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Effective January 4th, Hawaii no longer requires tourists to complete a health questionnaire prior to boarding their flight to the islands. Previously the state required the questionnaire be submitted before issuing a QR code that could reduce processing time upon arrival. With the revised requirements, travelers are issued a QR code once their trip information is submitted to the Safe Travels website. The QR code is sent to the traveler again, via email one day prior to their flight departure.

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Hawaii also revised their quarantine requirements for travelers who are unvaccinated and do not test Negative for COVID. The mandatory quarantine period was reduced from ten days to five days. This pretty much follows suit what the CDC did a few days earlier.  Visitors who are fully vaccinated or have tested negative for COVID do not have to quarantine or isolate upon arrival.

Although the State has relaxed entry requirements, some of the individual islands are implementing certain stricter measures. On January 5th, Oahu’s Mayor reduced the number of people allowed at indoor events, down to ten people. On Maui, proof of full vaccination or a recent negative COVID test is required to get into restaurants and bars. The difference from this latest rule vs prior ones, is that fully vaccinated means a person must also have had their Booster shot. I anticipate that a similar rule will be initiated on Oahu before long.

As always, for the latest and most accurate information regarding travel to Hawaii and their Safe Travels program check out their website. Additional information is available at:

https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/faqs/

This link will take you the State’s FAQ page for the Safe Travels Hawaii website.

Hawaii to Have New Requirements for International Travel Effective Nov. 8

Last week, the Federal Government announced that it will loosen restrictions on international travel effective November 8. The State of Hawaii has said it will follow the same guidelines as the federal government for international passengers who are traveling direct to Hawaii.

Beginning on November 8, non-US citizens traveling directly to Hawaii from an international destination must present BOTH vaccination records showing they are FULLY vaccinated AND a negative COVID-19 test result (NAAT or antigen) within three days of boarding a flight to the United States. US Citizens flying directly into Hawaii from an international destination have two options.

    1. Those travelers who are fully vaccinated must provide proof of vaccination and present a test taken within three (3) days of boarding flight to Hawaii.
    2. Any travelers who are not fully vaccinated must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result within one (1) day of boarding their flight to Hawaii.

Hawaii’s Safe Travel program remains in effect for domestic travelers coming into Hawaii from other states. Currently, the Safe Travels Program requirements for domestic travelers include:

Any international travelers who may be entering Hawaii from another US state or territory will be treated as domestic travelers and will need to adhere to the rules and guidelines of the Safe Travels Program.

As always, we recommend you visit and consult the State of Hawaii Safe Travels website for any questions you may have and to obtain any forms you may need to complete. You’ll find a link below to the Safe Travels website.

https://travel.hawaii.gov/#/

Hawaii Safe Travels Infographic

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Good News!

Effective February 25, the County of Honolulu (Oahu) moved to Tier 3 of their COVID-19 Reopening Plan. This is one step closer to the most relaxed step, Tier 4.  Tier 3, as you can guess allows more activities and operations. A breakdown of some of the changes in Tier 3 are: 

One thing that I thought was to be included in Tier 3 but is not, is the reopening of bars and nightclubs.  It seems this does not happen until Tier 4.

Rick Blangiardi, the new Mayor of Honolulu pointed out that advancing to Tier 3 “does not mean we can let our guard down”. The wearing of masks in public, social distancing and staying home when feeling sick are all still very important. Should the number of new cases and the positivity rate increase, we could potentially move back down to Tier 2.

Below is an Infographic from the County detailing Tier 3

LIVE Tier 3 Honolulu Reopening Strategy – For more info go to oneoahu.org by Honolulu DEM

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ALERT: Unofficial Safe Travels Hawaii Websites Have Been Reported

We recently received a notice from the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau alerting us to the existence of unofficial websites that make people think they are affiliated with the State of Hawaii.

According to the State; Numerous travelers have reported using an unofficial Safe Travels websites thinking that it was affiliated with the State of Hawaii’s Safe Travels Program. The State has issued the following alert: Traveler ALERT. The State of Hawaii DOES NOT charge fees to apply for the Safe Travels program, or to create a Safe Travels account, or to access the Safe Travels application, or for Safe Travels information. The OFFICIAL STATE OF HAWAII websites for the State of Hawaii’s Safe Travels Program are https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/ and https://travel.hawaii.gov/. The websites listed below are NOT affiliated with the State of Hawaii or the State of Hawaii Safe Travels Program.

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COVID-19 Testing Photo

Thinking of a warm weather getaway? A place with beaches, sand and sunshine? Perhaps you’re thinking of the Caribbean, Mexico or the South of France. Well, a new CDC rule related to COVID-19 may have you re-thinking your plans.

Under this new CDC rule that becomes effective January 26, all international air passengers (two years and older) arriving into the US will be required to get a viral test for COVID-19 within three days prior to their flight departure to the US. If you live in the US, you might think “OK what’s that got to do with me”?  Well, this rule applies to US residents as well as others. The rule states that passengers must provide the airline written documentation of their negative laboratory test results or documentation of recovery from COVID-19. If a passenger is unable or unwilling to provide the required documentation, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger.  

Whoa, suddenly this makes things seem much more serious and complicated. Imagine flying to say, Mexico as an example, for a week of rest and relaxation at a nice beachfront hotel enjoying the warmth and sunshine.  Then suddenly having to scramble to find a place to get a test and the accompanying paperwork before you can get on a plane to go home. This then begs the question, what happens if just one person in your party is unable to get the test and paperwork? Do you leave them behind or does the whole party stay?  

What’s a person to do? You NEED to get away, you WANT a vacation to a warm place with beautiful beaches, warmth and sunshine. We at Ola Properties have the solution for you! Pack your bags and head to Ko Olina on the beautiful, sun filled Leeward Coast of Oahu! Ko Olina has some of the most beautiful beaches on the planet and the famous lagoons here are perfect for swimming, snorkeling and just relaxing. 

Admittedly, if you’re coming to Ko Olina you will want to get a negative COVID-19 test prior to arrival in Hawaii so that you can avoid the state’s 10 day quarantine. Find the latest Hawaii travel and entry requirements by visiting  https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/

Personally, I would much rather get the COVID-19 testing out of the way before I go on vacation rather than dealing with it while there.  I could imagine myself waking up on day five of a seven day vacation, suddenly remembering that the family needed tests and spending the remainder of our vacation scrambling to find a testing site in unfamiliar territory and hoping to get tested in time to get on a plane back home: with the entire family!

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Book your Safe Getaway Today!

Why create additional stress for yourself by traveling outside the country? Hop on a plane and come to Ko Olina instead. We have weekly rentals at the Beach Villas at Ko Olina or if you are able to work and school remotely, consider one of our longer term rentals and stay for a month or more. Maybe you can ride out the worst of the pandemic here on Oahu where our infection numbers are much lower than most of the Mainland. Give us a call at (808) 726-2878 Ext 1, or you can book directly from our website if you prefer.

PLEASE NOTE: In yet another Mandate, the Governor of Hawaii has changed the 14-day quarantine to a 10-day quarantine effective 12/17/2020.

Please Note, the requirements for traveling to Hawaii and bypassing the 14   10-day quarantine have recently changed. On November 16, Governor Ige of Hawaii announced his 15th COVID-19

Emergency Proclamation and Mandate. Part of that mandate changed the requirements for trans-Pacific arriving in Hawaii and being able to bypass the 14   10-day Quarantine requirements. In the interest of accuracy, I’ve pretty much done a “Cut & Paste” of information from the State’s website and included links to additional information.

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State of Hawaii Safe Travels Hawaii Program

Aloha! The State of Hawaii Safe Travels Hawaii program is a multilayered process designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community from trans-Pacific visitor and resident passengers arriving at airports/ports across the Islands.

This enhanced entry into Hawaii includes a pre-travel testing program, the Mandatory State of Hawaii Travel and Health Form, and temperature screening at all Hawaii airports upon arrival. TEMPORARY: On Kaua‘i, as of Dec. 2, 2020, all travelers must quarantine 14   10-days upon arrival with or without a test.

The state of Hawaii will ONLY accept Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from TRUSTED TESTING AND TRAVEL PARTNERS.

A 14-day mandatory quarantine will be required for trans-Pacific travelers arriving WITHOUT a confirmed negative COVID-19 test taken within the 72 hours before departure of the final leg of their trip to Hawaii. Travelers will not be able to obtain a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) upon arrival at any Hawaiʻi airport.

All trans-Pacific travelers who board a plane on the final leg of their trip to the Hawaiian Islands without first securing a negative test will be subject to mandatory quarantine. Tests must be taken with trusted testing and travel partners with 72 hours of departure.

The negative test result must be uploaded onto Safe Travels prior to departure or printed out prior to departure and hard copy in hand when arriving in Hawaii.

Travelers without a negative test result before boarding the final leg of their flight MUST quarantine for 14 days or the length of their stay, whichever is shorter.  It is important travelers consider the duration and considerable expense of possible quarantine before embarking.

Travelers from Canada and Japan may also bypass the State of Hawaii’s mandatory 14   10-day quarantine by securing a pre-travel test from a trusted testing and travel partner 72 hours prior to departure on the final leg of their journey to Hawaii.  Travelers from Canada and Japan who do not secure a negative COVID-19 test BEFORE departure will be subject to the same mandatory 14-day quarantine regulation as other trans-Pacific travelers. The negative test result must be uploaded onto Safe Travels prior to departure or printed out prior to departure and hard copy in hand when arriving in Hawaii.
For travelers from Canada, please visit Air Canada or WestJet.

For travelers from Japan, please visit Hawaii Tourism Japan (Japanese).
At this time, there are no other enhanced entry options available for international travel.

Please click HERE if you would like to be directed to the Safe Travels Hawaii Overview.

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UPDATE TO HAWAII’S PRE-TRAVEL TESTING PROGRAM

It’s been a little over two weeks since Hawaii implemented their COVID-19 Pre-travel testing program. It started out a bit rocky with many people having to quarantine after arriving in Hawaii, due to delayed test results. I spoke with one traveler who waited a full ten days to get his test results. He then had to wait two more days after uploading the results to Hawaii’s website to get his official Quarantine Release.

With all this in mind, below are a few tips I found in the Honolulu Star Advertiser that may help speed you through the process.

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Tips for Hawaii Travelers who Want to Expedite Exemptions from Quarantine:

 

Safe Travels Hawaii Quick Facts

 

Doctor holding a stethoscope with the words "COVID-19 Testing"

Hawaii’s  pre-travel testing program for Trans-Pacific travelers is still on schedule to launch on Oct. 15, allowing trans-Pacific travelers to bypass quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19 before arriving. While the tests for travelers are slated to be available through Walgreens, CVS, Kaiser Permanente and other partners, some airlines are also rolling out their own testing programs to woo travelers back to air travel.

As of October 1, here are the airlines that have announced testing:

Alaska Airlines

Beginning: Oct. 12

Location: Seattle

Alaska Airlines is partnering with healthcare provider Carbon Health to offer rapid COVID-19 testing in pop-up clinics across the West Coasts, beginning Oct. 12 in Seattle.

Cost: $135 for Alaska flyers, and will be ready within two hours

Testing is available for Alaska passengers 3 months and older.

_____________________________________________________________________________

American Airlines

Beginning: Oct. 15

Location: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

American Airlines will offer three options for pre-flight COVID-19 testing to customers with flights from DFW to Honolulu and Maui.

Cost: $129 for the at-home option. American will release details later on the cost of other options.

______________________________________________________________________________

Hawaiian Airlines

Beginning: “Around Oct. 15”

Location: Labs located near Los Angeles and San Francisco International airports

Hawaiian Airlines will offer a drive-thru PCR test to customers traveling from California to Hawaii. Hawaiian Airlines said that more testing locations will be announced later at “other U.S. mainland gateways.”

Cost:

______________________________________________________________________________

United Airlines

Beginning: Oct. 15

Location: San Francisco International Airport

Cost:

 

Location: Oakland Airport

 

Beginning: Oct. 15

Location: Facility at the airport’s North Field terminal complex, 9070 Earhart Road.

Oakland Airport officials have also announced they will launch their own pre-travel testing program for passengers. Free tests will be conducted by appointment only by CityHealth Urgent Care.

 

Information provided by Hawaii News Now on October 1. Below is a link to their video & story.

 

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/10/01/list-these-airlines-airport-will-offer-covid-tests-travelers-hawaii/

 

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If COVID-19 has resulted in you working from home, consider a change in scenery and start working remotely in Oahu! All of our rentals in Oahu come equipped with High-Speed Internet ensuring smooth Zoom calls, fast download speeds, and that e-mails are being sent and received! Having the flexibility to walk to the beach or relax on your own lanai will make your workdays much more bearable!

Perfect Options for Working Remotely in Oahu

We have a fantastic selection of vacation rentals in Ko Olina, Makaha, and West Oahu, providing options that are perfect for everyone. Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions and be sure to book your stay today! We look forward to seeing you soon! Mahalo!

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Beginning August 1, 2020, all out-of-state travelers will be required to obtain a valid COVID-19 pre-travel test before their arrival in Hawai’i, and to verify proof of a negative test result in order to avoid the 14-day quarantine.

Out-of-state travelers arriving in Hawai‘i must obtain a PCR test prior to their arrival from any Hawai‘i State Department of Health approved testing location. Evidence of a negative test result must be provided upon arrival in Hawai‘i. Without a negative test result, out-of-state travelers will be subject to the 14-day quarantine. Testing will NOT be provided upon arrival at the airport.

Program Is Still In Development Stages

The Hawai’i State Department of Health is still developing this program but is anticipating that they will need an FDA-approved test from a CLIA certified laboratory. It is expected that travelers will be required to provide a printed or emailed pre-test document with evidence of a negative test result. Travelers will be responsible for the cost of these pre-travel tests.

Temperature Checks Will Continue

Temperatures will also continue to be checked at airports across the state, and anyone with a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees, or is experiencing other symptoms, will be required to undergo a secondary screening at the airport with trained healthcare staff. Travelers will also be required to fill out the State Travel and Health form when visiting Hawaii.

If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to contact us, and be sure to visit our Facebook for more updates!

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