Can you enter Hawaii through LIH, then fly to HNL and then return from HNL back to SFO?
Or is there any requirement to go through HNL first?
Maybe faster processing of verifying negative tests through HNL than smaller airports on other islands?
You can enter Hawaii through LIH, OGG, HNL, ITO, KOA. That is, any of the airports that (at one time or another) serve domestic or international routes.