Question: When a big cruise ship stops in Hawaii, will people be allowed to get off the boat? The CDC is saying people shouldn’t be cruising with the omicron variant rampant.
Answer: Yes, if they are fully vaccinated, or have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of their first Hawaii port of call, or have recovered from COVID-19 within 90 days of reaching the islands, according to the state’s COVID-19 portal, hawaiicovid19.com. The rules are the same as for arriving domestic air travelers who wish to avoid quarantine, and apply to a ship’s crew as well as to its passengers, the state says. Each quarantine exception has specific requirements and documentation — such as acceptable vaccine or test types — which you can read more about on the portal.
Hawaii’s Safe Travels digital platform (travel.hawaii.gov) now allows a cruise ship passenger to create an account, input trip details and upload proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test or COVID-19 recovery. Meeting the requirements generates a QR code that the person would show before disembarking at any Hawaii port of call.
The state says individual cruise lines might have additional requirements beyond the state’s rules, so passengers also should check with their cruise company.
As for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you’re correct that it advises against cruising at this time, even for fully vaccinated travelers, because of the highly transmissible omicron variant. This is a recommendation, not a ban, and cruises continue to operate. The cruise industry has said the CDC shouldn’t single out an industry that has gone above and beyond to monitor, detect and respond to potential COVID-19 cases.
Read the CDC’s guidance at 808ne.ws/cruisecdc, and the Cruise Line International Association’s response at 808ne.ws/clia.
See the cruise schedule at hawaii.portcall.com for a list of ships scheduled to visit Hawaii this year.
Q: Now that Safe Travels has dropped the pre-travel health questionnaire, will we still get a QR code to show when we arrive in Hawaii? I have another trip planned next month.
A: Yes, a QR code will be emailed to you after you submit your trip information to the state’s Safe Travels digital platform. As you indicated, as of Tuesday the state no longer requires travelers to complete a pre-arrival health questionnaire to generate the QR code.
The health survey was dropped because it became less useful as a COVID-19 screening tool as the pandemic evolved, said Sheri Kajiwara, Safe Travels administrator.
Q: I received a Hawaii Restaurant Card as a thank-you gift but am not sure where I can use it.
A: You may use the Hawaii Restaurant Card Business Holiday Card to buy food and beverages from Hawaii dining and/or drinking establishments that accept Debit Mastercard and are classified under Merchant Category Code 5812, 5813 or 5814. This includes many restaurants, bakeries, caterers, bars, taverns, nightclubs and fast-food restaurants, according to an FAQ by American Savings Bank.
The cards, which are prepaid debit cards, are good through June 30 at 2 p.m. Hawaii time or until the balance reaches zero, whichever comes first, it says.
Businesses and organizations bought the cards to give as gifts to employees, clients and others while simultaneously supporting Hawaii’s restaurant and bar industry, which has struggled during the pandemic.
Auwe
Having laws on the books that are rarely if ever enforced breeds more lawlessness and ultimately breaks down civil society. Auwe! — A reader
Mahalo
Mahalo to the four Honolulu firefighters who took the time to get me back into my locked car at Ala Moana Beach Park on Dec. 23, giving me a much happier Christmas Eve eve. — John M.
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