HONOLULU — Gov. David Ige said Tuesday he will not be adding a booster requirement to Hawaii’s Safe Travels program.

What You Need To Know

  • The governor announced Tuesday he will not add a booster requirement to the state’s Safe Travels program

  • He said the state is also considering ending the Safe Travels program

  • The decision not to include the booster was based on Hawaii’s health, according to the governor

  • Only about 36% of the state’s population has received a COVID booster

The program will still require the initial series of vaccinations in order to skip the state’s 10-day quarantine. It is also still an option to get a negative COVID test taken 72 hours before flying to Hawaii in order to bypass quarantine. 

“There has been much speculation about booster requirements for travelers arriving in Hawaii,” said Ige on Twitter. “I want to emphasize that the program remains unchanged at this time and boosters will not be required for up-to-date status.”

He also said that the state and the Department of Health are looking “to safely end the Safe Travels program.” 

“In making this decision, we considered declining COVID-19 case counts in Hawai‘i, the continental U.S. and Europe. Hospitalizations have also dropped. In addition, we looked at Hawaiʻi’s robust vaccination rates and the continued push by businesses and organizations to get their employees vaccinated and boosted for the safety of their families and the community,” said Ige in a press release. “At this time, we will also maintain the indoor mask mandate and other rules that have helped us manage this pandemic while reopening the economy.”

 

The state Department of Health says about 36% of the state’s 1.4 million residents have received a booster, while 75% of residents have completed the initial series of vaccinations.

On Tuesday, Hawaii reported 533 new daily COVID cases.

“While booster shots are not required for the Safe Travels program right now, they continue to be very effective in preventing severe illness from COVID-19,” said Dr. Libby Char, the director of the Department of Health, in the same press release. “New research shows a third shot of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is 90 to 94% effective in keeping people out of the hospital.”

The press release said the governor considered the visitor industry’s concerns but that his decision was based on the health of Hawaii’s residents. 

Ige previously told multiple news outlets, including KHON2 and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, that he was considering adding boosters as a requirement to Hawaii’s Safe Travels program. He also said the booster requirement necessitated updating the website.   

On Monday, Maui County dropped its requirement for people to have boosters in order to enter indoor restaurants, bars and gyms.