Rogue tourists arrested as Hawaii tries to curb virus spread

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii authorities are cracking down on rogue tourists who are visiting beaches, riding personal watercraft, shopping and generally flouting strict requirements that they quarantine for 14 days after arriving. Since March 26, when Hawaii put the rules in place, about 5,000 visitors have arrived, compared to pre-pandemic times when about 30,000 came daily. More than 100 hotels have suspended operations and workers laid off from their jobs wait in long lines at food distribution sites. It makes those who ignore the rules especially offensive, said Honolulu City Councilmember Kym Pine, who wants travelers tracked via their cellphones or tested for the virus before boarding planes for Hawaii. “So they obviously could care less about that mom and dad who have no job and no food.” While in quarantine in a hotel room or residence, people aren’t allowed to leave for anything other than medical emergencies. When the honeymooning couple, Borice Lepovskiy, 20, and Yuliia Andreichenko, 26, of Citrus Heights, California, arrived at their hotel last week, a front desk manager read them the quarantine order, but they claimed airport staff told them it would be OK to visit friends and go to beaches. According to the state, they returned after midnight with a pizza, checked in and refused to sign a quarantine agreement. Officials have even considered having travelers wear an ankle bracelet during their quarantine period, or setting up a designatedsite where tourists would be required to stay at for the 14 days. Adam Schwarze, 36, who police said lives on Oahu and his travel companion, Desiree Marvin, 31, of Alexandria, Virginia, were ultimately arrested in the parking lot of a grocery store. Leif Anthony Johansen, 60, of Truckee, California, was supposed to be in quarantine but was spotted on a personal watercraft off Oahu’s famed North Shore. So to me, it’s just crazy for someone to still want to come here.” ___ AP journalist Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu and news researchers Randy Herschaft, Jennifer Farrar and Rhonda Shafner in New York City contributed to this report.

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