Hawaii to lift COVID quarantine requirement for travelers this month
Hawaii plans to lift its COVID-19 quarantine requirement for travelers this month, meaning that starting on March 26 those arriving from other places in the U.S. won't have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to avoid sequestering themselves for five days.
Hawaii is the only U.S. state to implement a coronavirus quarantine program of this kind.
Governor David Ige said at a news conference the requirement saved lives and was a major factor in limiting the spread of COVID-19 in the islands. Hawaii has one of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the nation.
The quarantine period for travelers lasted 14 days when Hawaii first imposed it in March 2020. The state later created testing and vaccination exemptions.
The state screened 11.3 million passengers since the testing exemption was launched in October 2020, Ige said.
Those arriving in Hawaii from outside the country still must adhere to U.S. federal guidelines, which vary depending on American citizenship. International tourists do not need to quarantine but still need proof of vaccination and a negative test.
The governor said he would maintain Hawaii's indoor mask mandate at least through March 25, and would be evaluating whether to lift it after that. Hawaii is last state in the nation with a statewide mandate in effect.
Hawaii has the nation's second-lowest death rate from COVID-19 "in part because of the indoor mask mandate," Ige told local news station KITV.
The governor said the state Department of Health will review the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before he decides.
Ige said he wants to make sure that public schools will be able to continue with in-person learning. He said more people will be traveling as spring break comes, which could increase the presence of the coronavirus at schools.
"The pandemic is not over. Tragically, we continue to see those that we know and love continue to suffer from COVID-19," he said.
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, Hawaii reported 18,494 new coronavirus cases in the past month and 154 new deaths.
The governor said he was proud of how the community responded the pandemic.
"It is about the people, place and culture of all of us here, coming from diverse backgrounds but always understanding that there is a bigger reason to be willing to sacrifice individual needs to benefit the community," Ige said. "And over and over again, we were willing to do that."