$160 a person for corona virus testing for incoming Hawaii visitors

[tgropp]

I must be the odd man out but I think that this is wonderful news. Hawaii is on the ball ! I have a 15 day trip planned next Feb for my wife, myself, son and wife, daughter and husband and three grandchildren. I will feel much more safer this way. With my line of work, I presently get tested every two weeks. It’s annoying but if it means a safer two weeks in Hawaii, I am all for it. JMHO though.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Me too. We are not going until October and I have no reservations about taking a test before traveling. Hope things are running smoothly by then. Second wave worries actually have me wishing we were going sooner.

 

[robinb]

I also think this is a good idea. I don't know how the TV station came up with the cost, but Covid testing is free where I live. Now, it's the slower testing so I'm not sure how that would work. My guess is that I would probably have to find rapid testing instead which is available but may cost more. But, let's face it, a Hawaiian vacation is very expensive to begin with.

 

[Lilsia]

I think that most people would be OK with it if 1) it was not so expensive 2) there were no false positives. How would those of you, who are all for this, feel if one of your party received a false positive result and had to cancel your trip last minute and loose money? I imagine you would be very angry. Not only to have to cancel your trip, the worry about being sick would be horrible.

 

[PetePanMan]

I don’t have a big problem with this either but wonder how this would work practically if someone in your party tests positive. It is so last minute. Do you cancel? Can you still get refund for accommodation etc.etc.

 

[iloveeeyore]

I must be the odd man out but I think that this is wonderful news. Hawaii is on the ball ! I have a 15 day trip planned next Feb for my wife, myself, son and wife, daughter and husband and three grandchildren. I will feel much more safer this way. With my line of work, I presently get tested every two weeks. It’s annoying but if it means a safer two weeks in Hawaii, I am all for it. JMHO though.

I agree 100%! Not thrilled about the cost, but we want to travel safely! Of course the test isn't foolproof, but it adds another layer of caution.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

I think that most people would be OK with it if 1) it was not so expensive 2) there were no false positives. How would those of you, who are all for this, feel if one of your party received a false positive result and had to cancel your trip last minute and loose money? I imagine you would be very angry. Not only to have to cancel your trip, the worry about being sick would be horrible.

I've quoted you're post but this isn't entirely directed to you...

I think my first response would be to say that if you test positive you shouldn't be traveling at all..... you shouldn't be on a plane, cab, airport, etc... where you can infect innocent people if there is even the slightest chance of a positive. you should be self-quarantining. Get the next test for sure, make sure....... but I'm gonna say if I'm having a party and someone comes to the door and says "Yeah, I have a positive Ebola test, but I don't believe it..." are you going to let them in?

Refunds, rescheduling, etc... are the domain of the travel companies but bringing COVID to an island isn't part of what you paid for.

If you test positive (even if it's a false one.... you shouldn't be in a cab, in a plane, in hotel, on an island where you inflict massive harm.....) until you can prove that it's a true negative.

 

[Lilsia]

I've quoted you're post but this isn't entirely directed to you...

I think my first response would be to say that if you test positive you shouldn't be traveling at all..... you shouldn't be on a plane, cab, airport, etc... where you can infect innocent people if there is even the slightest chance of a positive. you should be self-quarantining. Get the next test for sure, make sure....... but I'm gonna say if I'm having a party and someone comes to the door and says "Yeah, I have a positive Ebola test, but I don't believe it..." are you going to let them in?

Refunds, rescheduling, etc... are the domain of the travel companies but bringing COVID to an island isn't part of what you paid for.

If you test positive (even if it's a false one.... you shouldn't be in a cab, in a plane, in hotel, on an island where you inflict massive harm.....) until you can prove that it's a true negative.

And I doubt that you will find anyone that will disagree with you that if someone is sick, that they should go anywhere. We are talking about false positives. If you get tested 3 days before, test positive, freak out because you think you are sick and contagious, cancel your plans for your family and then find out that you are actually NOT sick. You would be extremely angry, as you should be.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

And I doubt that you will find anyone that will disagree with you that if someone is sick, that they should go anywhere. We are talking about false positives. If you get tested 3 days before, test positive, freak out because you think you are sick and contagious, cancel your plans for your family and then find out that you are actually NOT sick. You would be extremely angry, as you should be.

Please explain how you differentiate between a false positive and a real positive at 3 days before travel , since you need this before 72 hours before traveling. (Also most spread isn't from "visually sick person" to innocent person its from "asymptomatic" person to innocent person.) I'm sort of appalled at how myopic people are viewing this thing. I get there's a certain amount of denial but you have to see that asymptomatic spread is happening in Florida, Arizona, etc..... I'm guessing Hawaii actually care about their residents.

To me if I got a positive result I'd be way more interested in protecting those around me rather than obsessing about how I've been wronged because an island state doesn't want me to bring a disease onto their shores.....

 

[Lilsia]

Please explain how you differentiate between a false positive and a real positive at 3 days before travel , since you need this before 72 hours before traveling. (Also most spread isn't from "visually sick person" to innocent person its from "asymptomatic" person to innocent person.) I'm sort of appalled at how myopic people are viewing this thing. I get there's a certain amount of denial but you have to see that asymptomatic spread is happening in Florida, Arizona, etc..... I'm guessing Hawaii actually care about their residents.

To me if I got a positive result I'd be way more interested in protecting those around me rather than obsessing about how I've been wronged because an island state doesn't want me to bring a disease onto their shores.....

People that test positive and have no symptoms get subsequent tests after. There have been a number of people who tested positive and then the next 2 tests they take come back negative and are deemed to have a false positive test the first time. These quick tests are not very reliable, this is known.

 

[Gothemi]

I know of a few people who have reported false positives, but those are generally with the "quick tests" not the PCR tests. PCR testing, the most common for active suspected COVID patients, is actually fairly accurate. It just depends on when the person was exposed and if the virus has developed enough to be collected and tested via the swab.

It sounds like Hawaii is going to require a PCR test result, within 72 hours of arrival, from a CLIA certified lab. This is the same standard most healthcare organizations are operating within right now. So some pop up testing centers, or for-profit labs, might not be appropriate, but also probably aren't conducting the proper test Hawaii is asking for.

We go in the fall and we will be opting to take the test if needed. At least with 72 hours to get a test done, you might have enough time to get a follow up confirmatory test should you receive what you believe to be a false positive. The hard part for my area is getting a test done, and results back, within 72 hours.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

People that test positive and have no symptoms get subsequent tests after. There have been a number of people who tested positive and then the next 2 tests they take come back negative and are deemed to have a false positive test the first time. These quick tests are not very reliable, this is known.

I'm guessing if your later test shows negative... then you're not testing positive. There's also false negatives...

Thanks to Gothemi to bringing some sanity to this...

 

[Ajg78]

I understand the reason for requiring the testing. But it's a high cost and invasive enough that our family is going to opt out of travel to Hawaii for a couple of years until you no longer need a long Q-tip shoved all the way up to your brain just to go on a beach vacation. I think we're going to explore Florida instead or maybe we'll also do a few nights in the San Diego area. There's a pretty nice hotel in La Jolla that's right on the beach!

Agreed, it seems like they want to say “we are open” to appease the locals but don’t really want people there.

 

[sethschroeder]

The alternative... don't go to Hawaii!!! Thankfully, we all have choices.

Great3

I am all for stopping the spread but this is pointless. Yes it will catch some but you have 72 hours plus an airport trip to get sick.

This is like going to the ER and then doing a home improvement project after you get back home.

 

[nightwing12]

wow. here in ontario we can go get tested for free and we get the results in less than 2 days.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

wow. here in ontario we can go get tested for free and we get the results in less than 2 days.

Same thing here in Alberta - free tests for all and they are encouraging everyone, symptomatic or not, to get tested in order to establish a baseline for community spread. 1.1% positive rate in the province per today’s numbers - 69 new cases today in a province of 4 million.

 

[Great3]

I am all for stopping the spread but this is pointless. Yes it will catch some but you have 72 hours plus an airport trip to get sick.

This is like going to the ER and then doing a home improvement project after you get back home.

Agreed 100%... All it takes is one false negative to wreck havoc on the beautiful islands! It will be more fare more dangerous for Hawaii's residents because that person thinks are they are safe, therefore moving about everywhere, and unknowing spreading COVID-19.

Great3

 

[Tiggerette]

I notice an assumption that a positive test equals positive infectious virus. This is one of the more meaningful scientific aspects that need to be elucidated through quality, peer reviewed research. There is a difference between shedding virus that are no longer infectious, and shedding infectious virus capable of replicating in another person. Until the tests can get to this level of sensitivity, it's possible that a person could test positive for covid for an extended period of time after they're no longer infectious to others.

I also agree that more research is needed to understand possibility of re-infection and the "immunity theory" that previously having covid "prevents" a person from reacquiring it.

I'm not advocating for or against Hawaii's process treatment of visitors, but I did want to make sure we're aware of the assumptions present in the conversation. Mahalo!

 

[yowcruiser]

wow. here in ontario we can go get tested for free and we get the results in less than 2 days.

Same thing here in Alberta - free tests for all and they are encouraging everyone, symptomatic or not, to get tested in order to establish a baseline for community spread. 1.1% positive rate in the province per today’s numbers - 69 new cases today in a province of 4 million.

Discussed in another thread in this forum, they haven't said whether the Canadian (or any non-US) tests will be recognized (but yes, they are of the PCR type in Canada) and if the whole process will apply.

 

[Lilsia]

I'm guessing if your later test shows negative... then you're not testing positive. There's also false negatives...

Thanks to Gothemi to bringing some sanity to this...

Of course there are false negative, I did say that. And that is another issue why testing 3 days before will be an issue. And as other's have posted, not everyone can get their tests back in under 72 hours. I don't know what you mean by this "I'm guessing if your later test shows negative... then you're not testing positive". It is very much a possibility to have your first test positive and subsequent ones negative. If a person tests positive, they will have to cancel their trip because there is a good chance that they will not be able to get a second test done in that time frame. There will be plenty of last minute cancellations because of the testing. I'm sorry if you refuse to see that possibility and think that it will work 100% how they want it to. Are you willing to plan a trip to Hawaii for your whole family and then take the risk that you will have to cancel hours before you are flying out because your test did not come back?