Starting on Nov. 24, travelers wanting to bypass Hawai‘i‘s 14-day mandatory quarantine must have COVID-19 test results, from a trusted travel partner, prior to departure to the islands. Gov. Ige made the announcement this afternoon at a news conference.

Up until now, travelers have been able to get their results after they arrived and they were able to be released from quarantine once the results arrived, if they were negative.  Pre-travel testing is required for any traveler 5 years old and older, in order to avoid quarantine.

“We’re taking this added safety precaution now in response to the dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases on the mainland and around the world. The health of our residents and visitors is our primary concern, particularly with more people traveling to Hawai‘i over the holidays,” said Gov. Ige.

If a traveler’s test results are not available before boarding their final flight segment, the traveler must quarantine for 14 days or the length of their stay, whichever is shorter.

The new policy applies to domestic transpacific flights and international flights departing from locations in which the State of Hawai‘i has pre-testing programs in place.