Couple arrested for boarding San Francisco flight to Hawaii after positive COVID-19 test
The man and woman are residents of Kaua'i who tested positive during pre-travel screenings prior to their flight over the weekend.
SAN FRANCISCO -- A Hawaii couple who traveled from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Kaua'i has been arrested for boarding the flight when they knew they were positive for COVID-19, the mayor of Kaua'i announced.
The man and woman are residents of Kaua'i who tested positive during pre-travel screenings prior to their United Airlines flight from SFO over the weekend.
They are charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and are currently in isolation. Contact tracing is being done to alert anyone who needs to go into quarantine.
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The two cases have increased the island of Kaua'i's total number of current positive cases to 17 from 15. The island has a cumulative case count of 131 infections.
Starting Wednesday, all travelers arriving on Kaua'i are subject to a 14-day self-quarantine regardless of testing.
Our sister station, KGO-TV, reached out to United Airlines and sent back the following statement:
"The health and safety of our employees and customers is our 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. We are investigating this matter further to assess these passengers' ability to fly on United in the future."
