- A 23-year-old tourist from New York City was arrested in
Hawaii for violating the state's mandatory self-quarantine, authorities said. - Agents were alerted to Tarique Peters violating the isolation order for all incoming travelers by locals and found pictures of him around Waikiki on his Instagram page before he was arrested, according to a press release.
- The Hawaii Department of Transportation announced in late April that all incoming travelers must sign a legal document that acknowledges they understand violating the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine is a criminal offense that is subject to a $5,000 fine and/or a year imprisonment.
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A New York City man was arrested in Hawaii for violating the state's mandatory quarantine and documenting the breach on Instagram, authorities said.
Tarique Peters, a 23-year-old from the Bronx, arrived in O'ahu on May 11, according to the statement. While on the island, he left his hotel room and traveled on public transportation to tan, hit the beach with a surfboard, and explore Waikiki at night, authorities said in a statement released by the governor's office.
Agents confirmed Peters' moves with employees at his hotel in addition to finding pictures of his activities on his Instagram page before he was arrested, according to the statement.
Hawaii Attorney General Clare Connors said in a statement that officials were grateful to local people who spotted and flagged Peters' "flagrant" behavior in violation against the lockdown, which is aimed at curbing the spread of the novel
"We appreciate the assistance of local people who spot flagrant violations of our emergency rules on various social media sites and report them to the appropriate authorities," Connors said in a press release.
The charges against Peters were pending as of May 16 and his bail was set at $4,000, authorities said.
As of May 16, Peters' Instagram account had 511 followers and a bio that said he is a "frequent flyer." Alongside other travel photos and pictures of Peters around New York City, his five most recent photos appear to have been posted from his time in Waikiki and have been flooded with critical comments slamming him for brushing off quarantine orders.
Hawaii currently has 638 reported cases of the novel coronavirus.
Officials announced a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine order for incoming travelers on March 26. The Hawaii Department of Transportation announced in late April that all incoming passengers would have their temperature taken and signing a legal document that acknowledges they understand violating self-quarantine is a criminal offense that is "subject to a $5,000 fine and/or a year imprisonment."
and the vacation destination has since seen a sharp decrease in arrivals.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that of the "about 858 passengers" that arrived in Hawaii on May 14, 318 were returning residents and 252 were visitors.
A report from the Hawaii Tourism Authority said that "while most visitors said they were arriving for business or to see family or friends, 12 of them said they came just for a vacation," the outlet reported. This number pales in comparison to this time last year, when "nearly 30,000 passengers — visitors and residents — arrived in Hawaii daily."
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