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HONOLULU (AP) – Hawaii‘s COVID-19 case numbers and hospital stays have fallen so far that the islands are ready to welcome travelers again, the governor said Tuesday.
Governor David Ige said vacationers and business travelers are welcome to return to the islands from November 1st.
His announcement comes almost two months after he asked travelers to avoid Hawaii on Aug. 23, as case numbers soared with the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant and hospitals were overwhelmed. The state did not impose any new travel quarantine restrictions, and Ige’s plea was a mere request. Even so, it caused thousands of travelers to cancel their plans to visit Hawaii.
In the intervening months, Hawaii’s seven-day average of new cases per day has dropped from 900 to 117. COVID-19 hospital admissions have dropped from more than 400 to about 100 across the country.
“I think we are all encouraged by what we have seen over the past few weeks with the ongoing trend towards lowercase letters,” Ige said in a speech at a ceremony to mark the opening of a new airport facility in Kailua-Kona. “Our hospitals are doing better and we have fewer COVID patients in them. Most importantly, our health system has responded and we are able to drive the economic recovery. “
To avoid a 10-day quarantine on arrival, travelers must provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of leaving Hawaii.
The governor said Hawaii is seeking information from the federal government about its plans to provide proof of vaccination from foreigners traveling to the United States beginning Nov. 8.
Hawaiian Airlines, one of the state’s largest employers, has stated that it will be vital for Hawaii to align its travel policies with federal international travel regulations to avoid confusion and avoid redundant reviews.
Most of the visitors to Hawaii during the pandemic were from the other 49 states, partly because countries like Japan still have strict quarantine regulations for those returning home after traveling abroad.
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