eWith the pre-travels program going pretty smoothly since October 15th, and with more Pre-Travel testing partners added to make things easier, the State just added an additional hurdle to the process, given the number of exploding cases around the U.S. and the number of positive cases caught through the current program.

Previously, if you did not have your negative test results by the time you landed, you were required to quarantine until the results were available. Once received, you were free.

However, with the new rule to go in effect tomorrow, November 24, 2020, if you do not have your negative test results BEFORE boarding on the last leg of your trip here to Hawaii, if you come, you must quarantine (i.e. not leave your hotel room for any reason) for the length of your trip or for 14 days, whichever is shorter (see article from West Hawaii Today HERE). 

You are still required to get the test no more than 72 hours prior to the last leg of your trip, which makes things a bit tricky. The best case scenario would be to try to get on a later flight and hope your results come in while you are waiting, and that the 72 hour window doesn't expire in the interim. 

Some folks are getting tests from multiple test centers (if available in your area) hoping that at least one of them will have the results available for you by the time you are required to provide proof. 

It seems the rules will continue to change until a vaccine is widely available, so it's best to prepare to be flexible, and know that if you are getting married with us, we'll do what we can to accommodate you!

Although we'll do our best to update you here when big changes are afoot, you can keep up to date on the most current rules by visiting to State's travel website by going HERE and finding out what the latest regulations are once you get here by going HERE.

After a lot of back and forth, the governor finally agreed to the Big Island mayor's terms, giving our island one extra line of defense against traveler's brining the virus unknowingly to the island, while still allowing us to move ahead to welcome visitors back to the island! 

Starting October 15, 2020, if you want to skip the mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arriving here in Kona, in addition to the Covid-19 test that must be taken 72 hours before the last leg of your trip, visitors to the Big Island will also be given a rapid test (at no charge) upon landing in Kona.

Please note that, regardless of the results of the rapid test, if your previous test results have not come back yet, you will need to quarantine until your negative test results come in. If you have a positive rapid test upon arrival, you will be taken to get a further, more comprehensive test to confirm the results. 

Please refer to this article for more information, and the State website for complete traveler information on what pre-travel tests will be accepted, and where you can get them: https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/#travel-FAQs

Note that many restaurants have also closed their doors (some permanently), although many will re-open for visitors, but some are waiting until November to do so, so be prepared for fewer options than you may have experienced pre-Covid.

Also, please be aware that even though we will be opening, there still we be plenty of Covid restrictions in place. We have a mask mandate in any public space, and there are strict gathering restrictions - inside or outside - of 10 people or fewer. This may affect your wedding in one way or another, so please be sure to be in touch with whomever is assisting you. If that's us, you know we are here for you any time!

The most important thing you can do is to respect the rules in place, and know that although not the same as before, our island is here and ready to welcome you! 

Over the past week, more details have come out about what the pre-travel testing program, slated to begin October 15, 2020, entails, and what is actually required of incoming visitors.

As I shared in my most recent post, the governor finally green-lighted the much anticipated Pre-Travel Testing Program, which would allow visitors who have a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of the final leg of their trip, to be allowed in to the state without the need to quarantine. 

However, details were sparse at the time. They have since been a bit more clarified, and it both opens up possibilities, as well as creates a few potential difficulties.

​According to this article in West Hawaii Today on Tuesday, the State has partnered with specific providers to get the authorized tests (CVS, Kaiser Permanente and Walgreens), as well as the fact that ALL travelers, even children under 12, must provide a negative test, even though it has been acknowledged that most providers will not perform tests on any person under 12, leaving families with children in a quandary. It is not that they would not be allowed on the plane, but if you cannot provide a negative test for your kids, they would still be subject to the 14-day mandatory quarantine, the same as anyone else who cannot produce a negative test.

The article does go on to clarify that if you were able to get the test (but not the results) before your departure, you will be able to come, but must quarantine until you can provide your negative test results to the authorities. Once that is done, you will be released from quarantine.

Another important piece of information that has been clarified in recent days is that the state will NOT allow you to get a test once you arrive here in Hawaii. It must be done before departure, so if you are unable to get the appropriate test before you leave, you will be subject to that mandatory 14-day quarantine.

In attempt to aid travelers who are itching to come, United Airlines has announced that it will provide Covid-19 tests to any travelers heading to Hawaii on site for $250, but only at their San Francisco hub for the time being. The hope it that more airlines will follow suit.

If you have a wedding scheduled with us coming up after October 15th, know we are here if you run into snafus, and will work with you to figure out an alternate date if need be for your wedding, as the State attempts to figure out a system that works!

Governor Ige announced yesterday that the pre-arrivals testing program is slated to begin on October 15th, assuming all goes according to plan. 

According to an article in the Star Advertiser today, "The testing program allows travelers who have taken a Food and Drug Administration-approved COVID-19 NAAT test from a CLIA lab and tested negative within 72 hours of traveling to Hawaii to bypass a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for out-of-state passengers that’s been in place since March 26."

However, it goes on to say that for those who don't have their test results back in time, they will be required to quarantine upon arrival until their results are received. 

From a wedding standpoint, this is hopeful, but also something to be cautious about. This is a plan that was supposed to begin August 1st, then September 1st, so we'll see if it actually goes off without a hitch on the actual set date. Knowing Hawaii and any new system like this anywhere, I'd expect that it's going to be a bit clunky when people first arrive, and that may mean a long wait at the airport or other confusion. This may not matter so much if you were just coming on vacation, but as a couple about to get married, this uncertainty may create undue stress.

The other thing to consider/note, is what will happen assuming things do open up. If there is a surge in cases, you can expect the program to be shut down in short order so as not to overwhelm our hospitals.

It is also uncertain that they will lift the current limitation of just 10 people allowed to gather in public, outdoors, meaning if you have a larger group expected at your wedding, not everyone may be able to attend.

As a wedding planner, I also want to be sure everyone has fun, but is also safe, and that I am in compliance with all local and state laws. This may mean masking up for much of your wedding ceremony at this time. 

Basically, it seems that we are moving in the right direction, but with a lot of uncertainty until things actual get rolling. 

If you have a wedding with Simple Kona Beach Weddings, know you are covered (and if your original agreement didn't have this clause, we'll add it!) for postponements/reschedules for up to one year of your original date should Covid-19 travel restrictions keep you from coming. If you are one of our couples and you have questions and/or want to talk about your options, please be in touch!

In the meantime, here's hoping things actually move according to plan, and more smoothly than we could ever imagine!

​

Sadly, and as suspected, the Governor announced today that, in addition to rigorous restrictions on gatherings on the island of Oahu, there is once again an official delay of the pre-testing arrival program, which would have allowed Trans-Pacific travelers to come to Hawaii with a negative Covid-19 test without having to quarantine. (See article HERE).

However, due to a surge of cases on Oahu, and in attempt to curb the spread to other islands and prevent further potential exposure to the islands, that program has been delayed, and the current mandatory 14-day quarantine for Trans-Pacific travelers remains in affect until at least September 30, 2020. 

What does this mean for your wedding? If you are not in the state of Hawaii, and you had a wedding scheduled for September, unless you want to stay in your hotel room for 14 days quarantining prior to your wedding, I'm afraid that means postponing and rescheduling (or cancelling outright, of course). There is also the option for a virtual wedding or vow renewal if you don't want to cancel, but cannot postpone your wedding either.

If you have a wedding coming up in October, it's time to begin discussions about what you might do if the start of the pre-arrival testing program is delayed again. 

If you have a wedding with Simple Kona Beach Weddings, your wedding agreement covers you for postponement and reschedule (even more than once, if necessary) due to the pandemic any time up to one year of your original date. Just call or email me to discuss options!

As of today, there have still be no definitive announcements or decisions from Governor Ige as to whether the state will go through with its plan to drop the 14-day mandatory quarantine September 1st, and require a negative Covid-19 test within 3 days prior to travel instead.

However, based on recent articles, and an explosion of cases in Oahu over the past week, there has been growing concern with keeping with the plan (see these articles from today HERE and HERE), due to the fact that our hospitals could very quickly become overrun. As a result, the mayors on the Big Island, Maui and Kauai are requesting that the mandatory 14-day quarantine for inter-island travel be reinstated, and many are calling for a delay in the lifting of the quarantine for those coming in from out of state, even with a negative test.

Thus, my personal guess is that they won't be going through with the plan starting September 1st, but no official word has been delivered to the public yet, and the governor says that he'd like to wait and see whether we can get things under control. 

So I'm afraid there is no official word yet, but I'll be updating this page once we know something! 

In the meantime, if you want to keep yourself up to date, the best places to find information are in the Honolulu Star Advertiser, on Hawaii News Now, and in West Hawaii Today. I find that the Star Advertiser (probably because they are based in the State's large city) seems to have the most complete information and keeps stories updated throughout the day, as does Hawaii News Now. 

If you have a wedding in September or October, be aware that a system allowing out of state visitors may or may not be in place by September 1st, so be prepared for a last-minute change, or, if that feels too iffy for you, you may consider postponing and rescheduling now. 

You will also want to check in with the airlines and hotels to find out what happens if the quarantine is still in place and you need to change your plans.

If you have a wedding or vow renewal with us here at Simple Kona Beach Weddings, rest assured that your wedding agreement allows for postponement and reschedule up to one calendar year of your original date (and if you agreement was signed before this clause was added, we can add it), allowing you to move anything you've paid up to this point forward with you to the future date. If you don't have your wedding agreement settled yet, we'll want to do this ASAP so that you will be able to save your deposit in case plans need to be changed! :) 

That being said, if you are one of our couples, and have any additional questions or concerns, or you want to talk about all of your possibilities in more detail, please don't hesitate to send us an email and we'll set up a time to chat via phone!

I'll keep you posted here with updates as they become available. In the meantime, please stay safe!

The governor announced today that the mandatory 14-day quarantine is going to continue at least through the end of August, 2020, and the previously announced plan to allow Trans-Pacific visitors with a negative Covid-19 test to be allowed to skip the quarantine as of August 1st has been scrapped. The governor and his team are working to get a better system in place to keep the islands's residents and visitors safe, which they hope to implement starting September 1st, but that is still TBD. See this latest announcement by going to this article HERE.

What does this mean for you?

If you have a wedding in August, and you are not living in Hawaii, and someone else is planning your wedding (if you are one of our couples, we've already rescheduled), it means that, unless you are planning on being here and quarantining for two weeks prior to your wedding (no leaving your hotel room for any reason, with the exception of going to the hospital), you'll need to postpone and reschedule. 

If you have a wedding in September, be aware that a system allowing out of state visitors may or may not be in place by September 1st, so be prepared for a last-minute change, or, if that feels too iffy for you, you may consider postponing and rescheduling now. 

You will also want to check in with the airlines and hotels to find out what happens if the quarantine is still in place and you need to change your plans.

If you have a wedding or vow renewal with us here at Simple Kona Beach Weddings, rest assured that your wedding agreement allows for postponement and reschedule up to one calendar year of your original date (and if you agreement was signed before this clause was added, we can add it), allowing you to move anything you've paid up to this point forward with you to the future date. If you don't have your wedding agreement settled yet, we'll want to do this ASAP so that you will be able to save your deposit in case plans need to be changed! :) 

That being said, if you are one of our couples, and have any additional questions or concerns, or you want to talk about all of your possibilities in more detail, please don't hesitate to send us an email and we'll set up a time to chat via phone!

I'll keep you posted here with updates as they become available. In the meantime, please stay safe!

Per an announcement by Governor Age and his team on Tuesday, an overview of which can be found HERE in an article from West Hawaii Today, as of August 1, 2020, the state will start allowing those able to provide a negative Covid-19 test to skip the current mandatory 14-day quarantine, which is currently in place for all visitors coming in to the state of until July 31, 2020, regardless of any test results. 

However, this screening system is still being worked out, and it is possible that this will be postponed or revoked should cases begin to spike, so it is wise to consider all possibilities if you are planning on traveling to Hawaii for your wedding in August or even September.

Please also note that public gatherings are also still limited to 10 people total - which means that you, your guests and any of us providing services for your wedding would have to be considered in that number. They have not announced when this restriction will be lifted or this number will increase.

If you have a wedding scheduled with me and you'd like to discuss your options if these restrictions are still in place, please send me and email and we'll set a time to chat!

Rest assured, I have protections now in place in any new agreements, as well as an addendum to be added to any previously signed agreements, to allow for postponement and reschedule if necessary. 

Please see my most recent BLOG POST for answers to common FAQs for brides during the time of the pandemic, and stay tuned to this page for updates as they come out from the state!