Man Arrested For Violating Quarantine In Hawaii After Posting Photos To Instagram

By John Vibes

A man from New York was arrested in Hawaii last week for violating the state’s mandatory two-week quarantine that tourists were expected to comply with. 23-year-old Tarique Peters was caught after posting photos to Instagram which showed him outside of his hotel room before he was allowed to leave.
A press release issued by the office of Hawaii’s governor said that Peters left his hotel room the same day he arrived “and traveled many places using public transportation.”

“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. This morning agents were able to confirm with hotel personnel that had seen Peters leave his room and the premises on numerous occasions this week,” the press release said.

Hawaii Attorney General Clare Connor encouraged local citizens to report anyone that they saw violating curfew.
 
New York has been one of the main epicenters for the virus in the United States, and people across the country have been especially wary of visitors from that state in particular. However, Hawaii, which is typically one of the top tourist destinations in the country, has been rather strict when compared with many mainland states. In fact, Peters is not the first person to be arrested in Hawaii for breaking curfew. According to CBS Sacramento, a couple for California was recently arrested in Hawaii under the same charges.

Tourists entering the Hawaiian islands are now required to sign an agreement to self-quarantine for 14 days, and are forced to hand over their private information to authorities, including their contact and lodging information.

According to the state’s department of transportation, “By signing the legal document, they acknowledge they understand violating the order is a criminal offense and they are subject to a $5,000 fine and/or a year imprisonment.”

Source: Truth Theory

Image Credit: Lotti Andersson

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