Hawaii became the final state in the nation Saturday to remove its indoor masking requirement as the omicron surge recedes.
The state also suspended its Safe Travels program, allowing American travelers to enter without submitting proof of vaccination or the results of an approved coronavirus test for the first time since the pandemic began.
The rollbacks have been widely applauded within Hawaii’s recovering tourism industry — the state’s largest economic driver — especially since many visitors from the U.S. mainland have become accustomed to more lax masking requirements at home. “The news has been met with joyful anticipation by our guests and colleagues,” said Charles Head, the general manager of the Fairmont Orchid luxury resort on the Big Island.
However, some Hawaii residents object to the changes. “I was really hoping this would last longer in order for the government to take it seriously to diversify the economy,” Melissa Millwood, a resident of Mililani, a suburban area in central Oahu, said.
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