LIHU‘E — The state officially reopens tomorrow, and Gov. Ige has approved Mayor Derek Kawakami’s four-tier program as well as a pre-travel testing option for interisland travelers.
“Inconsistency leads to confusion,” Kawakami said. “Right now, there is a lot of confusion on the protocols for trans-Pacific versus interisland travel, and various testing options. Travelers are also confused on whether they must follow the state or counties’ protocols and at this point, we need consistency and equity. This new rule brings fairness to local families who travel interisland to visit family, see doctors, and get necessary supplies. We know that interisland travel is not just for leisure, but necessity.”
Similar to the trans-Pacific pre-test system that will allow travelers to bypass the 14-day quarantine with a negative U.S. Food and Drug Administration-authorized Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT)/PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test one of 17 state-partnered organizations including airlines and health care systems within 72 hours of arrival in the state, this plan will allow interisland travelers to skip the quarantine.
All the counties will participate in the pre-testing program for trans-Pacific travelers.
“We are looking forward to launching the pre-travel testing program on Thursday because it’s a reflection of the progress we have made in managing the pandemic to the point where we can begin to take greater steps to revive our economy and strengthen our communities,” Gov. David Ige said at a news conference Tuesday.
In the next two to four weeks, airline partners are expecting about 2,000-3,000 new arrivals daily, Ige said.
Travelers, residents and visitors, must register their flight and test information through the state’s Safe Travel program, “which we believe is the most advanced in our nation,” Ige said.
Kawakami said the county has “been assured that the Safe Travels App can accommodate interisland travelers, and we understand the state is working with their trusted testing travel partners to offer testing to local residents.”
“Based on that information, we are going to take the state up on their offer to include interisland travelers in the state’s Safe Travels program,” he said. “That means interisland travelers who take a pre-travel test within 72 hours of traveling to Kaua‘i, and pass with a negative result, would be exempt from the 14-day quarantine.”
Both interisland and trans-Pacific travelers will need to adhere to Kaua‘i’s four-tier program that establishes when certain activities and businesses may operate and builds in an opt-out to the pre-test quarantine bypass that was approved Tuesday.
Tier 4 is designated by less than two daily active cases, where the county currently stands. Allowed on this level are nearly all businesses and activities with minimal restrictions. On this tier, the 72-hour, pre-travel test program is in effect for all visitors.
Tier 3 would be in effect when a weekly average of two to four daily COVID-19 cases occurs. Trans-Pacific travelers can still test out of the quarantine, but restrictions on gatherings would go into effect.
At Tier 2, the county will opt out of the pre-travel testing program, and the two-week quarantine will be required for all travelers. This will be triggered when the county hits one-week average of daily COVID-19 cases between five to eight.
The most restrictive step, Tier 1, would go into effect when there’s a one-week average of eight or more cases per day registered on the island. Here, no pre-testing quarantine exemptions will be allowed.
Second test
The islands of Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i and Maui will also offer voluntary post-arrive testing for trans-Pacific travelers, as well.
Kaua‘i has a reserve of 15,000 rapid, same-day, COVID-19 tests purchased using $1 million of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds that will be utilized on travelers three days after arrival. The county is working with the local visitors’ bureau and the Chamber of Commerce to develop this program.
The extra precautions made by the mayors, Ige said, will protect residents and travelers.
The state has used about $30 million in CARES Act funds to purchase additional tests and equipment, Ige said. In part, this will be used in long-term housing facilities, schools and other high-density areas.
4 new deaths,
62 infections
Yesterday, the state Department of Health officials reported 4 additional coronavirus-related deaths and 62 new infections statewide, bringing the totals since the start of the pandemic to 173 deaths and 13,575 cases.
Tuesday’s new infection cases include 11 on Maui, 21 on Hawai‘i Island and 30 on O‘ahu.
Three of the deaths were on O‘ahu, and one on Maui.
Lt. Gov. Josh Green said the state is “totally committed” to the pre-test program through the pandemic.
“The mayors are going to supplement these safety measures, which is very smart,” Green said.
The state will also do its part with a surveillance program that will test up to 10% of arrivals across the island four days after they arrive for the next 60 days. The test will be free and voluntary.
“We’ve made great progress in the last few weeks,” Green said, pointing to a curve flattening.
The state went from 300 daily new cases to 62 yesterday and a weekly average down to 96 from highs this summer.
“All the testing in the world will not stop the spread of COVID if they are not wearing a mask,” Green said.
For more information on trusted test partners, the Safe Travels program or travel-related questions, visit hawaiicovid19.com or call 1-800-GO-HAWAII.
We need some clarification on the Kauai’s 4 tier system. The way I read it Maui and Big Island at the moment would be in Tier 1 with their number of active cases??
Senario. No active cases on Kauai, tier 4. Family of five arrives at Lihue after taking the test on the mainland. All test positive in the volunteer Lihue testing and all are positive. They proceed to directly to quarantine for maybe 2 plus weeks. With those 5 active cases Kauai would be in tier 2 and the 14 day quarantine imposed until that family is negative?
Does anyone think we’re placing the bar a bit high?
Is that what it says and means? Anyone?
Aloha to the other commenters,
Look at the positive side, every new positive case means in 2 weeks or less, that person will have both individual immunity and group Herd Immunity. Virus cannot survive in that person nor can it spread to others.
Negative test is a person ready to be infected and spread the virus, unchecked .
A VOLUNTARY second test…? What’s the point?
Kauai will go from ZERO cases to hundreds (cause let’s be logical, tourists will choose to visit the “safest” island). And we just started letting our kids go back to school too. Watch how fast this will spread…
Let me try to get this straight.
A tourist arrives at the end of the week , the test rate goes to tier 1 or 2 depending on how many positives and then they are ,,,, locked up, doors and pool closed, restaurants closed?,. This is absurd.
The tourist and us will stay tuned for tier level announcements to see if we can go to a restaurant, or do an activity that week? Is that what they are proposing? Good luck to us all.
What about same day travel between Kauai and Oahu? Does a test here 72 hrs prior to travel allow reentry into the island on the same day without quarantine?
Is this the job of the Department of Health to let the community know when tier 2 is coming up? Then they can open up new business again. Am I correct?
Regardless, the safest residents and visitors are those who test positive 2 weeks or more ago, no matter whether or not they are coming to Hawaii.
Those who test negative at any time are red hot to become infected and are equally and immediately contagious perpetuating the spread of the virus.
Increasing the spread among healthy people is good, however it is not able to prevent the older people with end of life disease using end of life prescription drugs; unless you isolate these sick and older citizens, and fed them nutritious food, they may pas awatm
Why? They’ve had 2 weeks to not only develop enough specific natural self made antibodies to deactivate all of the Covid19 virus in that person’s body.
In addition because the body’s immune system makes an enormous amount of excess antibodies, that is what is called our immunity.
Adequate huge amounts of extra left over antibodies made during the natural Immune Response following the virus exposure and infection, means that person, referred to as the Host, when exposed and infected by more Covid19 virus, the Hosts’ immune system readily deactivates the incoming virus, and as a result the deactivated virus can no longer transfer to other persons.
Positive tested people who have over a 2 week period of the ongoing immune process, are in fact now immune and their antibodies are able to stop any new invading Covid19 virus “right in their tracks”..
The more people who test positive the more people who will have immunity, and then the more people who will contribute to Herd Immunity and thus contribute to no more contagion.
When this happens worldwide it becomes the end of Covid19 virus, and like every other flu year we have to wait for next years versión of the seasonal flu. And start over naturally.
As a warning, by NOT going through this year ‘s usually routine flu exposure, and then infection, it means missing out on the natural immune response and antibody production, it can mean missing out on the yearly infection, that which annually strengthens our immune system. It may be not good and may also be perilous to miss out on your turn with the annual flu virus, and natural immunity especially when each new flu has been annually infecting you with NO SYMPTOMS, or only Mild symptoms, a sign of a healthy immune system. Not good to miss your turn with the flu this year.
A part of the Hawaiian population was decimated having no immunity to measles. Better to have ongoing immunity year after year without disrupting the immunity sequence year free year.
But equally important is not to have end of life diseases, not the toxic pres drugs. It is always best to be well and healthy and free from prescription drugs.
An interesting theory on annual winter virus migration is that it follows the winters, virus prefer cold temperatures, and whether carried by winds or traveling humans, the virus goes south for the Southern Hemisphere’s winter.
As the virus moves back and forth from the northern then southern then northern again hemispheres it mutates and becomes stronger in order to survive the hosts it travels inside of.
Virus mutation is natural a form of survival of the fittest. People who are positive, without testing, and have no symptoms don’t even know they have had the flu and become immune and are part of the Herd Immunity that causes the virus to mútate in order to survive the Herd Immunity of the world population.
Missing out on increasing your immunity sequencially every year would mean not experiencing the virus immune respons, which is happening this year in Hawaii due to travel restrictions.
Finally the article does not claim any Covid19 virus caused deaths but only has listed numbers of virus RELATED deaths. Meaning the death was caused by pre-existing diseases and their prescription drugs, and not by the virus.
But then this is a wake up call to all people worldwide that accept prescription drug treatment which is not a method of getting well and having health restored, but instead due to the requirements to take the prescription drugs for life this type of treatment actually perpetuates the disease by treating only the symptoms, often just the usually high test numbers, while the disease rages on inside ones own body.
The CDC makes it pretty clear that typical end of life diseases mixed with numerous prescription drugs results in earlier death than each person’s own optimal longevity.
The common end of life diseases of heart and stroke disease, obesity and diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and kidney, liver, lung failure along with their prescription drugs, need to be a warning to especially elderly people over 40 years old that they need to get WELL, not just treated with prescription drugs.
The causes of these common diseases are well known and serious steps need to taken by each diseased individual to avoid or prevent those causes of long term end of life diseases.
While TV Ads claim they are looking for a cure the last 75 years, for many, if not all, of these diseases; well apparently there is no cure but there is prevention as well as allowing the healing process to reverse the disease process, and that healing process is organized by the nervous system, for the purpose of helping people back to health.
There is extensive information on restoring optimal function to the nervous system, however it is not known by many, or how to do it.
Follow the Natural Path it’s been around a long time helping and healing people.
Hello. And Bye.