Hawaii streamlines travel entry with CLEAR Health Pass

The state has expanded its partnership with CLEAR Health Pass to provide COVID-19 test screening and vaccine verification of all Hawaii-bound travelers from every U.S. mainland airport on any airline.

Gov. David Ige also announced that the Philippines and Korea will be added Thursday to the list of international destinations that are allowed to seek a COVID-19 testing exemption so that they do not have to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in Hawaii.

The state will accept only specific tests that are conducted by one of the state’s trusted testing partners. Tests must be taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departing for the last leg of the trip to Hawaii, and the negative result must be uploaded prior to departure. For more information, visit hawaiicovid19.com/travel.

On Thursday, Hawaii began allowing domestic travelers who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to seek a vaccination exemption.

COVID vaccination exemptions still aren’t allowed for international travelers. Testing also is required for those age 5 and above who are not vaccinated and wish to bypass Hawaii’s travel quarantine.

Any passengers on any commercial flight from the mainland, who are over the age of 18, who download the CLEAR app clearme.com/ hawaii and correctly follow the directions can use Health Pass. CLEAR touts Health Pass as a “free, mobile experience by CLEAR, which securely connects a person’s verified identity to multiple layers of COVID-19 related insights, including proof of vaccination, to reduce public health risk.”

Here’s how it works: Travelers will add their negative COVID-19 test result or vaccine verification to the free CLEAR mobile app clearme.com/hawaii to generate a Health Pass. Then they can apply for a quarantine exception on the Hawaii Safe Travels website by linking their CLEAR Health Pass. The secure process may be done over a smartphone.

Employees of airlines participating in pre-clearance programs will scan a passenger’s HI QR code prior to the flight to Hawaii to ensure that all entry requirements are satisfied. Depending on the airline, travelers might receive a wristband to help expedite arrival procedures in Hawaii. If a particular airline does not provide pre- clearance service prior to departure, travelers will be screened upon arrival in Hawaii.

“Safe travel is important for our residents and visitors, and CLEAR offers travelers an additional convenient and secure option for providing vaccination and pre-travel testing verification for those returning home or coming to Hawaii for work or vacation,” Ige said in a statement.

CLEAR’s Health Pass links vaccination results from hundreds of vaccine providers and national pharmacies, including Walmart, Atlantic Health System and the state of California. Travelers from California, which supplies more than 40% of Hawaii’s passenger traffic, may upload their vaccine information to Health Pass by scanning their California’s Immunization Registry­-generated QR code.

The CLEAR Health Pass is integrated with select health care providers and pharmacies. If CLEAR is not integrated with a traveler’s vaccine provider, it is recommended that they upload a photo of their CDC card directly into the Hawaii Safe Travels portal.

The partnership between CLEAR and the state is an outgrowth of an earlier pilot program. In February, CLEAR initially partnered with the state to test using Health Pass on direct flights between Los Angeles International Airport and Honolulu on United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Hawaii and its Safe Travels program,” CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker said in a statement.

“CLEAR’s mission is to provide people with safe and friction-less experiences, and with this new expansion, showing proof of vaccination and enjoying the Aloha State just got much easier.”