Hawaii to relax travel, gathering rules starting July 8 once vaccination goals met
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Passengers waited for their bags in the Hawaiian Airlines baggage claim area, June 15, at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. July 8 — two weeks from now — should represent a major milestone in the fight against COVID-19 in Hawaii when all counties are expected to ease limits on travel and indoor and outdoor gatherings once the islands are expected to see a statewide average of a 60% full vaccination rate.
COURTESY GOV. DAVID IGE’S OFFICE
July 8 — two weeks from now — should represent a major milestone in the fight against COVID-19 in Hawaii when all counties are expected to ease limits on travel and indoor and outdoor gatherings once the islands are expected to see a statewide average of a 60% full vaccination rate.
And then all current gathering limits are expected to be lifted in a couple of months, once Hawaii sees a 70% fully vaccinated rate statewide, Gov. David Ige and three county mayors announced today.
Hawaii is expected to reach a statewide vaccination rate of 60% on July 4, which is expected to trigger far less restrictive travel and gathering levels on July 8. They include:
>> Fully vaccinated U.S. travelers flying domestically — including island residents returning home — will be allowed to bypass Hawaii’s quarantine and pre-travel restrictions, as long as they upload their vaccination records to the state’s Safe Travels website and arrive with a hard copy of their vaccinations records. All current travel restrictions will remain in place until July 8, Ige said today.
>> The number of people allowed to attend social gatherings will increase from the current level of 10 people indoors to 25; The size of outdoor gatherings will increase from 25 people outdoors to 75.
>> Restaurants will be allowed to increase their seating capacities to 75% of the maximum allowed capacity, as long as they seat no more than 25 customers indoors and 75 outdoors.
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>> Masks will continue to be required indoors until Hawaii reaches a 70% vaccination rate and all restrictions are expected to be lifted, Ige said.
Once the state reaches the target of a 70% fully vaccinated rate, Ige said “The Safe Travels program will end and we will invite everyone to be able to travel to our islands.”
With new COVID-19 cases prevalent among patients who have yet to be vaccinated, the mayors and Ige recommended that everyone direct family and friends to get their questions answered through legitimate sources and not through social media.
“We will get back to normal when we are all vaccinated,” Ige said. “….Please get vaccinated.”
