(DailyExpertNews) — Hawaii may soon require travelers arriving from other US states and territories to receive a Covid booster shot if they want to travel to the islands without quarantine or testing requirements.
That could mean domestic travelers who haven’t had booster shots may need to undergo a Covid-19 test before arriving in Hawaii or self-isolate at their own expense for five days after arriving in Hawaii.
Vaccinated U.S. travelers with proof of vaccination are currently not required to test or be quarantined. Unvaccinated U.S. travelers can visit Hawaii with a negative Covid-19 test to bypass a mandatory quarantine.
Currently, there are vaccination and testing requirements for international tourists, consistent with broader US rules.
Domestic tourism is regulated through the state’s Safe Travels program, where people can upload their pre-flight vaccination records to the online portal.
“We know the community needs time to respond to that, so we should allow at least two weeks for those who may not be up to date to have the chance to get vaccinated if needed,” Ige told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the state’s largest newspaper.
Ige also said he is in contact with local hospitality partners around the islands about the possibility of requiring booster shots for people attending public events and gatherings, but no such rules are in place yet.
The CDC has no guidelines on whether booster shots are required for international or domestic travel.
However, some countries and territories have begun mandating a third dose of a Covid vaccine for their residents and/or visitors.
Hawaii has had a relatively low number of coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.
As of January 2022, the state has reported 166,008 cases and only 1,123 deaths. About 75% of eligible adults have received two injections of an approved vaccine.
Correction: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized possible changes around travel to Hawaii and current rules for international travel. The top of this story has been updated to correct those errors.