Traveling has become a huge burden due to Covid-19 regulations and has, more specifically, made traveling to Hawaii extremely difficult. While I understand wanting to be safe, I do not understand how flawed and complicated the state of Hawaii has allowed the regulations to become. If not vaccinated, you are supposed to test for Covid-19 within 72 hours, or three days, of your flight. When you get tested for Coronavirus using a PCR test, the test results should come back within 2-3 days. This may seem simple enough, but one thing Hawaii does not account for is the test coming later than it should due to labs being backed up. They have “Trusted Lab Partners” that you have to test with and those labs are supposed to have those test results back to you within the 72 hour timeframe. Lab backup is something us travelers have no control over and can do nothing about; it’s not as if we can test earlier to avoid our tests coming back late because Hawaii will no longer consider the test valid if taken over three days prior to your flight.

THE TRIP

I was invited by my friend’s family to join them in Hawaii. I was supposed to fly out to the island of Maui on February 10th, which happened to be just a couple of days after I turned 18, and I couldn’t be more excited. My good friend Jamie and I got tested the Tuesday prior to our flight. Upon completing the test, I was told I would likely receive the results in 2-3 days since the labs were really backed up. Hearing that made us nervous, but what could we do except remain hopeful?

Fast forward to a night before our flight and neither of us had our results. We decided if we had not received our results by the time of our flight, we would have to spend $199 to get tested at the airport and book a later flight to Maui. We woke up the next morning to see our results came in and we were so relieved! Just as we relaxed, we opened our results to see that they were inconclusive. Both of them! We both thought this to be odd, as we have both taken this type of test many times before and knew how to swirl that swab around. We couldn’t help but feel as if the lab had made some sort of mistake.

Jamie and I were both annoyed at having to test at the airport, but we had no choice. We had to figure out how to catch a later flight and spend a lot of extra money to take an accepted PCR-Rapid test. Despite our frustrations, we tried our best to remain optimistic that all would be well and we would be landing in Hawaii at the end of the day. After taking our tests and waiting an hour and a half for our results, we discovered that Jamie tested negative, while I tested positive.

COVID POSITIVE

Here’s the thing: I was no longer sick with Covid-19. I had been exposed at school and was sick with Covid three weeks prior to my trip. After having Coronavirus, you can test positive for up to three months, even if you are no longer sick and are without symptoms. Hawaii grants exemptions due to this fact, but it is only if you comply with their strict protocols. Many don’t even realize they even offer a waiver under recovery, but it feels like they only grant it if they want to and on their own time. In fact, while the rest of the world has reduced their Covid restrictions, mid-January, Hawaii made there’s a bit more restrictive by adding a day to their Recovery Exemption. Most of the world has reduced their isolation time to 5-7 days. Even Hawaii has changed their quarantine from 10 days to five. However, instead of your positive test being dated 10 days prior to submission (which it has been since they started the Recovery Exemption Program about two years ago), your positive test must now be dated at least 11 days prior to submission and it must be a NAAT, PCR or RNA test and processed by a CLIA certified lab or CLIP lab. Why would they not accept an Antigen Test if from a lab?

I was diagnosed with suspected Covid because I had direct exposure in mid-January. A few days later, I had symptoms. We even submitted the note as proof along with my Dr.’s note stating I had recovered. Not thinking I needed a waiver (not thinking about Hawaii at all at that moment) to enter Hawaii in three weeks, not feeling well, and thinking I was doing the right thing by staying isolated and not getting others sick, I didn’t get tested for confirmation until almost two weeks later when I was feeling well enough to leave the house and most of my symptoms had subsided. Although I had Covid three weeks prior, had been symptom free for almost a week and went back to school, Hawaii did not care. I was denied a waiver, as my positive test was dated only eight days from my arrival. Due to my testing positive and being without options, I decided to go home.

Safe Travels Felt Anything But Safe

After some discussion, Jamie decided to go. She had only flown on an airplane twice in her life and was nervous to fly by herself. Did I mention Jamie is still a minor? Prior to boarding the plane, Hawaii wants you to create a Safe Travels account and upload your Covid test into the app. Jamie was unable to create an account because she was now flying by herself and underage. She was advised by the airline to show her Covid test once she landed in Maui. We also looked at www.mauicounty.gov and saw where it clearly states: “The negative test result must be uploaded onto Safe Travels OR printed out prior to departure and hard copy in hand when arriving in Hawaii.”

Upon her arrival to Maui, she was without a wristband. This indicates the traveler has not been pre-cleared. You can be pre-cleared prior to leaving the mainland using the Safe Travels App and you can be cleared on the other side once you arrive in Hawaii using the Safe Travels App OR, as the county website suggests, with your hard copy negative test result in hand. Jamie was greeted by two women who assisted her with her situation. At first, they could not find her name with her group of travelers, in which Jamie then had to explain the rest of her party had left on an earlier flight while she stayed at the airport to complete her 90 minute Covid-19 test at the airport. “Oh, you had an airport test?”, one of the lady’s asked, to which Jamie replied that she did. The ladies then handed Jamie her clearance slip to show the attendant as she exited the airport. The one great thing about airport tests is that they immediately notifiy the airline if the tests are positive. They cleared Jamie and sent her on her way.

The Westin Maui Resort and Spa, Ka’anapali

Jamie arrived at The Westin Maui Resort and Spa, Ka’anapali, the hotel where they were staying, and went to check in as instructed. Here’s where it gets incredible: The adult, Jessica, tried to check Jamie in and is quickly told Jamie has to be in quarantine for 5 days. Dumbfounded, Jessica asks why, as Jamie has a negative Covid-19 test on hand and was cleared by the airport. The hotel management explains how she does not have a “green check mark” that all approved travelers receive before they leave the airport in the Safe Travels App. Jamie is confused, due to the fact that at no point did anybody at the airport say anything to her about a “green check mark”. Trying to remain calm, Jessica tries to show the hotel proof of her negative test, while explaining she’s undearage and is unable to create an account, but they absolutely would not listen or accept it. They called two security guards to have Jamie escorted to her room to remain by herself for the next five days.. Might I add, she took one of the two rooms Jessica purchased, which forced Jessica and her husband to move into a room with their daughter and her friend.

It’s just unreal to think that, Jamie, a minor child, was asked to quarantine for the duration of her vacation, despite the fact that she had a negative Covid-19 test and was cleared by the team provided by the State Of Hawaii at the Maui Airport, yet the hotel would not accept her proof of a negative test or even listen to her for better understanding. Instead, they took it upon themselves to call security and have them escort Jamie to her room to isolate. When asked about an extra room so she could quarantine, the hotel said they would give them an additional room for her to quarantine in only if they paid for another room. Keep in mind, the current charge is a ridiculous $1,049 a night.

The Westin Maui Resort and Spa appears completely remodeled upon first look, but when you get there, you realize not every tower and room has had a makeover. Although higher than the room Jamie would’ve isolated in and with a better view, this is all she would’ve seen for five days. Notice, the room is bland and minimal. They never explained how to unlock the balcony door. She thought it was completely sealed. The threat of calling the police and the state was instilled in her if she stepped foot outside the door yet when asked, management claimed not to have a phone number to contact the state. Talk about scared.

Jamie was freaking out. She had dealt with her initial Covid-19 test flop, the number of issues at the airport, and now being told she had to quarantine for the entirety of the trip. At this point, I’m thinking I made the right decision to stay home. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to come home and join me. The hotel was not accepting her proof of testing negative, they weren’t listening nor following the guidelines set in place by the State Of Hawaii for visitors to be placed in quarantine. She was being punished and discriminated against for her age. The security escort was completely unnerving and unnecessary. They would’ve been in compliance if they had been asked respectfully. At no time did Christine, the manager, ask my friend if she felt safe in the room by herself, if she knew how to open the doors in the room or if she was aware there was an inside lock on the balcony door (which she wasn’t and thought it was sealed shut) or if she was hungry (which she was after a 5 1/2 hr. flight and 45 min. drive). Instead, they scared her and made her feel like she had committed a crime.

After what seemed like hours of Jessica and my aunt going back and forth with security, the management at The Westin and the great staff at the airport, the hotel cracked and deemed it acceptable for Jamie to send her results over to the airport, where they could then officially approve her to leave quarantine. Thankfully, she was released from quarantine later that night.

Be Kind

From this experience, it’s become apparent to me that the management at The Westin Maui Resort and Spa were rude and rigid, as well as Hawaii’s unfair Covid-19 policies being brought to light. We should all take a moment to rethink how we treat each other. We all feel as though the front desk and management at The Westin Maui & Resort usurped their power by taking it upon themselves to decide Jamie should be placed in quarantine. The protocol is for those in quarantine to sign quarantine orders acknowledging the rules at the airport. The airport then calls the hotel to confirm the visitor’s reservation. At that time, they would notify the hotel the visitor is to be placed in quarantine upon arrival. None of that happened in this case. The hotel took it upon themselves to place her in quarantine and when questioned, they wanted to place the blame elsewhere. Security placed blame on the front desk and management (“We just do what they tell us”. Yikes. That’s scary. That may work in the military, but as civilians, they make choices every day. Taking kids to sit alone in rooms for five days without a clear understanding of how to open the exits should, at the very least, be part of the orientation) while management placed blame on the State Of Hawaii. No, we may have jumped the gun or how about she goes there for a bit while we help get this figured out. Literally, no accountability. We found the hotel extremely dismissive, placing all of the work to fix the situation on us while they claimed to have no contact number for the airport or the state. They didn’t care about verification. They had made their final decision and they were done. It seems like it’s really time for Hawaii to reevaluate how much power they give their own citizens along with taking a good look at how they handle visiting Americans. They appear to get away with making up their own set of rules. I understand they’re islands and the need to protect those that live there, but some of their actions just don’t seem to make sense. Either way, seems we can still protect each other with a little kindness, dignity and respect.

If you have an experience you’d like to share, I know I’d sure like to hear it. Drop us a line or leave us a comment. Hopefully, our experience will help others have a great one!