New COVID-19 emergency proclamation, adds cruise ships to Safe Travels Hawaiʻi

Governor David Ige has signed the latest COVID-19 emergency proclamation, keeping in place current COVID restrictions and officially adding cruise ship passengers to the list of travelers who must abide by Safe Travels Hawaiʻi requirements.

Cruise ships have already been following Safe Travels requirements through port agreements with the State of Hawaiʻi – which requires passengers to show a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination prior to deboarding.

The return of the cruise industry on Maui was reported earlier this month on Jan. 12, 2022 when the Grand Princess cruise ship arrived at Kahului Harbor. It was the first cruise ship with passengers to disembark in 22 months, since the industry halt in March of 2020 amid pandemic concerns.

Today, Holland America Line was in port at Kahului Harbor. According to portcall.com, the vessel arrived at Pier 1 at 6 a.m. and will depart at 6 p.m. today, Jan. 26, 2022. The cruise ship arrived in Honolulu on Jan. 23, and came in from Kailua-Kona yesterday. It is headed to Hilo tomorrow.

The current restrictions remain in place as Hawaiʻi continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Just a few weeks ago, Hawaiʻi saw record high COVID-19 cases in our communities,” said Gov. Ige. “While we believe we may have hit the peak, we must continue to remain vigilant. Mask wearing and asking travelers to get vaccinated or tested before they fly to Hawaiʻi are among some of the measures that have helped keep COVID-19 case numbers manageable for our limited resources here. I thank everyone for their diligence and patience.”  

The governor continues to encourage residents to get fully vaccinated and is advocating for booster shots, if eligible. 

Except for the Emergency Proclamation Related to Grand Jury Impaneling that was signed on Jan. 3, 2022, this COVID-19 emergency proclamation will supersede all prior proclamations related to COVID-19, and will remain in effect through March 25, 2022, unless terminated or superseded by a separate proclamation.

Link to emergency proclamation here.