Experts eye more travel testing to contain COVID in Hawaii

Over 250 individuals received COVID testing Aug. 14 at the Kona International Market. (Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

Right: Premier Medical personnel perform COVID-19 Rapid Tests on trans-Pacific passengers on the first day of trans-Pacific travel resuming in October 2020 at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. (Photos by Laura Ruminski/West Hawaii Today)

Above: Passengers arrive at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in June.

HONOLULU — Hawaii officials are facing pressure to increase COVID-19 testing for travelers as the islands deal with a record surge of new infections, hospitalization and deaths. The calls come as federal guidelines change to require negative virus tests from both vaccinated and unvaccinated people coming to the U.S.