Safe Travels Program to End March 25, Indoor Mask Mandate Remains

The state’s Safe Travels Hawaiʻi program instated to stem the spread of COVID-19 will end after March 25, however, the indoor mask mandate continues to remain in place, Gov. David Ige announced during a press conference this afternoon.

Passengers will no longer have to show proof of vaccination or travel plans after the program ends. All pre- and post-arrival screenings for domestic travelers will also cease. Additional mandates to end after March 25 include county and state employees no longer having to provide vaccination status or a negative test to an employer, visitors to state properties will also no longer have to abide by that requirement.

Ige issued the first statewide COVID-19 emergency rule on March 4, 2020, after the virus was declared a pandemic. Those emergency rules have continued for the past two years. The Safe Travels program was instated in October of 2020.

“We’ve been working toward this day to end Safe Travels,” Ige said. “I do appreciate the partnership in keeping the community healthy and safe.”

Ige thanked the residents of Hawaiʻi for their efforts and sacrifice during the pandemic.

“We are making significant progress,” he said. “We aren’t done with COVID-19 but we need to transition to the new normal.”