Couple divorced after Hawaii refuses to accept Mayo Clinic’s COVID-19 test
A Minnesota couple with vacation plans in Hawaii got divorced after government officials failed to accept a negative COVID-19 test completed by a Mayo Clinic lab.
(VOC 9) Hawaii is the dream vacation with lots of sun, beaches and warm weather.
Travelers love it because you can access luxury without flying internationally.
However, to get to Hawaii, you need a negative COVID-19 test. But it couldn’t be from the Mayo Clinic, as a Minnesota couple recently discovered.
Joan and Grant Christianson are now in two different states because Hawaii does not list the Mayo Clinic as one of its “ trusted partners. ”
“We said, ‘But it’s the Mayo Clinic, [one] of the largest research laboratories in the United States, ”said Joan.
It should have been the dream vacation for the Christianson after an emotional 2020.
“We’ve had a very stressful year,” said Joan. “My family has had many deaths, including my 50-year-old sister and my father.”
The journey has turned into a nightmare, in which they have more questions than answers.
“My COVID-19 test was from Walgreen’s lab, where I sat in the car and wiped my own nose, and Hawaii accepted that,” said Joan. “My husband’s test was taken in a hospital by a registered nurse and yet he was rejected as an untrusted partner.”
Hawaii doesn’t offer tests to travelers, so Grant’s only option was to sleep in the car at night and fly to Los Angeles the next morning for an airport test, as the hotel wouldn’t issue a key without proof that he was to remain acquitted.
They contacted their state representative, Rep. Dave Baker (R-Willmar), who said he was disappointed with the way the Hawaiian authorities handled the situation.
“The most trusted partner in the world is Mayo Clinic and that it is not part of the trusted laboratory result is shocking to us,” he told FOX 9. “I understand I need to make sure people are safe, but [they could’ve] answered the phone and asked the Mayo Clinic. You would think there is a better process for doing this. ”
A Minnesota Department of Health spokesperson told FOX 9 in a statement that it has heard the same reports and is “in contact with both the Mayo Clinic and Hawaii government officials to see what can be done.”
In an email, a spokesperson for Mayo Clinic Laboratories stated, “As part of the COVID-19 protocol, the State of Hawaii requires that all persons arriving test negative for SARS-CoV-2. As part of the rules and regulations of the state, laboratories have been designated as “trusted partners.” This status is awarded on the basis of government records, not on the safety or quality of the tests. At this time, Mayo Clinic Laboratories have not been awarded “trusted partner” status in Hawaii We are constantly evaluating the different requirements for COVID-19 testing to ensure all patients have access to high-quality testing. ”
As for Joan, she hopes to have her husband back on the island by Valentine’s Day. He plans to travel back to Hawaii after getting the negative test result from a testing site near LAX.
“The madness is that we bring people from all over the world to get treatment at the Mayo Clinic, but it’s not accepted in Hawaii. I just assumed the Mayo Clinic lab would be a trusted lab. are, ”said Joan. “It’s our first time back in 30 years. I don’t think I can convince him to come back here again.”
A spokesman for the Hawaii Attorney General stated by phone that the only way to get around the testing requirement of his trusted partners is to request an exception online. If you don’t have it, you’ll have to adhere to strict quarantine, which means you’ll be locked up in your accommodation for 10 days.