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.
Gov. 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.
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.
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.
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.”
HONOLULU (AP) — U.S. regulators on Tuesday banned swimming with Hawaii’s spinner dolphins to protect the nocturnal animals from people seeking close encounters with the playful species.
Swimming with dolphins is a popular tourist activity in Hawaii. Several companies offer tours that take swimmers to areas frequented by dolphins with the aim of giving them an opportunity to get in the water with the animals.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rule under the Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits swimming with or getting within 50 yards (46 meters) of a spinner dolphin that is within 2 nautical miles (4 kilometers) of the shore of the main Hawaiian Islands. The rule applies to boats, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, drones or other objects.
NOAA also is proposing a regulation that would prohibit entering certain areas between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. in parts of the Big Island and Maui that are considered essential daytime habitats for spinner dolphins.
Spinner dolphins hunt in offshore waters at night. During the day, they use areas close to shore that have optimal environmental conditions to socialize, nurture their young, hide from predators and rest in preparation for nightly hunting.
Hawaii’s spinner dolphins get their name from their habit of leaping in the air and spinning around. Some scientists say such behavior is not always playfulness and can instead be an attempt to alert others to danger.
The state of Hawaii this week plans to launch a program that will allow people to use their smartphones to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Hawaii Smart Health Card comes shortly before Honolulu and Maui begin instituting vaccine requirements for patrons of restaurants and other businesses.
State officials say that starting Friday, people who have been vaccinated in Hawaii will be able to upload a photo of their vaccination card to the Safe Travels Hawaii website to create a digital vaccination record. The website will crosscheck this information with data stored in the state’s vaccination database.
Gov. David Ige said this should help prevent the use of fake vaccination cards. The verification process should only take a few seconds.
Customers may show restaurants, museums and other establishments their verified Hawaii Smart Health Card in lieu of their paper vaccination card to gain admittance. Businesses will have the option to use a validator app to scan a QR code on the digital vaccination records to verify their legitimacy.
“Participation in the Hawaii Smart Health Card is voluntary. It is strictly a convenience for those residents who have been vaccinated here in the state of Hawaii,” Ige said at a news conference.
The governor said some states including California and New York have started using similar digital vaccination records.
However, people who have been vaccinated through the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or through the federal pharmacy program won’t be able to have their cards verified through the website.
Starting Monday, Honolulu will require patrons of restaurants, bars, museums, theaters and other establishments to show proof of vaccination or a negative test for COVID-19 taken within the previous 48 hours.
Maui will start a similar program on Wednesday, though patrons won’t have the option to show a negative test.
HONOLULU (AP) — A woman from Louisiana who was honeymooning in Hawaii has been fined $500 after a social media video showed her touching an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, U.S. authorities said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched an investigation last month and found the woman violated the Endangered Species Act, said Dominic Andrews, a spokesperson for the agency’s Office of Law Enforcement.
A video posted on TikTok and other social media showed a woman touching the seal at a Kauai beach in June. The video showed her running away after the seal snapped at her, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Thursday.
The Associated Press wasn’t immediately able to reach the couple Thursday. The couple previously apologized and told the Star-Advertiser earlier this month that they love Hawaii and didn’t mean to offend anyone.
There are an estimated 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and 300 in the main Hawaiian Islands.
Under state and federal laws, it’s a felony to touch or harass a Hawaiian monk seal. Penalties can include up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
Authorities warn people must remain at least 50 feet (15 meters) away from the animals or 150 feet (45 meters) away from pups with their mothers.
NOAA also fined another traveler $500 for touching a resting Hawaiian monk seal. It is unclear when that encountered occurred, but an Instagram account shows the visitor recently visited Oahu in May, the newspaper reported.
KAHULUI, Hawaii (AP) — Officials on Maui are moving quickly to implement a new tax on tourists.
The move comes after state lawmakers overrode a veto by Hawaii Gov. David Ige this week.
Hawaii lawmakers overrode Ige’s veto of a bill that overhauls how the state funds the Hawaii Tourism Authority and allocates tourism tax revenue to the counties.
The new law allows Hawaii’s counties to collect a 3% tax from visitors staying at hotels and other short-term rentals.
Before the new law, the state collected a 10% hotel tax and distributed a share to each county. Now, the counties can levy their own surcharge to the tax and keep the money for local needs.
The bill would stop funding the tourism agency with money raised by the transient accommodations tax. Lawmakers intend to pay for the agency with money from the general fund, though for the current fiscal year they appropriated federal coronavirus relief funds.
“This will help tremendously,” said Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee.
Lee said that will bring Maui nearly triple the revenue, Hawaii News Now reported Thursday.
“Instead of $23 million, we’ll probably receive in the neighborhood of $50 to $70 million,” Lee said.
Maui has seen a sharp increase in tourism since pandemic restrictions have eased.
State Rep. Sylvia Luke, the House Finance Chair, said under the old system, Oahu got the bulk of the money because it is the most populous island in the state. Now counties will be receive money based on how many visitors they get.
Luke said Maui could benefit the most.
“The island is just overrun with tourists,” said Luke. “And you look at the population of Maui, compared to Oahu, there’s a lot more tourists per capita.”
California visitors Phil and Diana Asenas think the law is unfair.
“Taking a little bit of an advantage of people who truly want to get out and have been locked down for two years now,” said Phil Asenas.
“They’re definitely taking advantage of us,” Diana Asenas said. “But at the same time, if we want a vacation, we have to suck it up too. But it’s not right. It’s definitely not right.”
HONOLULU (AP) — Tourists are traveling to Hawaii in larger numbers than officials anticipated, and many are wandering around Waikiki without masks, despite a statewide mandate to wear them in public.
Hawaii’s “Safe Travels” program reported that about 28,000 people flew into and throughout the islands on Saturday, the highest number of travelers in a single day since the pandemic began, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday.
Before the pandemic, Hawaii had about 30,000 arrivals daily. When quarantine rules were put in place early in the pandemic, arrivals plummeted and the state’s tourism-dependent economy tanked.
In October, state officials launched a pre-travel testing program that allowed visitors to sidestep quarantine rules. But travel remained sluggish until the second week in March, when spring break tourists started arriving in the islands.
Travel company Pleasant Holidays president and CEO Jack Richards told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the agency’s bookings increased 30% over the last two weeks.
“We haven’t seen travel demand for Hawaii this strong for over a year,” Richards said. “I thought we would have a U-shaped recovery; it’s V-shaped. January and February were terrible, but we’ve gone from zero to 150 mph in two weeks.”
Hawaii News Now reported that officials are receiving complaints about visitors not wearing masks. With a few exceptions, people in Hawaii are still required to wear masks while in public.
“I’m a believer that if you’re outdoors, you can remove it,” said Glenn Day, a visitor from Indiana.
Visitors said rules in their home states are different than those in place in Hawaii.
“We carry our masks around and if we walk into an establishment we’ll wear one, and if people look like they’re uncomfortable with us around, we’ll put one on. But otherwise, like I said where we come from, people are really not required to wear them,” Wisconsin visitor Larry Dopke said.
“I’m not wearing one right now, I’m outdoors,” said Todd Hasley who was visiting from Idaho. “Boise city has an indoor mask mandate. The rest of the state has a mask recommendation.”
Some lawmakers expressed concern about a possible backlash from residents.
“ I think we’re all going to have to be prepared for a potential surge in tourism,” said Hawaii state Rep. Scott Saiki, a Democrat. “I think we have to be prepared because the public may have a response to a sudden surge.”
Such a reaction could hinder economic recovery.
“Pushing back against tourism is the same thing as telling your neighbor they shouldn’t have a job,” said Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawaii’s Economic Research Organization.
Hawaii requires all visitors and returning residents to get negative pre-travel COVID-19 tests before flying to the state to be exempt from the 10-day quarantine rule.
The island of Kauai has additional measures that will be in place until April 5. All visitors to Kauai must either spend three days on another island or quarantine at a county-approved resort for three days and then get second, post-arrival tests.
Violating the state’s coronavirus mandates, which are outlined in Hawaii Gov. David Ige’s latest emergency proclamation, is a misdemeanor that is punishable by up to a $5,000 fine, a year in prison, or both.
Each island county’s police are responsible for enforcing the rules. Messages from The Associated Press seeking comment from the Honolulu Police Department regarding enforcement of mask rules in Waikiki was not immediately returned.
Tim Sakahara, a spokesman for Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, said in an email that the city recently put up banners throughout Waikiki reminding people to wear masks and remain socially distanced.
“These banners provide a tool to help Honolulu Police officers do their jobs in gaining compliance with COVID-19 rules,” Sakahara said. “The majority of residents and visitors are compliant with the rule or are cooperative when informed of it.”
However, some residents have also opposed wearing masks. Two people were arrested and two others were cited during a weekend anti-mask rally in Waikiki.
Hawaii has had among the lowest rates of confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S.
The beach is free. The silky aqua water costs nothing. And the sunshine doesn't cost a dime.
Yes, you can afford Hawaii, or dare to dream.
With airfares from the mainland to the Aloha State running near historical lows -- less than $800 round-trip to from several U.S. cities to Honolulu now through June -- Hawaii suddenly is a real possibility for more travelers.
In fact, at this very moment, I am sitting in Waikiki with a mimosa in my hands at a tiny outdoor hotel bar, looking out at swaying palm trees, the ocean waves, the stress of the long flight behind me, feeling drowsy, and ...
Oh, sorry. Where was I? Hawaii is so distracting.
What I was about to say is that your "someday" dream trip should definitely become a concrete plan, ASAP. And I would start with Oahu.
Honolulu primer
Oahu is the "beginnner's" Hawaii. It's the classic Hawaii you've seen on all the hula-swaying postcards. Its beaches are only 20 minutes from the Honolulu airport.
Honolulu's Waikiki shoreline contains Duke Kahanamoku Beach, which was named the best beach in the U.S. last year. That is nice. That is fine. The beaches in Hawaii are all nice and fine.
But first-timers are cheating themselves if the beach is all they see.
In this culturally rich state, I am begging you to also experience things that you can't find back home in Florida or Michigan or Rhode Island. Things like Iolani Palace($14.75 admission), where the only royal family in what's now the U.S. once lived. Or the view from a hike on Diamond Head (free). See the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor (free). Or just drive around downtown or the neighborhoods and see how regular folks in Hawaii live.
Then, go exploring beyond Honolulu on a stunning coastal drive. You really can't get lost. Or go wrong.
Aloha 'oe
I based myself in Honolulu, renting a studio apartment through AirBnB for $120 a night. My rental didn't have much of a view, but it had a fully stocked kitchen and was directly next to the trendy Modern Honolulu hotel ($279) and Hilton Hawaiian Village ($200). Best of all, it was two minutes from the beach.
If you stay in Honolulu, however, you soon will hear locals talking about big city problems like homelessness, traffic jams and a half-finished transit system mired in red ink. That is all true. And yes, the median house in Oahu costs nearly $700,000. Yes, a half-gallon of milk really does cost $6.99.
But actually, it is amazing how much pure beauty and how many attractions are open to tourists cheap or free. Beyond the leis and luaus, there's a depth to this land.
• It costs only $1 to park at Hanauma Bay (if you can find a parking spot), and an additional $7.50 if you want to go down to the horseshoe-shaped perfect beach, where snorkelers are rewarded by sights like flame angelfish and yellow tangs.
• You can walk the sugar sand public beach in sedate Kailua, the place President Barack Obama vacations (free).
• Stop at the Nuuanu Pali Lookout on the Pali Highway to see the sweeping view of windward Oahu and the Koolau Range (free). Also notable: The intriguing warning sign: "Beware of bees during high wind." Yikes.
• Walk through Byodo-In Temple ($3), a serene ode to the Byodoin temple in Japan. I was there in the rain.
Detroit Free Press travel writer Ellen Creager explores the Byodo Temple on Oahu, Hawaii, on a rainy day.
• Take pictures in lush Kualoa, scene of so many films and TV shows, like Jurassic Park, The Hunger Games and Lost. (Free to stop at the state park; tours at Kualoa Ranch have fees).
• See what's new at the Polynesian Cultural Center ($74.95 including demonstrations, exhibits and alcohol-free luau). Its new Hukilau Marketplace shopping area is free to wander (see below).
• Watch the surfers on the incredible giant waves of the North Shore (free).
Much mahalo, thanks
What about eating and shopping? Oahu has, like the rest of the country, been swept away by the "grow local, shop local" food movements.
This is a good thing when you are 2,500 miles from anywhere.
Howe Restaurants here are a mix of trendy Hawaiian-Asian fusion (like Chai's Waikiki Cafe & Market), old standbys like Red Lobster, and food trucks serving garlic shrimp. In Hawaii, you can eat sushi you pick off a conveyor belt. You can have a plate of "country tots" — tater tots with onions and cheese. Yes, Hawaii still has Spam. And plate luncheons with enough carbs to kill a horse. So if your lodging has a kitchen, eat breakfast and lunch in the room to save money, then splurge on dinner.
Shopping? The stores in the tourist areas of Waikiki make me irritated. In the last 10 years, luxury chain stores have taken over. The scale is too large. Their focus is wealthy international tourists. To find souvenirs made in Hawaii, you'll have to elbow aside jostling crowds at Salvatore Ferragamo, Tiffany and Hermes.
Eventually, you will find quilts and quilted products made in Hawaii, Hawaiian coffee, Macadamia nuts and Hawaiian shirts actually made on the islands. My big find wasOlomana Orchids, a huge orchid nursery in Kaneohe that ships all over the U.S.
Do your eating. Do your shopping. Do your sightseeing. Relax on the beach.
But there is no need to overexert yourself. Or spend a fortune. Because I have a feeling you'll be coming back to Hawaii again.
New in Laie
The small town of Laie, Oahu, is growing. The heavily Mormon town on Oahu's northeast coast is known for its luaus and preservation of cultural influences that formed Hawaii. It is the home of the Polynesian Cultural Center, one of Oahu's biggest attractions. Now, Laie has three new things:
Hukilau Marketplace at the Polynesian Cultural Center. It focuses on Hawaiian and Polynesian arts and crafts, plus traditional local food styles. The Marketplace opened in February.
The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, in its second year, is now in its new home at the Hukilau Marketplace. Its 2014 honorees include former Detroit Lion Luther Elliss.
A new hotel. The Courtyard by Marriott Oahu North Shore will open just north of the Polynesian Cultural Center. That should capture tourists who want to extend their fun overnight.
Only on Oahu
• Bad traffic. Who would have thought? Honolulu has rush hour.
• No headlights at night. Dangerous local custom.
• Li-Hing Bang smoothie featuring li-hing mui (dried plum) powder. It's foamy and fruity.
• The tiniest parking spots. Anything wider than a Smart Car is a tough fit.
• Great radio station with local DJs and Hawaiian music is KINE-Hawaiian105.
• Conveyor belt sushi (it goes around and around and you pluck your plate off the moving belt)
• Odd signs: "Beware of bees in high winds" at a park. Also saw a road sign warning that road construction would begin in May 2009.
• Official form that flight attendants give passengers on Honolulu-arriving flights. It looks mandatory, but only the agricultural questions require a response. The rest is a tourism survey.
• Purple taro rolls.
Popular Hawaii
Hawaii had a record 8.3 million visitors last year. Most came from the U.S. west, then U.S. east, then Japan. Oahu is most popular.
Oahu: 5.2 million
Maui: 2.4 million
Big Island: 1.4 million
Kauai: 1.1 million
• Air capacity rose 3.4% to a record 11 million seats last year, mostly to Honolulu and Maui.
• Average length of stay for visitors from the mainland: 10-11 days.
