'Once the process is identified and operationalized, the state will expand the programs to include trans-Pacific/continental United States and Alaska travelers,' Hara said. Major General Ken Hara, director, for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said the state is working on a way to do that for those not vaccinated in Hawaii. Travelers will be able to upload a copy of their vaccination card to the Safe Travels website starting May 7. The state is able to validate those records for Hawaii vaccinated travelers through its database of vaccines administered. 'And, I think most importantly, learn about what kinds of bottlenecks and delays it may inject into our screening process for inter-island travel,' Ige said to reporters during a press conference announcing the logistics of the new program. Ige said starting with Hawaii vaccinated travelers would allow the state to troubleshoot the program before implementing it more broadly. Fully vaccinated means that travelers are traveling at least 15 days past the final dose of their shot series. Ige announced this month that the state would start developing a program to allow fully vaccinated travelers to skip pre-travel tests. More COVID testing: Visitors to Maui will soon need not one, but two, COVID tests to bypass quarantine Hawaii pilots program with those vaccinated in Aloha State Since October, travelers have been able to skip that quarantine if they could show proof of a negative COVID-19 test from one of Hawaii's trusted testing partners taken no more than 72 hours before the final leg of departure and uploaded to the state's Safe Travels website prior to departure. The state of Hawaii has a mandatory 10-day quarantine requirement for those arriving on an island and those traveling between islands. However, initially the exemption will apply only to travelers who were vaccinated in Hawaii and are traveling between islands. Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced the state would launch its program allowing fully vaccinated travelers to bypass its quarantine requirement for travel starting May 11.

If you've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are planning trans-Pacific travel to Hawaii, it may be summer before you're exempt from pre-travel COVID-19 testing to skip the state's 10-day quarantine requirement. Watch Video: Sheltered from virus, Kauai plans return to tourism

Hawaii vaccine passport news