Editorial: Don’t weaken Safe Travels rules

The “welcome” mat may be out for tourists, effective Nov. 1, based on Gov. David Ige’s recent announcement, but it’s not yet clear what that word means in the context of a global pandemic. Surely “caution” should be the subtext message.

So far there’s been no signal that the state is going to make radical changes in its existing Safe Travels Hawaii program for domestic travelers. Nor should that happen. Hawaii is making progress in battling back the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, but the surge in cases is lingering enough to remain, for now, on the front burner of public health concerns.

One thing that will need to happen is to bring Safe Travels into alignment with the revised federal policy on international travelers bound for the U.S., effective Nov. 8.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green said last week on the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Spotlight Hawaii webcast that state authorities are working to do that, given that federal regulations soon will allow inbound international travelers who are both vaccinated and have a negative pre-travel test to enter every state.

This would add a layer of protection to what Hawaii now requires for travelers coming from a limited number of countries. The state already has established travel links with Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Tahiti and the Philippines: Just as Hawaii-bound domestic tourists do, these international travelers need either a pre-travel test or proof of vaccination to avoid quarantine.

The federal regulations, set to roll out in two weeks for all countries, would require both the test and vaccine. From a logistical standpoint, it would make sense for Hawaii to let federal authorities manage the protocols allowing international passengers to board a flight to the islands, just as they would for any U.S. destination.

Hawaii’s Safe Travels system should remain in place for U.S. domestic travelers. With daily infection counts now declining and relatively steady, there’s no basis for an immediate change to the status quo.

But the effects of increased travel worldwide should be monitored carefully, and state officials may consider adding a testing requirement, regardless of vaccination status, for American travelers as well.

Imperatives for this could include declining effectiveness of vaccines over time, diminishing the protection for vaccinated travelers. While booster shots are in distribution for some population groups, federal health agencies are not yet extending eligibility to all population groups. Until they do, that particular shield likely will weaken.

What may make this more practical is the easier availability of cheaper COVID-19 tests yielding fast results that could be shown at boarding. If the surge continues to abate, lowering infection risk more broadly, this may be the way to go.

It may in fact encourage some to take the test rather than choosing to quarantine, which has been an option taken by some returning Hawaii residents who don’t want the Safe Travels hassle. There’s abundant anecdotal evidence that many of these returnees do not finish their quarantine period and become a source of community spread.

An additional improvement would be to strengthen the enforcement of the quarantine program. The state should make this a harder course to follow, requiring strict check-ins and steep penalties. Community residents could add their own vigilance to the mix, too.

Dr. Libby Char, state health director, told Spotlight Hawaii on Friday that Hawaii was heading toward a “baseline” level, fewer than 100 cases a day, that would be manageable. “That’s an OK place,” she said.

But declaring victory prematurely, and relinquishing Hawaii’s travel shield too soon? That would not be OK.