Translating…
Police in Hawaii are cracking down on rogue vacationers who are visiting seashores, riding interior most watercraft, and on the full flouting strict requirements that they quarantine for 14 days after arriving
By
JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press
Could perhaps 7, 2020, 2: 16 PM
5 min learn
HONOLULU — Hawaii authorities are cracking down on rogue vacationers who are visiting seashores, riding interior most watercraft, buying and on the full flouting strict requirements that they quarantine for 14 days after arriving.
A newlywed California couple left their Waikiki resort room over and over, despite being warned by resort workers, and be pleased been arrested. Others be pleased been arrested at a resort pool, loading groceries right into a automobile outdoors a Costco and bringing take-out food serve to a resort room.
The principles, the strictest in any U.S. order, be pleased helped support infections barely low. As of Wednesday,Hawaiireported 626coronaviruscases and 17 deaths.
Yet the shutdown has devastated the islands’ economy, which is hugely relying on tourism. Since March 26, whenHawaiibuild the foundations in problem, about 5,000 guests be pleased arrived, in contrast to pre-pandemic cases when about 30,000 came each day.
That’s left the order reeling — unemployment is estimated to be in the vary of 25% to 35%. Tourism industry officers disclose the resort occupancy price changed into down about 34% in contrast to March last 365 days. More than 100 inns be pleased suspended operations and workers laid off from their jobs wait in prolonged traces at food distribution web sites.
It makes other folks who ignore the foundations particularly offensive, stated Honolulu City Councilmember Kym Pine, who wants travelers tracked thru their cellphones or examined for the virus earlier than boarding planes forHawaii.
“The people who are coming don’t care about us. They’re coming to Hawaii on a budget and they also clearly may perhaps perchance well care much less whether or not they bag the virus or not,” she stated. “So they clearly may perhaps perchance well care much less about that mother and pa who be pleased no job and no food.”
Whereas in quarantine in a resort room or problem, other folks aren’t allowed to switch away for anything rather than medical emergencies. That formulation no grocery buying, no strolls on the seaside, no resort housekeeping products and companies.
When the honeymooning couple, Borice Lepovskiy, 20, and Yuliia Andreichenko, 26, of Citrus Heights, California, arrived at their resort last week, a entrance desk manager learn them the quarantine represent, nonetheless they claimed airport workers advised them it’d be OK to talk to chums and lunge to seashores. They left the resort.
In line with the order, they returned after hour of darkness with a pizza, checked in and refused to signal a quarantine settlement.
Within the morning, they left their room and be pleased been arrested after they returned.
They’re amongst as a minimal 20 other folks arrested statewide on prices of violating the quarantine, and deal of others be pleased obtained warnings or citations. Anyone convicted of violating the emergency rule faces a supreme of up to $5,000, a 365 days in penitentiary, or both. Officials be pleased even belief about having travelers build on an ankle bracelet for the length of their quarantine period, or environment up a chosen living where vacationers would be required to defend at for the 14 days.
When travelers near, officers verify their accommodation arrangements by contacting inns at the moment and giving them a heads up that a visitor has arrived, the order stated. Call middle workers from the Hawaii Guests and Convention Bureau and the Hawaii Tourism Authority observe-up a ramification of time to verify travelers are in quarantine. When name middle workers can’t contact someone, they alert law enforcement.
Final month, a pair arrived on Kauai and be pleased been advised to switch on to their resort. Kauai police stopped them after they be pleased been viewed going in the improper attain of their resort.
Adam Schwarze, 36, who police stated lives on Oahu and his stir companion, Desiree Marvin, 31, of Alexandria, Virginia, be pleased been in the slay arrested in the auto car parking zone of a grocery store.
Leif Anthony Johansen, 60, of Truckee, California, changed into presupposed to be in quarantine nonetheless changed into seen on a non-public watercraft off Oahu’s infamous North Shore. He changed into later adopted to a Costco, where brokers from the order legal knowledgeable popular’s place of work arrested him as he changed into loading groceries into his automobile.
Johansen, Lepovskiy and Andreichenko may perhaps perchance well now sooner or later be reached for say. Schwarze and Marvin declined to say.
“I am, rather frankly, rather vastly surprised that people would peaceable must near serve attributable to here’s not the Hawaii that you just’ve dreamed about, that you just prefer to abilities,” stated Mufi Hannemann, president and CEO the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Affiliation. “There’s a ramification of sights which would be closed. Every person seems to be strolling around with masks. , we’re perfect not going to expose that spirit of aloha that you just’ve heard so great about. … As a intention to me, it’s perfect crazy for somebody to peaceable must near serve here.”
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AP journalist Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu and news researchers Randy Herschaft, Jennifer Farrar and Rhonda Shafner in Fresh York City contributed to this story.