Hawaii plans to lift it COVID-19[feminine[feminine quarantine requirement for travelers this month, which means that as of March 26, those arriving from other places in the U.S. will not have to show vaccination evidence or a negative test to avoid being kidnapped for five days.
Hawaii is the only state in the United States that has implemented such a coronavirus quarantine program.
Gov. David Ige told a news conference that the requirement saved lives and was a major factor in limiting the spread of COVID-19 to the islands. Hawaii has one of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the country.
The quarantine period for travelers lasted 14 days when Hawaii first imposed it in March 2020. Later, the state created exemptions from testing and vaccinations.
The state has been examining 11.3 million passengers since the test exemption was launched in October 2020, Ige said.
Those arriving in Hawaii from outside the country still have to comply with U.S. federal guidelines, which vary based on U.S. citizenship. International tourists do not need to be quarantined, but they still need a vaccination test and a negative test.
The governor said he would maintain the mandate of the Hawaii inner mask until at least March 25 and would assess whether to lift it afterwards. Hawaii is the last state in the nation with a valid state mandate.
Hawaii has the second-lowest mortality rate in the country for COVID-19 “in part because of the inside mask warrant,” Ige told local news station KITV.
The governor said the state Department of Health will review the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before making a decision.
Ige said he wants to make sure public schools can continue face-to-face learning. He said more people will travel as the spring break arrives, which could increase the coronavirus presence in schools.
“The pandemic is not over. Tragically, we continue to see that those we know and love continue to suffer from COVID-19,” he said.
According to data collected by Johns Hopkins University, Hawaii reported 18,494 new coronavirus cases last month and 154 new deaths.
The governor said he was proud of how the community responded to the pandemic.
“It’s about the people, the place and the culture of all of us here, coming from diverse backgrounds but always understanding that there is a greater reason to be willing to sacrifice individual needs to benefit the community,” Ige said. “And again and again, we were willing to do that.”
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