Hawaii Tourism Authority official statement on Coronavirus

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is the State agency in Hawaii in charge of the largest industry, travel and tourism wants visitors to know:

There is no confirmed case of Coronavirus also known as COVID-19 in the State of Hawaii.

Chris Tatum, CEO and President of the Hawaii Tourism Authority wants visitors to calm down. He posted the following statement on the HTA website today:

On February 14, the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) reported that a man from Japan visited Hawaii between January 28 and February 7, 2020. He visited Maui (January 28 – February 3) and Oahu (February 3-7). Upon his return home to Japan, he was confirmed to have COVID-19.

DOH officials do not believe that he caught it while in the Hawaiian Islands. During today’s press conference, Hawaii Governor David Ige assured the public that the state is prepared for this situation and taking the proper safety precautions.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority continues to work with DOH, state and county government officials, and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor the situation.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

There are no direct flights between Wuhan, China and Hawaii. China Eastern Airlines suspended its flights between Shanghai and Daniel K. Inoyue International Airport (HNL) on February 3, 2020. It was the only carrier with a direct flight to Hawaii (six times a week). There are no regularly scheduled flights from mainland China to Hawaii at this time.

The Daniel K. Inoyue International Airport is one of the U.S. airports that will continue to receive flights carrying passengers from China. This includes enhanced screening procedures and the capacity to quarantine passengers, if needed: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/02/02/dhs-issues-supplemental-instructions-inbound-flights-individuals-who-have-been-china

The CDC expects more cases of the coronavirus in the U.S., however the risk of infection for Americans remains low.

With the U.S. declaring a public health emergency, foreign nationals who have recently traveled to China will not be allowed into the U.S. (other than immediate family members of US citizens and permanent residents) until further notice. In addition, U.S. citizens coming back into the country who have visited China within the past two weeks may have to undergo a mandatory quarantine of up to 14 days, along with anyone who is showing symptoms of coronavirus.

The U.S. Coast Guard will deny entry to the U.S any passenger vessels carrying passengers that have been to China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) within the past 14 days. Non-passenger commercial vessels that have been to, or have crew that have been to, China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau), with no sick crew members will be allowed entry to the U.S., but crew must remain aboard the vessel.