Hawaii is starting a public debate about whether to allow quarantine vaccinated travelers to jump

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The long 2020 saga is almost over in terms of the calendar, but the impact of the vaccine on destinations is just beginning.

At the onset of the pandemic, Hawaii, like many places, operated under a strict quarantine policy that forced visitors to stay sent for two weeks upon arrival. In the fall, the islands moved to a pre-arrival testing program that allowed anyone with a negative COVID-19 test, which was taken within 72 hours of avoiding quarantine. Untested visitors are always welcome, as long as they comply with the quarantine restrictions (quarantine time is now 10 days).

But with the vaccine now at play, some Hawaii lawyers are calling for another change to their travel policy. According to reports, Lieutenant Governor Josh Green wants to change State policies to allow anyone who has received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to bypass quarantine.

“People will start getting a second sight around the first week of January and that’s happening across the country,” Green told Civil Beat. “If people do that and they’re protected, it seems like it’s common for us to let them travel safely.”

However, as the article goes on to explain, not everyone follows that logic so clearly.

There are differing opinions about the protection of the vaccine, in particular whether it protects against asymptomatic transmission. Much will certainly depend on how many people in the area are able to get the vaccine too, and how that depends on tourism demand. Until now, there has been no talk of asking a traveler to get the vaccine, but that could certainly change.

All of these questions will, of course, be answered in time, but Green wants to start the debate now, hoping to bypass the change sometime in February. The process is ongoing, of course, and there are likely to be hybrid solutions eventually, as many people will not even be eligible for the vaccine until spring.

A combination of quarantine, pre-arrival testing, and vaccine-proofing may all come in this year not just in Hawaii, but worldwide.

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