Hawaii and South Korea: Pre-Travel Testing Program

4 years ago4 years ago Linda Hohnholz - editor

Governor David Ige announced today that starting Friday, February 5, 2021, Hawaii and South Korea will begin participation in the Pre-Travel Testing Program. This means that travelers from South Korea may bypass the mandatory 10-day quarantine if they take a COVID-19 test and receive a negative result from a trusted testing partner in South Korea. The test must be taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure.

Governor’s Office:

In addition to the state’s program, effective January 26, 2021 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is requiring proof of a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 for all air passengers arriving from a foreign country to the United States.

“The pre-travel testing program is just one layer of the state’s comprehensive Safe Travels Hawai‘i program, which has served us well in protecting our residents and visitors. We are excited to safely welcome back travelers from South Korea,” said Gov. Ige.

The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Honolulu welcomed the launch of this program, saying that it will contribute to expanding people to people exchanges between South Korea and Hawaiʻi while taking necessary safety measures.

The following four trusted testing partners in Korea have been approved as of today:

Yonsei University Health System, Severance Hospital, https://sev.severance.healthcare/sev
Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, www.kbsmc.co.kr
Inha University Hospital, www.inha.com
Asan Medical Center, www.amc.seoul.kr

For more information:

Travel

https://www.gohawaii.com/kr/special-alerts-information-korean

Department of Health:

https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/what-you-should-know/current-situation-in-hawaii/

Vaccine Data Now on State Health Website

The DOH Disease Outbreak and Control Division (DOCD) has begun publishing daily and weekly vaccination numbers on the website listed above. Weekly numbers are updated each Wednesday. The COVID-19 Daily News Digest will include the weekly update each Wednesday.

103 New COVID-19 Cases & Three Additional Deaths Reported

DOH reports 103 new cases of coronavirus today. Three (3) deaths are also being reported today.

Deaths:

Oʻahu

1 Male, 50-59 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized

1 Male, 90-99 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized

Maui

1 Male, 60-69 yrs, underlying conditions, hospitalized

This report includes cases up until Monday at 11:59 p.m. Full data is posted on the State COVID-19 dashboard and on the DOH Disease Outbreak & Control Division website at noon each day at hawaiicovid19.com/dashboard.

Hawai‘i COVID-19 Counts as of 11:59 p.m. Jan. 25, 2021

Island of Diagnosis	New Cases	Reported since 2/28/2020 (including new cases)
O‘ahu	64	20,642
Hawai‘i	3	2,132
Maui	27	1,661
Kaua‘i	0	178
Moloka‘i	0	25
Lānaʻi	0	106
HI residents diagnosed outside of HI	9	698
Total Cases	103	25,442
Deaths	3	404

Hospitalizations as of 8:30 a.m. on 1/26/21 – Hawai‘i-2, Maui-15, O‘ahu-65, Kaua’i‘-0

Hawai‘i State Legislature:

Health Department Informs Legislature of Planned Vaccinations

Members of the Hawai‘i State Legislature are set to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations tomorrow. Under the State’s vaccination plan, all legislative employees working in the Hawai‘i State Capitol fall under Phase 1b (individuals essential to government operations). The vaccinations will be issued through a DOH approved “point of distribution” (POD) at the Capitol. There are approximately 500 legislative employees. To view more:

https://www.hawaiihousedemocrats.com/post/health-department-informs-legislature-of-planned-vaccination

Hawai‘i State Judiciary:

Chief Justice Delivers State of the Judiciary Address

In a joint session of the State Legislature today, Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald highlighted the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on courts and the judicial system. This is a portion of his address.

“To Governor Ige and Lt. Governor Green, thank you for your abiding support and that of your team. Time and again during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have relied on the expertise and assistance of the Executive Branch to protect everyone in our courthouses, and we deeply appreciate it.

“On behalf of the Judiciary, our hearts go out to all those who lost loved ones or suffered other hardships due to the pandemic. Thank you to all of the healthcare workers and frontline responders who have worked tirelessly to keep us all safe.

“The pandemic has forced us all to face challenges that we never could have expected a year ago. While the pandemic seemed to bring our society to a halt, the conflicts that our courts resolve didn’t go on lockdown. Indeed, some – such as domestic violence and sexual exploitation – have likely intensified.

“So we’ve had to craft new ways to provide justice safely. Courts are traditionally places where many people, sometimes hundreds, come together in person. Obviously, that couldn’t continue, so we turned to technology to hold court hearings remotely. As a result, we have reinvented the way justice is administered. This transformation has made us more accessible to the public and will undoubtedly shape the way we do business in the future.

“At the same time, we could not let the pandemic derail the vital work of improving our justice system and building public trust and confidence in the courts.”

You can watch the entire address here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uDzWX6W0ac

Department of Public Safety:

Inmate and Staff Testing Continues

The Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF) reported three (3) staff members have recovered and a total of nine (9) active cases remain. HCF has a total of three (3) active inmate cases and two (2) inmates hospitalized. The O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) reported 27 negative inmate results. For more information on PSD’s planning and response efforts to COVID-19:

http://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/

Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority:

4,976 Passengers Arrive on Tuesday

Yesterday, a total of 4,976 people arrived in Hawai‘i from out of state. A total 2,194 people indicated they came to Hawai‘i for vacation. There were also 825 returning residents. The trans-Pacific passenger arrival data is derived from data provided by the Safe Travels digital system.

To view more: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/covid-19-updates/trans-pacific-passenger-arrivals/

Helpful Resources

Trusted Testing and Travel Partners:

The state of Hawai‘i only accepts Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab test results from Trusted Testing and Travel Partners. For the full list of domestic trans-Pacific, inter-county, international and airline partners or information on how to become a Trusted Testing Partner, go to: