On January 12, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that all air travelers coming to the U.S. must provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test before departure. According to the CDC announcement, this requirement will go into effect on January 26, 2021.
Air passengers are required to get a viral test (a test for current infection) within the 3 days before their flight to the U.S. departs, and provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (paper or electronic copy) to the airline or provide documentation of having recovered from COVID-19. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board. If a passenger does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery, or chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger.
This testing procedure is not the same required for all arrivals to the State of Hawaii (see Safe Travels Hawai'i Program), which requires proof of a negative test taken within 72 hours of arrival. The CDC test is required before boarding the plane. Without a negative test, the airline will not allow passengers to board. Students who are traveling to Hawaii from another state will only need to be mindful of the Hawaii quarantine and testing requirement. Students traveling from outside the U.S. should carefully consider both when they arrange their flights.