COVID restrictions for Oahu to be lifted next month

Safe Access Oahu, a COVID-19 health and safety program on Hawaii’s most populous island, will be lifted March 6, ending several restrictions and proof-of-vaccination policies that have been in place through most of the pandemic.

Under the Safe Access Oahu program, customers of restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theaters and arcades were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test before entering those businesses, with the establishments required by law to check and enforce paperwork.

But according to the Hawaii Department of Health, COVID-19 cases have dropped by 64 percent between Feb. 5-18. More than 75 percent of Hawaii’s residents have been vaccinated.

Tourists don’t have to be vaccinated to visit the state, but proof of vaccination will allow them to skip quarantine requirements and testing. Those who show a negative test taken no more than 72 hours before departure can also forego Hawaii’s mandatory five-day quarantine.

Safe Access Oahu is only applicable on that island with other restrictions in place on the other Hawaiian islands.

Las Vegas is home to one of the largest populations of native Hawaiians outside of Hawaii with an estimated 50,000 residents in 2018. It is often referred to as Hawaii’s ninth island.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.