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Hawaii’s governor this week approved a mandatory second COVID-19 test for visitors arriving in Maui who want to skip the mandatory 10-day quarantine. The second test at Kahului Airport will be free for travelers, and the county is working to implement the program as soon as possible.
The goal of the new secondary testing program is to more carefully track the numbers of traveling visitors and residents who are contributing to new novel coronavirus cases on Maui. The new program is for trans-Pacific travel only and does not change rules for inter-island travel.
The new trans-Pacific rule was added for travelers engaged with the Safe Travels program that lets travelers skip quarantine if they get a negative test from a trusted partner prior to departure.
The secondary, rapid COVID-19 testing will be done as visitors arrive at Kahului Airport. County officials estimate the new program will begin within about 10 working days.
Maui County already has been offering free voluntary testing for travelers upon arrival, and to date has administered over 31,000 tests, with almost 800 of them being positive.
The pre-test requirement for arriving passengers has been in effect since mid-October. For more information about travel and COVID-19 testing for Hawaii, visit here.
