All trans-Pacific travelers heading to Kona International Airport will now be required to take both a pre-boarding and post-arrival COVID-19 test to bypass the 14-day quarantine requirement.
Hawaii News Now reports this is a change from last month when just 25% of trans-Pacific travelers were able to get the second test due to the airport not having enough space to conduct testing.
“We will be doing 100% because we feel this is a very, very important thing to test these people and test results have shown it is necessary,” Former Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim told Hawaii News Now.
The expansion of COVID-19 testing reflects Kim’s final efforts in combating the pandemic as new Mayor Mitch Roth has been sworn into office.
“The demand for tests is strictly because of one reason, the very frightening spiking of the disease in all of the states especially the feeder states,” Kim told Hawaii News Now.