State’s vaccine passport program for inter-island travelers to begin soon

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Starting Tuesday, fully vaccinated people will be able to travel inter-island without being subject to quarantine and testing rules.

The state’s vaccine passport program for inter-island travelers allows people to bypass a pre-travel test and quarantine if they are able to show proof they received their COVID-19 vaccine in Hawaii at least two weeks before travel.

Due to concerns over fraudulent use of vaccine cards and information, the state is only allowing those vaccinated in Hawaii to qualify for the program.

Officials said because the country does not have a national vaccine registry, the state is unable to verify vaccine information from other states. But the government said it is working toward creating a system that will eventually allow for verification of vaccine data for those who were vaccinated on the mainland.

Under the new rules, vaccinated inter-island travelers will be able to upload an image of their vaccination card to the Safe Travels portal after creating an account.

They will also have to bring their CDC vaccination card with them while traveling.

Anyone found with a fake card will face up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Children 5 years and younger do not need to take a pre-travel test. But those 6 and up, who have not been vaccinated, will still have to test.

The state is also looking at starting a vaccine passport program for trans-Pacific travelers this summer. International travel will likely begin later this year.