Due to a recent rise in COVID-19 cases, Kauaʻi County is implementing more restrictions starting Thursday. Mayor Derek Kawakami said the island is moving into a modified Tier 3 of the Kauaʻi Business and Recreation Guidelines, which will limit outdoor social gatherings to five people from 10. (Oʻahu is in Tier 3, allowing for up […]
Starting May 11, people who have received their vaccination in Hawaiʻi and have completed the required 14-day waiting period can travel between the Hawaiian Islands without taking a COVID-19 test or going into quarantine. This new vaccination exemption aimed toward easing travel restrictions for kamaʻāina (residents) was announced yesterday by Hawaiʻi Gov. David Ige—more than
With tourism once again ramping up, Hawaiʻi has seen a large influx of visitors enjoying everything the Islands have to offer. And Hawaiʻi Island, often referred to as the Big Island by locals, is no different. From the sleepy streets of Hilo to the stunning beaches of Kona, the island has seen a resurgence of
On April 5 Kauaʻi rejoined the state’s Safe Travels testing program, which would allow travelers to bypass Hawaiʻi’s mandatory 10-day quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours before arriving in the Islands. (It originally opted out in December 2020.) That means traveling to Kauaʻi is now an option—as long as you meet all the
In February 2020 Nāhuku, more commonly known as Thurston Lava Tube, reopened at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Hawaiʻi Island after nearly two years of closure due to the 2018 Kīlauea eruption. Then COVID-19 happened. The popular walk-through lava tube and rainforest trail—one of the top attractions at the national park—closed just a month after
Starting today, couples can start planning larger outdoor weddings on Oʻahu. Under the current Tier 3 restrictions, weddings—held at outdoor venues only—can have up to 100 people per event (including staff). This change comes after a big push from Hawaiʻi’s wedding professionals, who pointed out that in Tier 3 funerals were allowed to have more
Itching for a weeklong getaway after one too many winter days trapped inside, I found myself scanning flights in search of somewhere warm. My interest was immediately piqued when I stumbled upon a nonstop round-trip flight to Oʻahu on Hawaiian Airlines. I spent much of 2019 flying back and forth between the East Coast and
Visiting Kauaʻi just got a little easier. Starting April 5, the Garden Isle will rejoin the state’s Safe Travels testing program, which would allow travelers to bypass Hawaiʻi’s mandatory 10-day quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours before arriving in the Islands. This is a big step to opening up Kauaʻi to tourism.
A year ago I attended a small wedding at a local restaurant in Kaimukī. There were maybe 50 people in total, many of whom flew in from Washington and California to celebrate the nuptials. We weren’t wearing masks, we were crammed into a small private room—and we shared food! What were we thinking! That same
Get ready for larger gatherings and restaurants operating at full capacity on Oʻahu starting Thursday, as Honolulu county moves to the less-restrictive Tier 3 of the city’s four-tier economic recovery plan. “We will officially move to Tier 3, and with that comes a really nice relaxation in rules and restrictions that have been imposed on
Updated May 4, 2021: Starting May 4, Maui County added a new requirement: All trans-Pacific travelers participating in the state’s Safe Travels Program will be subject to an additional rapid COVID-19 test upon arrival at Kahului Airport. While a vacation to Maui can be the trip of a lifetime—and it’s pretty hard to have
If all goes well—meaning COVID-19 infection rates continue its downward trend—Oʻahu may move to Tier 3 of the city’s four-tier economic recovery plan. (Honolulu has been in Tier 2 since Oct. 22.) On Sunday the Hawaiʻi Department of Health reported 68 new infections and one death across the state. If the city can maintain a seven-day
