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Hawaii Abandons The Idea Of Requiring Boosters For Vaccinated Visitors

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You don’t have to take a COVID test or quarantine when visiting Hawaii if you present your COVID-19 vaccination card. And, no, you won’t have to take a booster dose.

Governor David Ige said Tuesday that Hawaii will not add a booster requirement to its entry program, which is among the strictest in the country. Ige repeatedly affirmed that the idea was being discussed, going so far as to tell at least one mayor that the goal was to begin implementation by Feb. 18 and to have officials begin tweaking the website where travelers upload vaccination information.

There are already booster requirements in bars, restaurants, and tourist attractions checking vaccination status, and Maui briefly required booster shots inside restaurants and bars without having to take a COVID-19 test.

The governor’s office said it made the decision not to proceed after consulting with Hawaii’s four-county mayors, health officials, and tourism businesses.

“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 Hawai’i’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”, Governor Ige said in the statement.

In addition to continuing the indoor mask mandate, Governor Ige encouraged visitors to get boosted and to take other precautions to counter the pandemic.

Tourism to Hawaii does not require vaccinating. The state’s Safe Travel program, launched in October 2020 and tweaked several times since, also allows visitors to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Visitors who arrive without proof of either vaccine or negative test taken within 72 hours of departure can bypass the state’s five-day quarantine. Those without either must quarantine at their own expense and are closely monitored.

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