Couple who tested positive for Covid is arrested after boarding flight
A couple in Hawaii is facing reckless endangerment charges after boarding a flight with their 4-year-old son despite having tested positive for Covid-19, police said.
The couple, Wesley Moribe and Courtney Peterson, knew they had tested positive when they boarded a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Lihue, Kaua'i police spokeswoman Coco Zickos said Wednesday. They had been instructed by San Francisco International Airport officials to isolate and not travel, Zickos said.
When Moribe and Peterson arrived at Lihue Airport, they were escorted by police to a designated isolation room for further processing and investigation.
Moribe, 41, and Peterson, 46, residents of Wailua, were arrested on second-degree reckless endangerment charges. A family member took their son home, and Child Protective Services was notified, Zickos said.
"They knowingly boarded a flight aware of their positive COVID-19 test results, placing the passengers of the flight in danger of death," Zickos said in a statement.
A spokesman for the Hawaii Covid-19 Joint Information Center said Wednesday that the state's department of health is alerted when someone tests positive and that the couple was aware of their diagnosis before boarding the flight in San Francisco.
"Rather than quarantining and contacting their health provider, they went on the plane," the spokesman said.
There were 17,968 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Hawaii as of Nov. 29, with 244 deaths, according to state health data.
The couple posted bail, which was set at $1,000. They could face up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine if convicted. They did not immediately return requests for comment.
Passengers who test positive for coronavirus are not permitted to fly.
"Following CDC guidelines, you will not be able to travel on United for at least 10 days after the date you tested positive and only after you have two successive negative COVID-19 results that were administered at least 24 hours apart," the airline's website says.
In a statement Wednesday, a spokesperson for United said the health and safety of its employees and customers is the airline's "highest priority, which is why we have various policies and procedures in place as part of a multi-layered approach to create a safer travel environment."
"Prior to traveling, all United customers are required to complete a 'Ready to Fly' checklist acknowledging they have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days," the spokesperson said.
An investigation is underway to assess Moribe and Peterson's ability to fly on United in the future, the spokesperson said.
