In addition to expanding its vaccine passport programme, the state will begin to ease travel restrictions starting from 8 July, in a major step toward reigniting the economy. Hawaii will allow fully vaccinated travellers from the US mainland to skip quarantine without getting a COVID test. “The case counts are coming down. People are getting vaccinated. And there are fewer and fewer people who are at risk of becoming infected,” Ige stated in a news conference.

Travellers are required to upload proof of their vaccination to the state’s Safe Travels website and bring a physical copy of their vaccination cards with them when they travel to the islands. Currently, 52% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated and 59% are partially vaccinated. Hawaii also introduced additional policies about reopening:

• All neighbour island travel restrictions will be lifted on June 15, in anticipation of the state reaching the goal of 55% of residents fully vaccinated.
• Once the state reaches 60% of residents vaccinated, it will expand the vaccine passport programme to incoming trans-Pacific travellers vaccinated anywhere in the US.
• When this figure reaches 70%, all travel restrictions will end. At that vaccination level, the governor said, restrictions on businesses and the mask mandate will also be dropped.
• To bolster vaccination efforts, the state has partnered with local companies to launch a vaccination incentive programme that includes a host of big prizes.