Out of the thousands of tourists that had arrived in Hawaii since last week, none had brought the coronavirus with them to the islands, so far. Since Hawaii lifted its mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement on Thursday last week, thousands of people have arrived in the state either for vacation or to visit family members.
State Department of Transportation spokesman, Tim Sakahara, said that 30 flights carrying more than 8,000 passengers had arrived in Honolulu on Thursday, the first day of the country's COVID-19 PCR testing program. Several flights, carrying thousands of other passengers, had also arrived in the following days.
Under the state's new program, all incoming passengers will be allowed to bypass the mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement if they had tested negative for the virus within 72 hours of their scheduled boarding for their flights to Hawaii. Passengers will also need to show proof of a negative result once they arrive.
On Sunday, health officials announced that the country had recorded about 83 new infections statewide and one new coronavirus-related death on the island of Oahu. None of the reported new cases were traced to arriving travelers.
Some residents have raised concerns over the state's decision to reopen its doors to travelers. Concerned residents have pointed out that any gaps in pre-travel testing coupled with the rising cases in the United States could result in an unwanted outbreak.
Country officials in Hawaii have called for the state to require a mandatory second test for all arriving passengers. However, a proposal was reportedly rejected prior to the implementation of the new plan. Some mayors have been given the option to opt-out of the pre-travel testing program. However, those that wish to do so would have to spend for the secondary testing and quarantines out of their own county's pockets.
The influx of travelers to the state is being seen as a positive sign for the eventual recovery of the state's tourism industry. Hawaii's economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism, has been struggling more than any other state following the months of forced lockdowns and travel restrictions.
Around 3 percent of the approximately 4,000 restaurants in the state have already permanently closed down. Roughly 50 percent have said that they will likely also shut down if things don't change within the next few months. It's also the same story for hotels and retail shops across the state, who are now struggling to keep up with growing expenses.
