How Hawaii’s COVID-19 Testing Program Could Serve As The Blueprint For A Broader Reopening Of International Travel

While it had remained closed to visitors throughout much of 2020, Hawaii reopened to tourists in October. Given that tourism is the top moneymaking industry in the 50th state, reopening quickly—but safely—is crucial for businesses of all sizes on every island. Over the past few months, Hawaii’s state government has imposed entry and quarantine rules that are strict compared with those of other U.S. states; its geographical advantage as an archipelago hasn’t proved to be an especially effective barrier against the virus, with resurgences more akin to those seen in Ireland or Iceland versus near-perfect textbook examples of controlling the virus as seen in New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea. Nevertheless, Hawaii set up a detailed program this fall that has some travel industry experts suggesting it could serve as a blueprint for reopening international travel, even as approved vaccines start to roll out in the coming months. Read more at Fortune.