HAWAII REMAINS a paradise bubble of feathery palms and pulsating surf for much of the coronavirus pandemic. The state’s mandatory 14-day visitor quarantine, which took effect on March 26, virtually halted tourism, reducing the number of visitors to the islands from 30,000 a day to less than 500. Now, nine months later, the state has passed it lowest average daily number of cases in the country, but it also suffers from the highest unemployment rate in America. After months of reopening delays, Hawaii relaxed travel rules in October to slowly revive tourism, the state’s main economic engine. However, be wary if you are tempted to fly to Aloha State. The road to paradise has a number of obstacles.
Time is everything
On October 15, a test program for the trip went into effect, forcing travelers to waive the two-week quarantine if they could pass a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of arrival. Nuances, such as having to get a test from a specified provider, caused a headache, and on Nov. 28, Kaua’i Island announced it would abandon the state’s pre-travel testing program and instead stick to a quarantine of 14 days. “There is a lot of confusion about what is considered a valid test,” said Gary Moore, Timbers Kaua`i general manager at the Hokuala resort. “We’ve received a number of guests with a negative test, but this one is from the wrong provider, so they should be quarantined.” Mr. Moore encourages travelers to read the fine print of the state’s ever-changing Safe Travels program (safetravelshawaii.com) before departure as some test partners, including CVS, who were initially announced have declined to participate.
On November 24, the governor added an extra layer of complexity to travel by stipulating that visitors must have reliable test results in hand 72 hours before the final leg of their journey. But given the many unexpected delays this year – not just with flights but also with test results – there are few guarantees. A few days before their November flight to Oahu, Longmont, Colorado residents Don and Sheila Martinson secured an appointment at an emergency room near their home for a rapid PCR test, but the day before the test sent the clinic said they were out of stock and couldn’t guarantee results within 72 hours. Fortunately, the couple also scheduled a backup test at a nearby Walgreens and received results within four hours. Despite the hassle, tourists trickle into the islands. More than 443,000 people came to Hawaii between October 15 and November 30.
On beaches, statewide mask mandates get a little murky.
Photo:
Marco Garcia
Island hopping is more difficult
Before flying, travelers must upload a PDF of their Covid test results to Hawaii’s Safe Travels portal and complete a health questionnaire. Once completed, travelers will receive an email or text message with a QR code that will be scanned upon arrival at the airport and at hotels. And since each island has slightly different requirements, visitors may want to limit their vacation to one island.
Don’t hang loose anymore
Visitors should be prepared to face pandemic regulations more stringently than most states. Violators of the statewide mask mandate face a fine of up to $ 5,000 or a year in prison, troublesome as the details of the mandate itself change frequently. The most current regulations require everyone to wear a mask when walking to or from the beach or pool, as well as on hiking trails, in parks, on the sidewalks and in some cases on guided canoe trips with cranes.
Angela Keen, co-founder of Hawaii Quarantine Kapu Breakers, a voluntary community action group that helps enforce Covid safe practices across the island, says visitors should remember that Hawaii isn’t just a vacation destination. “This is our home and by welcoming you to our islands, we place our kapuna [elders] and communities at risk, ”she said. “If people get tested and wear masks, we can reduce tourism. But there must be respect. ”
In some places, travel bubbles are under development in an effort to revive air travel, which fell sharply during the pandemic. WSJ explains how reopening the skies without quarantine requirements on either end of a journey could help reboot the global economy. Illustration: Crystal Tai
Tourist staples are getting a twist
At the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island, luau dancers lead guests in hula noho, a form of hula performed while seated, to ensure social distance. At the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali, luaus are limited to 170 people, tables are 6 feet apart, and fire dancers now perform atop a waterfall to make sure they stay safe.
You can still get a mai tai, but they are a bit harder to find. Maui has recently closed its bars for at least a few weeks. The other island bars will remain open, but you may be sipping your cocktails behind a Plexiglas wall and you will likely be asked to fill out a contract trace form.
Nicole Keefe, who lives in El Dorado Hills, California, traveled to the island in October. “I imagine Maui looked like 40 years ago,” said Ms. Keefe, noting that she and her family stayed at the Ka’anapali resort and shared the beach with no more than 10 people. On a catamaran tour to Lanai, she didn’t see another boat in the water and her family had the waves to themselves when they took surf lessons. “Turtles may have been in the minority,” she said.
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