Governor of Hawaii Not Ready To Open Travel and Tourism Yet
Though resort reservation scan currently be made at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa into 2021, it may be a wee while before guests can once again walk on the sandy shores of Disney’s tropical island paradise. Governor David Ige announced today that the state will be delaying further the plan to reopen the state to travel and tourism. Hawaii was originally supposed to reopen the tourism industry effective August 1st but due to the continued spread of the coronavirus worldwide, the decision has been made to postpone plans for at least another month.
According to a recent piece in Hawaii News Now, Ige said during a legislative briefing today that he would be extending the 14-day mandatory quarantine for all trans-Pacific travelers through the end August. This gives the state time to work out the details of a more extensive testing program to limit the spread of the virus.
Ige said, “We are preparing the emergency, supplemental emergency proclamation for specifically that,” Ige said.
The governor has been facing increasing pressure over the past few weeks to push back the reopening date including for four county mayors. An initial plan was revealed last month which was meant to serve as a lifeline for the states struggling tourism industry. As part of the travel restrictions, all guests, under the plan would need to be tested for COVID-19 before arriving in the islands.
The plans however hit a number of roadblocks the primary one being the surge in infections across the states coupled with a shortage of testing.
Like the rest of the country, Hawaii went into quarantine back in March, at the time requiring any passenger on a flight landing in Hawaii to spend 14 days in isolation to prevent the spread of the virus. The impact on the tourism industry was massive with passenger arrivals shifting from 30,000 per day to less than 400 by the middle of April. This is according to data released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
The state started to ease restrictions for the first time last month by once again allowing inter-island travel.
The next phase of reopening Hawaii was what the Governor is pushing back on just now. The Governor was expected to ease trans-Pacific travel restricts beginning August 1st. It was even rumored that instead of a 14-day quarantine, guests would be required to produce a negative coronavirus pre-test taken no longer than 72-hours before travel.
However, these plans have now ground to a halt with cases on the mainland surging in recent weeks. With this in mind, the Honolulu City Council passed a resolution asking the governor to delay the change in travel restrictions until the state was better equipped to handle testing and contact tracing.
As you know, Disney owns Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii. The property remains closed an no official opening date has been set. The official statement on Aulani’s website reads:
While there is still much uncertainty with respect to the impacts of COVID-19, the safety and well-being of our Members, Guests and employees remain the top priority for Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa. In line with direction from health experts and government officials, Aulani Resort & Spa is currently closed and a reopening date has not been identified. We will continue to carefully evaluate this complex and fluid situation.
Upon reopening, Aulani Resort rooms, restaurants and other locations may be limited in capacity and subject to restricted availability or closure based on direction from health experts and government officials to promote physical distancing. Furthermore, experiences, services and amenities may be modified, have limited availability or may remain closed. Offerings are not guaranteed. We will provide more information as it becomes available. We reserve the right to cancel any reservations or purchases and provide applicable refunds.
Our focus remains on the health and safety of the entire Disney community, including the well-being of the Cast Members who are caring for and securing the Aulani Resort during the closure. We’re currently evaluating new and enhanced safety measures to help us all stay well. Learn more about these measures.
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Source: Hawaii News Now