Government officials in Hawaii have revealed that travelers who receive the coronavirus vaccine will likely be exempt from quarantine and testing requirements, with the changes coming as soon as Spring 2021.
According to Hawaii News Now, Hawaiian Lieutenant Governor Josh Green said the plan is to allow travelers to visit the state without obtaining a negative COVID-19 test or observing the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
Green said officials are working on the plan while awaiting findings from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which would reveal if vaccinated people can still transmit coronavirus.
“I’ve reached out to the governor with a policy decision that we accept people who are fully vaccinated as an exemption to the Safe Travels program,” Green told Hawaii News Now. “This is a massive game changing level of security if we get this done.”
U.S. President Joe Biden is hoping to provide 100 million people with vaccines within the first 100 days, which would open up travel from the mainland U.S. to Hawaii, as well as boost inter-island travel by residents.
Last week, House Speaker Scott Saiki announced intentions to introduce a bill that would make travel to Hawaii easier when the state’s House of Representatives reconvenes.