Thanks to Barbara Siverts for figuring out all the intricacies of traveling to Kauai and preparing an in-depth guide!
If you’re planning to visit Kauai in the coming weeks… …you need to know about several pandemic-related requirements. Scheduled to fly on October 18th, I’ve been learning as I go. It’s soon after the new pre-testing program goes live, and I’m only part way through the process. I thought it might be helpful to share my experience in case you’re planning to travel, too.
First, a caveat. This is my individual experience and yours may be different based on when and where you live. My goal is to share what I’ve learned so you can start at a higher level of understanding, and to have many of the resources at your fingertips. Please consider this a resource but it isn’t a guarantee of how it will go for you. I hope it helps! To make it easier to wade through all the info, I’ve organized the information and included several links that will take you to source information from the State or other official entities.
Summary of the new requirements
1. COVID test. Each traveler will need to take a COVID-19 test from a partner on Hawaii’s partner testing list. The test must be completed within 72 hours of the final mainland flight departure headed to Hawaii. And obviously you’ll need a negative result to avoid quarantine. 2. Safe Travels website. Each traveler must complete a “Safe Travels” questionnaire within 24 hours of the flight and upload the test result when it arrives. That’s it. Sounds easy but there’s a lot of work that goes into successfully completing these two steps in time for your arrival. To get an idea of how you’ll experience the requirements as you travel, the State created a nice flowchart that explains the steps and what happens with various outcomes: https://hawaiicovid19.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/HVCB-36989-Pre-TravelInfographic_FNL-ReducedSize-HighRes-583kb.pdf
Getting the COVID test
Lots of confusion about when and where to get your COVID test.
1. When. Per the State the test should be done within 72 hours of departure time of the flight from the mainland to Hawaii. If the test is done 73 hours before, you will be stuck with quarantine. To confirm when 72 hours ahead is, this tools helps you calculate: https://www.timeanddate.com/date/timeduration.html
2. Where. The State has a growing list of “partners” who will perform the test. The availability of these tests varies dramatically, so my first piece of advice is to schedule your appointment as early as possible. My experience is with Walgreens (3 days ahead) and CVS (2 days ahead). Testing slots that were
3. What. Use a partner testing center identified by the State. Some locations offer free tests, others charge. Some locations have you self-administer, others are done for you.
4. Who. A growing list of partners are at this link: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travelpartners/. If you’re traveling soon, confirm that the partner you selected is ready to do the testing and has sufficient appointment slots to accommodate you. Lots of issues with this, at least right now. You might consider a Plan A partner and a Plan B partner in case your preferred option doesn’t work out.
5. Best practices. First, explore your options and prepare NOW, even if your trip is a week or a month away. Find one or two partners available to you where you live. Get on those websites, set up an account, and walk through the appointment set-up process (without actually booking the appointment or entering your credit card). You’ll be familiar with the questions, whether they will accept you for a test, and how far into the future you can schedule an appointment. This gave me the peace of mind knowing I could schedule an appointment when I needed it.
Using the “Safe Travels” website
This is a required action before you travel. The site manages the communications between you and the State regarding your health status. It appears to be your “golden ticket” for entry upon arrival.
1. When. Within 24 hours of your travel to Hawaii you will be asked to complete a questionnaire relating to your health and symptoms. You will also need to upload your negative test results onto this site to avoid the quarantine.
2. Where. You can find this site at https://travel.hawaii.gov/#/. There is a short video on this page that might be helpful. Note that it was created earlier when the 14-day quarantine was the only option (that won’t apply if you have a negative test).
3. What. There are at least three steps you’ll need to take on this site. a. The first is to register. Provide information about yourself and your flight. b. The second is the questionnaire to be done within 24 hours of your travel. c. The third is to upload the results of the test onto the site.
4. Best practices. As with the COVID test, prepare NOW. You can register now for later travel. If you get your test results back before you leave for the airport, make sure to upload the results into the website. (Uploading a file you receive on your phone might be tricky.) And keep your phone charged in flight so you can prove your negative test and questionnaire are complete.
Beware: You can connect through another Hawaiian island on your way to Kauai, but if you stay on that island for a visit you may have to quarantine on Kauai for 14 days upon arrival. If you have any questions about this, read the information carefully to make sure you understand. Different islands have different rules.
This link has a lot of good information on the topics mentioned above: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/ There is also talk about a voluntary test to be administered to some travelers a few days after arrival. I don’t have more information about that right now. I’ve benefited from talking with other owners who are planning to travel soon. Sharing our different experiences gave me the idea to write this article.
I’ll share more as I complete my travel and settle in at Kiahuna. I hope to see some of you there over the next few weeks.
--prepared by Barbara Siverts!!
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