(BIVN) – On Friday, Governor David Ige announced that travelers from the Philippines and from South Korea’s Incheon International Airport may soon bypass the State of Hawaiʻi’s mandatory 10-day quarantine if they take a COVID-19 test from a trusted testing partner. The program starts on Thursday, July 15, 2021.

“The test must be taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure and the negative test result submitted prior to departure for Hawaiʻi”, the State says. “Travelers must upload their negative test result into the Safe Travels digital platform and have a hard copy with them before departing for Hawaiʻi.”

“We are delighted to announce that we are expanding our Safe Travels pre-travel testing program to include travelers from the Philippines and South Korea,” said Gov. Ige in a news release. “Hawaiʻi is also home to many Filipino and Korean Americans, and we appreciate our partners who are helping families reconnect.”

Philippine Airlines

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) has approved the use of COVID-19 RT-PCR tests conducted by laboratories from the following:

• Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
• Safeguard DNA Diagnostic, Inc., Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
• Cardinal Santos Medical Center, San Juan City, Metro Manila
• Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital, Bacolod City
• St. Elizabeth Hospital Inc., General Santos City

“We welcome the recognition of the Hawaiian authorities of Philippine Airlines as a Trusted Testing Partner,” from Mr. Dexter C. Lee, SVP and Chief Strategy & Planning Officer of Philippine Airlines. “This is a great convenience for our passengers traveling to Honolulu, who need not undergo the 10-day quarantine upon arrival if they secure negative RT-PCR tests from our PAL testing partners in the Philippines. As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our Honolulu service July 31st, the first transpacific flight by any Asian airline, we are committed to be a faithful partner in boosting tourism and travel between the Philippines and Hawaiʻi.”

Visit this online resource from Philippine Airlines for more information. 

Incheon International Airport – Terminal 2

From the State of Hawaiʻi:

Incheon International Airport – Terminal 2 has also been certified by the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health as a trusted testing partner. Incheon Airport COVID-19 Testing Center provides one-stop services for COVID-19 testing and issues health declaration cards for outbound passengers who test negative.

The testing center is open year-round and online reservations are required. The Testing Center is located inside Incheon International Airport at the west side parking lot, B1, Passenger Terminal 2. Outbound passengers can receive their results on the same day if they take the test between 7 to 11:30 a.m., and the following day if they take the test between 1 to 6 p.m.

Travelers should look to Incheon Airport for more information.

“Hawaiʻi Tourism Korea has been working diligently with the State Department of Health and Attorney General’s office to expand the Trusted Travel Partner options in this important international market for Hawaiʻi with the significant addition of Incheon Airport,” said John De Fries, president and CEO of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. “This partnership provides convenient access for travelers coming from Korea, which is a positive step forward to bringing this traditionally higher-spending market back to the islands.”

The State notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also requiring “proof of a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 for all air passengers arriving from a foreign country to the United States.” The CDC requirement has been in effect since Jan. 26, 2021.