State officials say Australia is among the countries in talks to join Hawaii’s pre-travel testing program. It’s also in touch with several other potential partners to expand international travel slowly.
As Hawaii continues with its pre-travel testing program, some countries in the Asia Pacific are making plans to gradually ease travel restrictions. But the pace of change is cautious — and uneven.
The same day that Hawaii started its pre-travel testing program, two of Asia’s leading cities announced a travel agreement of their own. It’s a “travel bubble” involving Hong Kong and Singapore. That means residents will be able to skip a quarantine when traveling between the two cities — as long as they test negative for COVID-19.
The hospitality business is still on hold in Hawaii at least through the end of September, and possibly longer. Elsewhere in the Pacific, some popular tourist locations are taking different approaches when it comes to re-opening.
HILO — The mayor of Hawaii County has expressed reservations about a quarantine concept being considered by other counties that would allow visitors to remain isolated in hotels or on the grounds of individual resorts rather than in their rooms.
