Tourist in Hawaii Arrested After Posting Selfies

NYC's Tarique Peters didn't quarantine himself for 14 days when he got to Oahu, as required
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted May 16, 2020 6:30 AM CDT
Tourist in Hawaii Arrested After Posting Selfies
Stock photo of Waikiki.   (Getty Images/7maru)

As the Daily Beast puts it, "Hawaii is not messing around" when it comes to tourists in the age of COVID-19. A 23-year-old New York City man found that out the hard way after he flouted the state's 14-day lockdown requirement for anyone coming in from outside of the islands, or even from a different Hawaiian island. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that Tarique Peters of the Bronx was arrested Friday in Oahu for violating quarantine, as well as for lying to authorities. Per a government release, Peters arrived on the island on Monday and is accused of leaving his hotel room right away, allegedly using public transit to get around. How he got busted: Locals spotted his social media selfies showing him lying on the beach getting some sun, surfing, and seeing the sights.

Authorities say hotel staff told them they'd seen Peters leave the hotel multiple times. To discourage travelers from visiting Hawaii during the coronavirus pandemic, Hawaii Gov. David Ige had mandated in March that all people flying into the islands had to self-quarantine for two weeks; in April, he expanded that order to include interisland flights. A local man with Peters also faces charges. "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," Hawaii Attorney General Clare Connors says in the release. Peters' bail was set at $4,000. (More selfie stories.)

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