Kauai Sun

Mayor KAWAKAMI issued the following announcement on October 16.

Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami today announced that the County of Kaua‘i will be providing free post-arrival COVID-19 tests for Kaua‘i residents who travel out of state and

receive a quarantine exemption via the state’s Safe Travels pre-testing program.

“We know that pre-testing will not catch every case of COVID-19,” said Mayor Kawakami. The pre-test may happen too early in the course of infection to test positive, and a traveler may be exposed after the test or during their transit to the state.

“One of the safety issues we are most passionate about is creating a second, post- arrival test for incoming travelers, particularly those traveling from the mainland. Kaua‘i’s mandatory post-arrival test program was denied, so we are asking for your help to keep our community safe by participating in a voluntary post-arrival test program. We are offering FREE testing for returning residents who travel to the mainland and have received a quarantine exemption with a negative pre-arrival test through the State’s Safe Travels program.

“Our residents pose a greater risk of introducing COVID-19 into our community because of the ways we interact with our families, household members, co-workers, friends, and neighbors. Please do your part in protecting our kupuna and other residents at high risk of severe disease by staying home and away from others as long as you can after your return, and then coming in to get a FREE COVID-19 test 4-10 days after your return.”

The free post-arrival testing center for Kaua‘i residents returning from out-of-state travel launches on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall.

Testing will be available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Closed Sundays.

Eligibility: To qualify for a free COVID-19 test, a returning resident must have participated in the state’s pre-travel testing program. Additionally, they must provide paper or

electronic proof of an out-of-state boarding pass/trip confirmation along with a Hawaii ID. The resident must have been back on Kaua‘i for at least 72 hours prior to seeking testing at the free

Post-Travel Testing site. Post-arrival testing is not available for interisland travelers at this time.

For mainland residents visiting Kaua‘i , post-arrival testing is available through American Medical Response, for a fee, at a different location and times. For more information on mainland resident post-testing, please visit: www.kauai.gov/visitorposttest.

The post-arrival test offered by the County of Kaua‘i is a rapid point of care PCR test that looks for active infection. Participants will receive their results on the same day.

“While a second test adds an additional layer of protection, it will not succeed at capturing all cases of COVID-19,” said Mayor Kawakami. 

“Please remember that you can still develop disease up to 14 days after your return. It is very important that you take extra precautions during the two weeks following your return to Kaua‘i by limiting your contact with others, always wearing your mask, and maintaining physical distance (greater than 6 feet) from anyone outside of your immediate household. If you become sick at any time during the 14 days after your return, even if you’ve had a negative test, contact your health care provider.”

For more information on Kaua‘i’s COVID efforts, please visit www.kauai.gov/covid-19.

For information on the state’s Safe Travel program, visit www.hawaiicovidd19.com.

Original source can be found here.