Hold the luau: Hawaii gets tough on tourists
Monday’s “Wanted” post on the Maui Police Department Facebook page included all the information one would expect: a photo, physical description, phone number to call with information. The woman’s alleged offence? Failure to quarantine.
According to police, the 31-year-old arrived on Maui Friday, acknowledged the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine and said she would be at a hostel. Later, authorities learned she had cancelled her reservation; when efforts to reach her failed, police took their search public.
The visitor dragnet is the latest example of how seriously Hawaii is treating the virus threat posed by outsiders.
The two-week quarantine rule means no leaving the hotel room for any reason but medical care. No pool, spa or restaurant. No beach or shopping. Just room service and the same view for two weeks.
“It’s like putting a kid in a candy store and not letting them buy anything,” says Jerry Agrusa, an associate professor in the School of Travel Industry Management at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. “You can just look.”
Arriving passengers have to sign an order to confirm they know about the quarantine and understand that violating it is a criminal offence with a potential US$5,000 fine and a year in prison. They must also undergo a health screening and submit a form listing the place they’re staying — authorities will check — and contact information.
More than 90 per cent of hotels are issuing room keys that can be used just once, according to the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association. CEO Mufi Hannemann urged members in a message on the website not to give guests any extra chances if they break the quarantine.
“There have been rumours circulating that hotels are not abiding by the single-use key agreement and giving a ‘free pass’ to guests,” he wrote. “However, should you encounter a guest who has been locked out of their room due to the single-use key, or identify a guest that is not complying with the self-quarantine order, we ask that you immediately contact local law enforcement to report them.”
Some tourists have been caught because they posted their activities on social media. A tourist who posted photos of himself on Instagram with a surfboard, walking around Waikiki and sunbathing, was arrested Friday.
Another man was arrested Saturday as he prepared to leave Hawaii after allegedly posting images of himself at the beach, a garden and other locations, as well as blogging from a bus.
“We again implore visitors to delay their trips until this pandemic passes,” state Attorney General Clare Connors said. “Being arrested, and potentially paying thousands of dollars in fines or spending a night in jail, is not the way to begin or end a vacation.”