- Aloha fellow explorers.
Hawaii is now open, and in this video,
I'm gonna tell you everything you need to know
to go to Hawaii, under their new pre-testing travel program,
So you can go to the Aloha State,
and not have to quarantine.
By the way, if this is your first time here,
my name is Chris, this is Yellow Productions.
I do travel guide that are fun,
informative and entertaining.
This video is part of my series on Hawaii.
You'll find more videos in the description below.
And if you watch my video about Hawaii's reopening,
two months ago, consider this one an update,
now that Hawaii is open.
This is the most current information,
as of November 6th, 2020.
In this video, I'll be talking about the tests,
and how to get them,
what to do with your test results once you have them,
the difference in rules between the various islands,
inter-island travel, layovers, masks,
and what to do, and what's open once you get to Hawaii.
So first, let's talk about the tests.
Who needs to get them?
Everybody traveling to Hawaii,
that does not want to quarantine for 14 days
has to get a COVID-19 test,
72 hours before the departure of their final leg to Hawaii,
provided they are aged five and older.
This means that children under the age of five
do not need to get a COVID-19 test,
do not need to quarantine when they arrive in Hawaii.
Now, what kind of test do you need to get?
Well, it's kind of complicated,
because there's lots of different COVID-19 tests.
Simply put, you will need to get a test from a vendor
that is approved by the state of Hawaii.
You can find the link to their website right here,
or in the description below, if you wanna know more
about all the different vendors, and how they provide tests.
But it's kind of complicated, because some are in-person,
some are supervised over video conference.
Some take two or three days to get results back.
Others are in 15 minutes.
So as you're going through that list,
looking for testing centers that are close to you,
pay attention to the ones that offer quick results,
at a price that you want.
The prices for the COVID-19 pretests
range from free to $250 on the upper end,
with the mid price being about $130 per person,
for COVID-19 test.
Now, the type of test,
they're either the ones that you do the nasal swab,
or you spit in a tube.
As of today, the only approved testing partners
are either on the mainland of the USA, or in Japan.
Those are the only two places
where pre-testing partners are.
There are testing partners in Hawaii,
but those testing partners in Hawaii
are only for inter-island travel,
so you can't get the COVID-19 test when you get there,
to test out of quarantine,
once you're already on the islands.
You have to get the test before you go.
My recommendation would be to get your test
through the airline that you're flying to get to Hawaii,
because if it's through the airline,
they want you to get there, they don't want any hiccups.
I think that will be the most streamlined process.
United Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines,
and Hawaiian all have programs to do this testing,
and labs they have contracted with,
like I say, before summer at airports,
some are mail-in, some are offsite.
But in particular, like United Airlines,
at San Francisco Airport, you can do it onsite,
in the International Terminal of San Francisco Airport,
$250, you get your test results back in 15 minutes.
If you don't mind driving
to a different part of the airport,
and getting your test results in 48 hours,
then you can get that
at the United Technical Facilities parking lot for $80.
So the longer it takes for your results,
the cheaper they are.
American Airlines is offering onsite testing
at Dallas Fort Worth Airport, and in Maui.
And American Airlines is offering virtual testing,
for passengers flying out of LAX, Phoenix, and Chicago,
meaning those are the ones that you get the test,
a doctor watches, you spit into the tube,
and you mail it back.
Now, another really interesting place
to get tested is at Oakland Airport, why?
Well, Oakland Airport really wants
people to fly out of there to Hawaii,
and so Oakland Airport is offering COVID-19 tests,
for free, for any passengers that are headed to Hawaii.
Southwest, Hawaiian, and Alaska Airlines
all fly out of Oakland.
Oakland Airport recommends that you get your test
at least one day before,
to give yourself time to get the test results,
cancel or change your flights, if you need to.
The final thing I'll mention
about getting your test results,
most of these providers take appointments,
and also offer walk-ins.
My recommendation would be
definitely to make an appointment,
because you wanna make sure
you can actually get that test before you go.
Okay, so now let's talk about what to do
with your test results, once you have them.
Now, each of the providers
gets you the test results in a different way.
Some of them email it to you,
some of them print it out and give it to you.
Well, once you've gotten the test results
that show you're COVID-19 negative from that provider,
you need to upload them
to your State of Hawaii Safe Travels account.
This is the website that you have to go to,
to register your health status with Hawaii.
You basically upload a scan, a PDF, a JPEG
of your COVID 19 negative test, to that website.
That's what's gonna clear you to go to Hawaii.
It's also recommended that you bring a printout
of your results with you.
For some reason, if they can't access your account,
they can take those printed results,
in lieu of them uploaded online, when you get to Hawaii.
Also, some hotels are asking for proof
of those negative COVID-19 test results,
before you check in.
So have those printed out, and handy, when you go to Hawaii.
Okay, so now let's talk about
the different islands of Hawaii.
Everything I told you about the pre-testing travel program,
and quarantine-free travel,
the island of Oahu, which is the capital of Hawaii,
where Honolulu is, everything I just said goes for there.
You get your test, you fly into a Oahu, it's negative,
and you enjoy the Oahu island life.
If you're going to the Big Island of Hawaii,
this is the island that's actually called Hawaii,
it's where the active volcanoes are.
Well in that case, you'll actually need
a second COVID-19 test, when you arrive
on the Big Island of Hawaii.
That's one of the rapid tests that takes 15 minutes.
If you test positive on that,
they will give you a more accurate test,
that then takes up to three days for results.
Between the time of that 15 minute one, and a three-day one,
they will ask you to quarantine,
until you get the results back from that other test.
There've been a few thousand people
that have come through the Big Island,
since they've been reopened on October 15th,
and only three people have tested positive so far.
So chances are pretty slim that it's gonna be you,
but it could be a possibility.
Now, the other two major islands that visitors go to,
Maui and Kauai, they are offering optional COVID-19 tests,
three days after you arrive on those islands.
Going to Maui, the optional three-day test is free.
It's just a test that they recommend,
that you can take to make sure
you're still COVID-19 negative.
On Kauai, you do have to pay for it, it's about $130,
but then they give you a coupon book
that you can spend, that vendors on the island,
for the same value that the test costs.
Again, on Maui or Kauai, there is no obligation
to take that test though, after three days,
just recommended, but optional.
Okay, so what if you're laying over, connecting in Hawaii,
to a different island,
or what if you wanna travel between islands,
while you're there?
Well, it's a little bit complicated.
First, let's start with layovers.
If your ticket arrives in Honolulu,
and then you're connecting onto Maui,
your original COVID 19 test is good for that whole duration.
Now, if your flight is not ticketed as a connection,
but you've got like two separate tickets,
where you fly to Honolulu,
and then you spend overnight in Honolulu,
and then you wanna go to Maui,
well, that's considered inter-island travel,
and inter-island travel also requires COVID-19 tests
before you travel between the islands.
So, if you're arriving in one island,
and then you're going to others,
you're going to have to get a COVID-19 test,
before you go to the other ones.
Unless the inter-island that you're traveling to is Oahu.
You can go from Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island, to Oahu,
inter-island, and not have to get a COVID-19 test before.
So my recommendation,
if you want to do like two islands,
and that island includes Oahu,
then start with one of the other ones first,
'cause your original COVID-19 test will be good
for Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island,
spent some time there, and then you can go to Oahu,
without having to get that second test to go to Oahu.
If you're doing a layover, and it's the same day,
make sure it's ticketed as a connection, a layover,
and not multiple tickets.
Okay, now let's talk about the mask rules.
Where do you need to wear a mask in Hawaii, when, how?
So Hawaii has a statewide mask mandate,
that's been issued by the governor.
What does that mean?
Well, that means that when you're in Hawaii,
you should basically wear your mask
anytime you're out in public.
You know, this means about the only places
that you don't need to wear your mask
are when you're in your hotel room, lodging, a car,
when you're in the ocean, when you're in the pool,
or when you're actively eating.
Those are the times you don't need to wear a mask.
In theory, every other time, you do need to wear a mask.
I say in theory, because it's a mandate, it's not a law.
Every city, county, island interprets it differently.
Some municipalities are issuing tickets to people
that are not wearing masks.
Other places, it's okay to not wear masks,
if you're on the beach, on the sand.
Some places say you should, some places say you shouldn't.
It's all really confusing right now,
so it's hard to give you any concrete guidance about that,
other than if you want to be on the safe side,
wear your mask all the time when you go to Hawaii,
unless you're in private, your hotel, in your car,
or you're in the ocean, or in the pool.
Okay, so once you get to Hawaii, what's actually open?
Well, let's start outdoorsy things are pretty much open.
Beaches, parks, hiking trails, those are all open.
Yes, you're gonna have to wear your mask,
but most of them are open.
You know, some of them are still closed,
like Diamond Head is still closed.
But pretty much all those parks are,
if they're not open now, they are in plans
or phases to open soon.
Hotels, most hotels have reopened at this point.
If they haven't reopened,
they're planning to open in November, December or January.
One of the Hawaii tourism organizations
gave a statistic that said that on Oahu,
80% of the hotels planned to be open by the end of November.
Restaurants on the islands have been allowed to open
for indoor dining.
They're restricted to 50% of capacity.
So if you want to dine in,
pretty recommended to make a reservation.
When you do sit down at a restaurant,
you most likely will have to share
your contact tracing details,
so that they know who was there,
to call you in the event that somebody's COVID-19 positive.
Many restaurants are closing early, opening late,
maybe haven't even opened yet.
Some, even though they have indoor dining,
haven't opened their indoor dining.
So, be prepared to do a lot of takeout.
Get your food, eat it on the beach, eat it in your car,
eat it in your hotel room.
Those are all great ways to still get nourished
during the pandemic.
Stores, bowling alleys, and movie theaters
have all been allowed to open up to 50% capacity as well.
But just because stores have been allowed to reopen
doesn't mean all of them are.
In some of the most heavily tourist areas, like Waikiki,
there are still a ton of boarded up shops.
So don't expect everything to be open right away,
'cause they need tourists to actually be open
to be in business.
Now, some of the most popular big attractions in Hawaii
still remain closed, in particular, luaus are closed,
bars are closed, bus tours are closed.
One of my favorite things on Oahu,
the Polynesian Cultural Center, currently closed.
There's currently no torch lighting
at Kuhio Beach in Waikiki.
Hanauma Bay, the really popular snorkeling spot
is still closed.
And of course, nightclubs are closed as well.
People often ask me about cruises,
"Chris, when are cruises coming back to Hawaii?"
The earliest cruises that I see
on anybody's schedule, are like at the end of December,
of this year.
Most of the cruise companies
aren't planning to come back to Hawaii,
until 2021 at the earliest.
Now the real question is,
with all these restrictions in place,
should you go to Hawaii, or should you wait?
Well, it depends.
If you enjoy outdoor activities, you enjoy the beach,
you enjoy hiking, you don't mind wearing your mask
almost all the time, and you're okay
with the current COVID-19 risk that's out there,
then absolutely go to Hawaii and enjoy it.
You'll enjoy a lot of Hawaii's natural beauty,
with very few tourists that are there.
Now, on the other hand, if you like nightlife,
if you like bars, if you like bus tours,
if you like luaus,
if you like the Polynesian Cultural Center,
and you don't like wearing masks, then you should wait.
But if you've decided you are going,
you might want to enjoy checking out
some of my other videos on Hawaii.
You'll find playlists right here,
for Oahu, Maui and Kauai.
As usual, I won't say goodbye,
because I'll see you in one of these videos.