement to self-isolate for inter-island travelers. The quarantine for out-of-state travelers was extended to July 31, 2020. Visitors who leave their rooms to go shopping or for a promenade, can pay up to $5,000, or be imprisoned for up to one year, or both.
On June 24, Gov. David Ige made an announcement that starting on August 1, Hawaii will not require quarantine for travelers, who tested negative to COVID-19 within 72 hours of their Hawaii-bound flight.
Hawaii COVID-19 Vacation Rentals Impact
Until the middle of March 2020, all vacation rentals in Hawaii were prohibited to operate. While hotels were allowed to have guests during the quarantine, vacation rentals were banned from operations. Maui’s Mayor Victorino even said: “We need to take care of the resorts and hotels first” – a statement that has no legal justification.
Probably as a result of the threat of a lawsuit by Oahu owners and managers as well as Florida’s lawsuit against the ban on Vacation Rentals, the mayors of three islands – Maui, Kauai and Big Island – allowed transient vacation rentals to reopen. Started on June 16, legal vacation rentals can have guests not subject to quarantine – those who completed it, residents or inter-island travelers of the island of the rental. Owners of the rental are allowed to complete their quarantine in their own units.
Vacation rentals are still not permitted to operate on the island of Oahu as of the time of this writing.
Hawaii COVID-19 Property Tax Deferral
Given the fact that vacation rental owners face massive losses from Hawaii COVID-19 quarantine and travel disruptions, it’s reasonable to expect the counties to allow extensions in paying property taxes. But so far only the County of Honolulu (Oahu) has permitted paying the due tax in monthly installments, without penalty or interest.
Will Hawaii Test Visitors for COVID-19?
As of June 10, 2020, according to the Associated Press, Hawaii officials said they are planning to install thermal screening stations and facial recognition technology at the airports by the end of the year. Gov. David Ige said the technology would help track people only within the airport while they’re being screened for coronavirus.
