HONOLULU (KHON2) — Hawaii’s safe travels will be coming to an end after nearly two years, and while some passengers said they have become accustomed to the process, they said it will sure save them time by no longer having that extra step.
Traveling will soon look more like pre-pandemic times, starting Friday at 11:59 p.m., proof of a negative COVID test or COVID vaccination will no longer be required to avoid a five-day quarantine when entering the state.
Washington visitor Saul Vizcaino said, “I am sure a lot of people will be happy having it finally come to an end you know, and starting to get things back to normal.”
Vizcaino said the process for safe travels was simple and said he appreciated the state’s safety approach.
Vizcaino said, “Maybe more for the locals, safer because it is a smaller island from where we come from, so if it makes the locals feel safer I am happy to do it for sure.”
Although he and other passengers said traveling will be somewhat easier, they said getting their personal and health information onto the phone app was not difficult, but sometimes the lines to get documents checked could set them back.
Maui resident J Dushane said, “Standing in lines, just the lines, it was really tedious.”
His son Tristen Dushane said he encountered a line when he flew in from the mainland.
Dushane, “I think it was around 20 minutes and that was, it was kind of frustrating but I got through it.”
Along with safe travels, the state’s indoor mask mandate will also be ending Friday at 11:59 pm, but following federal rules, masks will still be required at airports, onboard planes, and the city’s public transportation like the bus.
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“As far as wearing masks and safe distancing and vaccination I am 100% on board with that,” Dushane said. “So as long as people are just paying attention to each other and taking care of each other then I think we are going to be fine through it.”
As for airport screeners, the state said it is ending its contract with Robert’s Hawaii on March 31.
