Gov. David Ige said the state is still considering a requirement that travelers to Hawaii receive a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated and eligible to skip a 10-day quarantine or negative test on arrival.

Gov. David Ige said the state could require booster shots to skip Hawaii’s travel quarantine. Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

However, that mandate has not gone into effect yet while the state works out how to implement the new requirement, Ige said during the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Spotlight Hawaii” program on Wednesday.

The state needs to reprogram the Safe Travels application and website, Ige said, adding that process has taken longer than expected. He said hotels and airlines have expressed concern over requiring booster shots.

About a third of the state’s population has received a booster shot, according to the state Department of Health.

Ige said he’s hopeful for the overall pandemic situation in Hawaii, noting that rising cases across the state and in hospitals appear to have plateaued.

Hawaii reported 2,050 new cases Wednesday. But the 7-day average of daily case counts has dropped 14% over the last two weeks. Ige said there are currently 413 cases of Covid-19 in hospitals.

Support Civil Beat during the season of giving.

As a small nonprofit newsroom, our mission is powered by readers like you. But did you know that less than 1% of readers donate to Civil Beat?

Give today and support local journalism that helps to inform, empower and connect.

About the Author