Hawaii will soon welcome back tourists following a significant decline in Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions.
Governor David Ige said holidayers and business travellers are welcome to return to the islands from November 1.
His announcement comes nearly two months after he asked travellers on August 23 to avoid Hawaii because case counts were surging with the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant.
In the intervening months, Hawaii’s seven-day average of daily new cases has plummeted from 900 to 117, while Covid-19 hospital admissions have dropped from more than 400 to about 100 statewide.
“I think we are all encouraged by what we’ve seen over the last several weeks with the continuing trend of lower case counts,” Mr Ige said in a remarks at a ceremony opening a new airport facility in Kailua-Kona.
“Our hospitals are doing better, and we have fewer Covid patients in them. Most importantly, our health care system has responded, and we have the ability to move forward with economic recovery.”
To avoid a 10-day quarantine upon arrival, travellers must show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of their departure for Hawaii.
