Going to Hawaii soon? Its government lifts quarantine rule for travelers from the Philippines
Aloha, Philippines!
Hawaii will ease its 10-day quarantine mandate to travelers from the Philippines and South Korea’s Incheon International Airport starting July 15, 2021, but only if they are able to present a negative COVID-19 test result taken from a trusted testing partner.
"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," Hawaii Governor David Ige said on Friday, July 9. "Hawaiʻi is also home to many Filipino and Korean Americans, and we appreciate our partners who are helping families reconnect."
The RT-PCR test must be taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure. The negative test result must be uploaded into the Safe Travels digital platform prior the departure to Hawaii and present a hard copy upon arrival.
Travelers coming from the Philippines may take their RT-PCR test from laboratories identified by Philippine Airlines and the Hawaii State Department of Health. These are:
- 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. 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," said Mr. Dexter C. Lee, SVP and Chief Strategy & Planning Officer of Philippine Airlines.
"As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our Honolulu service July 31, 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,” he added.
Additionally, those who are traveling from Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 and have taken a COVID-19 test from Incheon Airport COVID-19 Testing Center, may bypass the mandatory quarantine if they test negative.
The testing center is located inside the west side parking lot, B1, of Passenger Terminal 2. Travelers must reserve a slot online prior the testing. 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.