New York tourist arrested in Hawaii for violating local quarantine rule

The island state, with 638 Covid-19 cases, has been cracking down on those who refuse to comply with the 14-day mandated isolation * Coronavirus – latest US updates * Coronavirus – latest global updates * See all our coronavirus coverageAn adventurous but publicity-keen New Yorker is in hot water after heading to Hawaii and finding himself under arrest when he apparently failed to follow local quarantine rules.The 23-year-old man was apprehended in the state earlier this week after he posted beach pictures on Instagram when he was supposed to be isolating himself to prevent the spread of coronavirus.He was arrested for violating Hawaii’s mandatory 14-day quarantine rule and for “unsworn falsification to authority”, the Hawaii governor’s office said in a statement.As of Friday, Hawaii reported one new case of Covid-19, bringing the statewide total to 638 cases and 17 deaths.Some tourists have been arrested for defying the quarantine, amid a crackdown by the state authorities.Tarique Peters, 23, of the Bronx borough of New York City, arrived in Honolulu on Monday, according to a news release from the Hawaii Covid-19 Joint Information Center.“He allegedly left his hotel room the day he arrived and traveled many places using public transportation,” the release said. “Authorities became aware of his social media posts from citizens who saw posts of him – on the beach with a surfboard, sunbathing, and walking around Waikiki at night.”Agents from the state attorney general’s office arrested him Friday morning. Hotel staff told the agents they saw Peters leave his room and the hotel numerous times.Travelers in quarantine aren’t allowed to leave hotel rooms or residences for any reason except medical emergencies. Hotel guests don’t receive housekeeping services and must arrange for food to be delivered to them.Peters was booked, and his bail was set at $4,000. He couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.A photo on social media from two days before with the location “Honolulu – Waikiki Beach” showed him carrying a surfboard on a beach. A photo from 4 May showed him wearing a mask in New York.Lawmakers have been struggling with how to enhance enforcement of the quarantine as people continue to arrive in Hawaii. On Thursday, 252 visitors and 318 residents arrived, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.During the same time last year, nearly 30,000 passengers arrived in the tourism-dependent state daily.Hawaii attorney general Clare Connors said, “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.”The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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