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Governor Ige announced today that starting in mid-December, travelers flying from Canada to Hawaii could bypass the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine if they take a COVID-19 test from laboratories identified by Air Canada and WestJet.
The test must be taken within 72 hours of traveling to the State of Hawaii and a negative test result must be received prior to departure. Travelers without proof of a negative test result before boarding their flight to Hawai’i will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days or their length of stay, whichever is shorter.
“Many Canadians like to visit Hawaii during the winter months to escape the cold, so the timing for that works well. Hawai’i has the most rigorous pre-trip testing program in the US and we are grateful to Air Canada and WestJet for making it available to their passengers, “Governor David Ige said.
Air Canada and WestJet will identify testing entities in Canada, with the approval of the Hawaii State Department of Health, for the purpose of the pre-test program. Canadian residents should turn to these Canada-based carriers for testing options in their country:
Air Canada: https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home.html#/
WestJet: https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/travel-info/covid-testing
The Pre-Trip Testing Program is a layer of the state’s comprehensive Safe Travels Hawai’i program that makes every step of the travel process, from pre-arrival testing to accommodations and post-arrival experiences, more secure.
“The Safe Travels Hawaii Pre-Trip Testing Program has been a valuable additional layer of security for the state of Hawaii and has been emulated across the country by other states,” said Lt. Governor Josh Green. “We look forward to welcoming our friends and family from Canada, and we appreciate WestJet and Air Canada’s efforts to make the process as safe and smooth as possible.”
“We are delighted to be able to work with partners to open travel to Canadian visitors. We look forward to welcoming travelers from Canada and asking them to visit with aloha, following health and safety protocols and taking part in voluntary post-arrival testing to ensure they are COVID-19 free, “said the mayor. Michael P. Victorino, Maui County.
“The resumption of transpacific travel from Canada will strengthen Hawai’i’s gradual economic recovery; and HTA expresses its gratitude to Air Canada, WestJet and all of our travel partners throughout Canada. At the same time, the more rigorous test result requirement announced today by the governor is a prudent and urgent response to thwart the spread of COVID-19 in Hawaii, as our local visitor industry supports its leadership efforts in restoring seats. of work and the economy of Hawaii. “Said John De Fries, president and CEO of the Hawai’i Tourism Authority.
“We welcome Governor Ige’s announcement today that it is designating Air Canada as one of Hawai’i’s trusted travel partners and extending the State of Hawaii pre-trip testing program to Air Canada customers. Programs like this one that provide viable, effective, and alternative options for covering general quarantine requirements are an important step in safely reopening travel around the world. We look forward to our flights to Honolulu and Maui from Vancouver and Calgary starting from mid-December aboard our state-of-the-art Dreamliner aircraft, equipped with our industry-leading Air Canada ClearCare + biosecurity measures, ”said Timothy Liu, CEO, Air Canada Sales Planning.
“On behalf of WestJet and our guests, thanks to Gov. Ige, the State of Hawaii and the teams involved in the Hawai’i Trusted Travel Partner Program. This health and science-based approach to clearing quarantine will help build confidence in the journey to your beautiful state and is an important step in restoring and running the tourism and travel industry, safely supporting the many Canadians who see. Hawaii as a wonderful winter vacation, ”said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet’s Chief Commercial Officer.
Canadian citizens traveling overseas are still subject to a 14-day quarantine upon their return to the country. United States travel restrictions to Canada remain in effect.
The announcement comes following the establishment of pre-trip testing from Japan to Hawaii earlier this month. Hawai’i is also exploring travel between other international destinations.
“We continue to work with the countries of South Korea, Taiwan (which has expressed interest) and are still conversing with New Zealand, even though they have made it clear that their priority is Australia and re-establishing travel to Australia,” he said. Governor Ige.
“The challenge we have is that we are part of the United States (and many nations have stopped travel to the United States) and we have to demand that Hawaii be treated differently than the rest of the country,” he said.
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