Hawaiʻi County Announced End of Post-Arrival COVID Testing at Airports

Coronavirus testing for passengers arriving at Hawaiʻi airports will end on June 1.

The County of Hawaiʻi announced the changes for both the Hilo International Airport and the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport on Friday, May 28. The decision comes as an average of more than 75% of arriving trans-Pacific travelers are fully vaccinated, according to a county press release.

Travelers will still be expected to adhere to the state’s Safe Travels program, which includes a pre-travel test for all trans-Pacific travelers. Trans-Pacific post-arrival testing was initially slated to end on May 10,2021, but was extended through a partnership with the hospitality industry on Hawaiʻi Island.

“We are extremely grateful for the generosity on behalf of our hospitality industry in their effort to extend our post-arrival testing program,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “However, with the amount of fully vaccinated travelers landing on our island, airport testing no longer seems necessary for the health and safety of our island. Instead, we hope to work with our industry partners to make their individual destinations the safest places that they can be in order to keep our communities safe.”