Hawaii authorities arresting tourists who don’t self-quarantine

Authorities in Hawaii are arresting tourists for violating social distancing guidelines as the state has issued some of the strictest measures during the coronavirus outbreak.

A honeymooning couple was arrested for leaving their hotel room in Waikiki after repeated warnings from staff, The Associated Press reported.

Other people were reportedly arrested for being outside at hotel pools, while authorities have also detained people for going to grocery stores or ordering takeout food, the report added.

Gov. David Ige (D) announced last month that any resident or visitors would be subjected to fines up to $5,000 and a year in prison if they do not quarantine for 14 days after traveling between any of the state’s islands.

The newlyweds who were arrested reportedly refused to sign a quarantine agreement offered by the hotel, according to the state, the AP said.

Hawaii has reported 626 coronavirus cases and 17 deaths as of Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Mufi Hannemann, CEO of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, told AP she was surprised to hear that tourists still want to travel to the state amid the pandemic.

“There’s a lot of attractions that are closed. Everyone is walking around with masks. You know, we’re just not going to demonstrate that spirit of aloha that you’ve heard so much about,” she said. “So to me, it’s just crazy for someone to still want to come here.”