Hawaii has continued its crackdown on tourists who flout the state's strict travel and quarantine rules for visiting the island.
A California man was arrested on Saturday for arriving on Maui from Los Angeles without a negative pre-travel COVID-19 test, according to the publication Maui Now.
John Laurich, 50, was arrested for violating the Rules and Orders of the state's travel quarantine. In addition to not producing a negative coronavirus test, Laurich did not have approved lodging to complete the mandatory 10-day quarantine that comes without having a test.
Laurich was transported to the Wailuku Police Station without incident and was being held in lieu of $2,000 bail.
The Aloha State has been extremely vigilant since last summer when it comes to enforcing its interstate travel restrictions. The islands are small, and hospitals and resources are limited. Hawaii was overwhelmed early last year with the virus and can't risk importing new cases.
Hawaii has been vigilant about enforcing that, as well. The state arrested nearly 200 tourists in the first seven months of last year.
The situation has eased a bit since then. Now the rules call for out-of-state travelers to show proof upon arrival in Hawaii of a negative, FDA-approved nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) result taken within 72 hours of travel prior to boarding. Without the negative test result, passengers arriving from out of state will be subject to a 14-day quarantine.
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