By CALEB JONES, Associated Press
HONOLULU (AP) – Hawaii officials are pursuing a plan that will allow residents of the state who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to skip pre-travel testing and quarantine requirements for inter-island flights.
Hawaii is the second state in the nation, after New York, to introduce a vaccination review program, state officials said at a news conference Tuesday.
The plan does not change people’s ability to travel and avoid quarantine through testing as is currently required for trans-Pacific and inter-island travel, but adds another option for Hawaii residents 14 days after their last vaccination. People must have received their shots in the state to be eligible for the exception.
Hawaii Governor David Ige said the state hopes to add the option for trans-Pacific travelers this summer but hopes to test the program among islanders first.
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“Since the start of this pandemic that lasted until the 7th nation.
The program starts on May 11th. At the beginning, the vaccination cards are checked manually by the people at the airports. Soon, travelers will be able to upload their endorsements to a government website that is already being used for pre-trip testing.
Ige encouraged people to get vaccinated as anyone over 16 across the state and country is now eligible to get a vaccination.
Lt. Gov. Josh Green said approximately 2.7 million travelers have come to the islands through the state’s Safe Travels program since it was launched in October. The program requires travelers to have a negative COVID-19 test no later than 72 hours prior to their last trip to Hawaii. Some islands require additional testing upon arrival and these rules apply to anyone who is not fully vaccinated.
Approximately 35% of Hawaii’s residents have received at least one dose of vaccine.
People who oppose vaccinations for travel or access to certain businesses are mostly focused on privacy and security issues. Questions were raised about the retention of personal data and concerns about inequality.
The ACLU said in an article published in March that it is not opposed to the idea but has some inequality concerns.
“A system that is exclusively digital, be it by design or for practical reasons, would be a non-starter because it would increase inequality,” the article says. “Many people do not have smartphones, including a disproportionate number of people from some of our most vulnerable communities, such as people with low incomes, disabilities or homeless, and more than 40 percent of people over 65.”
Ige said the program will allow people who only have physical paper records to participate in the program. He added that private companies that gain access to people’s records must work with the Ministry of Health to ensure the privacy and security of the data.
Several US states, including Idaho, Arizona, and Texas, have banned the requirement of proof of vaccination in order to access certain activities. US federal officials say there are no plans to make vaccine verification largely mandatory.
In the UK, the government is testing a “COVID Status Certification” system that will allow people planning to travel or attend events to show that they are either receiving a coronavirus vaccine, tested negative for the virus or recently COVID 19 had and therefore have a certain immunity.
Some fear that such passports will benefit people and countries with better access to vaccines. Many countries, especially the poorest in the world, struggle to get people vaccinated.
Half of all adults in the US have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Sunday.
But the head of the World Health Organization said there was a “shocking imbalance” in global vaccination rates. The organization’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus said while one in four people in rich countries received a vaccine, only one in 500 people in poor countries received a dose.
The new rules could help the Hawaiian economy by allowing residents to travel to other islands again without having to pay for tests.
“The timing is right,” said Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth. “We are islands that are separated by miles of oceans, but connected by families, friends and a sense of community. This is really the time to do so. “
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