Hawaii Visitors Will Need Booster to Be 'Fully Vaccinated'

If visitors to Hawaii want to avoid quarantine, they soon will have to have a COVID booster to be considered fully vaccinated.

The state's current "Safe Travels" rules require only that incoming travelers who want to avoid quarantining for five days must meet the same fully vaccinated rules of the federal government — two doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine or one of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — or produce a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel, ABC News reported.

But Democrat Gov. David Ige said last week Hawaii's definition of fully vaccinated will be changing to include booster shots. The rule will be put on hold for at least two weeks, however, Ige added, so people with plans to visit the popular vacation destination will have time to adjust.

"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, according to Hawaii News Now.

The rule had been set to take effect Jan. 8 but was delayed until Jan. 24 to allow people to schedule booster shots, KHON 2 reported.

Ige said he has spoken with mayors and other local leaders about requiring boosters to eat at local restaurants and attend other events, but that the decision would be up to counties.

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino said in December that boosters would be required for local residents to be considered fully vaccinated, according to ABC.

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