Washington tourist breaks quarantine and spends part of Hawaii vacation in jail, cops say
Hawaii requires travelers to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to prevent the spread of coronavirus. They are also prohibited from renting a car until that 14-day period is over, according to a Facebook post from the Kauai Police Department.
A Washington woman who arrived at the Līhuʽe Airport in Hawaii on Aug. 12 and rented a car to drive to her place of lodging violated both of the state-mandated orders, , police said.
Shannon Patrick, 51, of Longview, was arrested the next day, according to the Facebook post.
Patrick arrived at her quarantine location in Kapa’a on Aug. 12, but police discovered that she left her lodging several times that day and the next. Officers visited her quarantine location on Aug. 13 and determined they had probable cause to arrest Patrick on suspicion of breaking quarantine.
Police took Patrick to the Kauai Police Department Detention Center and she subsequently posted $2,000 in bail, police said. Afterward, police escorted Patrick back to her quarantine location where she would stay for the remainder of her quarantine period.
The rental agency recovered the car Patrick rented. Patrick “deceived” the company “into conducting business with her,” police said on Facebook.
The Kauai Police Department has arrested 68 people for violating the 14-day quarantine rule — 30 visitors and 38 Hawaii residents, according to the department’s post. The punishment for violating the law is one year in jail and/or up to $5,000 in fines, the post says.
Hawaii has 5,349 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. The state has reported 41 deaths, the university said.
