New guidelines in Hawaii will require visitors to be fully vaccinated, which now includes a booster shot in addition to the two shots of Moderna/Pfizer.
The state’s current “Safe Travels” program has a list of requirements for visitors, including quarantining for five days or testing negative for COVID-19 within the first day of travel, if the visitor is not fully vaccinated. However the definition of “fully” is also changing to require one booster shot in addition to the two base shots. The booster is required in order to be able to skip the quarantine step of travel.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige, a Democrat, told Hawaii News Now that the adjusted requirements will be implemented in two weeks, which gives people time to adjust and seek out the booster if they have not already gotten it.
“We know that the community needs time to react to that, so we would have to provide at least two weeks for those who may not be up-to-date to go to have the opportunity to go and get vaccinated if they need to,” he said.
Currently, one is not required to receive the booster in order to access businesses such as restaurants and stores, though Ige did also mention that he would be talking to individual county mayors regarding the suggestion, but it will not be up to him to decide that for them.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not require a booster shot for one to be considered “fully vaccinated” and instead considers those who have gotten one to be “up to date” on their vaccines.
“Consistent with how public health has historically viewed or even talked about how we recommend vaccines, we are now recommending that individuals stay up to date with additional doses that they are eligible for,” noted CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
Social media reaction to the impending travel change was mixed:
State’s rights.
— 🇺🇸American Patriot🇺🇸🌊2022 (@_USAPatriot_) January 18, 2022
How is this Constitutional under the 5th amendment?
— Mark (@bcfd144) January 18, 2022
Future headline: “Hawaii suffers huge blow to its tourism industry. Cancels booster mandate.”
— Tyler Tracy (@TylerTTracy) January 18, 2022
If you are against this I promise Hawaii will be fine without you visiting
— Why you being weird? (@reaslisticfan24) January 18, 2022
Which is another reason why I haven’t booked a trip there (masks on a plane)….booster not necessary if you’ve been vax’d and still had Covid, which is now the norm. A pandemic of the vax’d.
— joe reich (@joereich3) January 18, 2022
It’s not working, so they keep doing the same thing…
— scott (@scott09665943) January 18, 2022
Guess I won’t be going to Hawaii anytime in the near future..
— Blitzer_2022 (@2022_Blitzer) January 18, 2022
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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