State launches new ‘Safe Travels’ online form

The online application was developed at a cost of $638,000, paid for by the Federal CARES Act

1
5648

The state government’s new Safe Travels online application form will be mandatory for all travelers to and within Hawaii on Sept. 1.

This new website, which collect required health and travel information, is critical to protecting the health of Hawaii residents and visitors alike.  Safe Travels is described as part of a multi-layered screening process which includes arrival temperature checks, and secondary screening for those with symptoms or temperatures of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

The application can be found at https://travel.hawaii.gov.

“I am pleased to launch this digital app which will allow our travelers to provide their required health and travel information before they arrive at the airport,” said Gov. David Ige.  “It will also help us keep in contact with those who are required to be in quarantine. This is an important step in preparing to reopen our economy.”

Safe Travels digitizes and simplifies the current paper-based process, which involves two different types of forms: one for interisland travel and another for trans-Pacific travel.

The website will provide the State Department of Health (DOH) access to the mandatory health information that passengers need to provide to monitor and protect public health in real-time.  It can also be used by the Dept. of the Attorney General and county law enforcement officials to enforce quarantine rules.

Travelers are encouraged to enter their information and trip details well in advance of their flight, or at least 24 hours before departure. Once their health information is entered, travelers receive a QR code via email. The QR code on their mobile device or printed on paper will be scanned by the airport screener upon arrival.

“Compared to paper processing, this online app will save travelers time at the airport and will speed up distribution of information to state and county officials who need it to keep us all safe,” said Douglas Murdock, state chief information officer.

The website was developed in partnership with Google and SpringML at a cost of $638,000 for the initial implementation. A related platform to collect, aggregate, display, and analyze data is provided by ESRI. Funding for this project is provided by the Federal CARES Act.

Key features of the web form include:

  • The ability to login using Email, Google or Facebook logins.
  • A highly secured platform built on Google cloud.
  • The verification of passenger contact information before arrival to speed up their processing at the airport.
  • Collection of health and contact information needed for arrival screening and public health monitoring.
  • Creation of a QR code which airport screeners scan to review the traveler’s information for clearance or secondary screening.
  • Automated generation of quarantine check-in reminders as emails and text messages.

The state says new features will be added in future phases, as the Safe Travels process and state travel requirements evolve.  Travelers without smart phones or computers can ask a friend or relative for assistance or receive assistance at the arrival airport.  Travelers without email addresses will need to create one on an email service to comply with the conditions of quarantine.

This project is being spearheaded by the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, in collaboration with the State Department of Transportation, DOH, Dept. of the Attorney General, Hawaii Tourism Authority and the counties.

1 COMMENT

Leave a Reply