Since the world turned upside down, planning a vacation to Hawaii has proven to be a challenge. But as CDC guidelines are updated and more people get vaccinated, restrictions are slowly lifting for the Aloha State.
For months, the only way to enter Hawaii was with a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Then, a reopening date with an option to test before travel to avoid the quarantine became a moving target as the islands battled a COVID-19 surge and the U.S. as a whole dealt with a lack of reliable, rapid testing. Hawaii finally introduced a pre-travel testing option in mid-October. By December, the quarantine period in Hawaii for travelers who did not use the pre-arrival testing option was reduced from 14 to 10 days, following the adjusted CDC guidance.
Then, the islands began to introduce their own policies about reopening. Maui, for example, began implementing a second test requirement for arriving travelers (more on that below) on May 4. The Big Island, on the other hand, began to phase out its second test requirement as of April 15.
But we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Beginning May 11, Hawaii began allowing intercounty travelers vaccinated in Hawaii to skip quarantine and testing requirements. And on May 25, Governor David Y. Ige announced that the mask mandate for outdoor activities will be lifted and ocean sports competitions can resume.
