Hawaii is eliminating Safe Travels’ health questionnaire and reducing COVID quarantine for visitors to adhere to CDC guidelines

Hawaii‘s quarantine guidelines for Safe Travels visitors are changing today to align with the new requirements of the Department of Health.

The mandatory quarantine period for US domestic travelers has been reduced from 10 to five days, according to a statement from John Monahan, President and CEO of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.

For travelers currently in 10-day quarantine, it means those who hit their 5-day mark today or later will be released from quarantine. For example, if today is the fifth day of quarantine for the traveler, he will be released from quarantine on Tuesday.

The Hawaii Department of Health announced these changes to its isolation and quarantine policies last Wednesday, saying it is doing so to meet current recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For travelers arriving without proof of a full vaccination, who currently do not require a booster vaccination, the quarantine period is now five days.

HVCB said the first day is considered the day of arrival. For example, someone who arrives today must be quarantined by Friday and can be released that Saturday.

Travelers who are COVID-19 positive are also required to isolate themselves for at least five days, or until symptoms appear or go away, and continue to wear a mask for five days after isolation.

However, if the traveler is still symptomatic on day five, he or she is advised to see a doctor and place them in quarantine until a COVID-19 test can be done.

If the test is positive, they will need to isolate for an additional five days.

Also, as of Tuesday, HVCB said it would no longer need to fill out a health questionnaire prior to departure.

COVID-19 cases in Hawaii are currently increasing with a record average positivity rate of 16.7% today, according to statistics from the Department of Health. In Oahu or Honolulu Counties, the average positivity rate hit a record high of 19.1% today.