Hawai´i Rolls Back Gathering, Travel Restrictions Thursday

The State of Hawai´i has officially rolled back several of its coronavirus-based travel and gathering restrictions as of Thursday morning, July 8.

Any travelers who have completed their full COVID-19 vaccination schedules and have allowed 15 days to pass since receiving their final dose may now travel to and throughout Hawai´i without being subject to quarantine. The only stipulation is that the vaccination must have been administered in the US or US Territories.

Hawai´i residents must produce their state-issued vaccine cards, which are checked against official databases, to avoid quarantine and/or testing requirements when completing trans-Pacific travel to the Hawaiian Islands. Residents have already been, and will continue to be, free to travel between islands free of quarantine requirements regardless of vaccination status.

Those who were vaccinated outside of the Hawaiian Islands need to produce the relevant documentation from their respective sources of inoculation, as well as sign a document swearing they are not providing the state with falsified information.

The transition is expected to boost tourism in Hawai´i to an even greater extent, as more than 30,000 trans-Pacific travelers have been arriving daily — visitor numbers rivaling even those that existed pre-pandemic.

Also changed as of Thursday are gathering restrictions. Indoor parties of up to 25 people are now allowed, up from 10 previously. Acceptable group numbers have jumped from 25 to 75 individuals outdoors. Face coverings are not required to attend public outdoor gatherings, though they are still mandated when visiting public indoor settings such as restaurants, bars and grocery stores.

Two weeks ago, Governor David Ige set the July 8 rollback date in stone, saying health officials predicted vaccination numbers for Hawai´i residents would reach 65% by today — a figure at which such moves become acceptable from the standpoint of public health.

According to the Department of Health website, a total of 64.8% of the state had initiated their inoculation schedule as of Thursday, with 58% considered fully vaccinated.