The Department of Health said Wednesday it has approved the COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) authorized by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. Proof of a negative test result from trusted testing partners in Japan will allow travelers from Japan to bypass the 14-day quarantine upon their arrival in Hawaii.
The department is currently in discussions with various Japanese medical institutions as it secures a list of trusted testing partners in Japan. Once the list is established and the pre-travel program is launched for Japan — travelers from that country will have the option to take the NAAT test from a trusted partner 72 hours prior to their departure for Hawaii. They would be required to show proof of a negative test result upon arrival in order to bypass the 14-day quarantine.
As soon as the trusted testing partners are confirmed, the information will be posted on the Hawaii COVID-19 information website at www.hawaiicovid19.com.
Japanese nationals traveling abroad are still subject to a 14-day quarantine upon their return to the country. Travel restrictions on U.S. travel into Japan still remain in place.
The state is set to begin its pre-travel testing program for U.S. mainland travelers Thursday.