The moral of this story is that even if you live in Hawaii and test positive before your return flight from the mainland, do not board the plane. A local couple did just that and were arrested on arrival yesterday at LIH on Kauai. We still don’t understand all of the circumstances, or how they were allowed to board the United Airlines flight after testing positive in San Francisco during pre-travel screening.
It would seem like their boarding pass would have been taken. Why this didn’t happen, we do not know yet. But also, why would anyone knowingly fly with COVID and possibly expose so many people to the virus?
Airlines are able to ban COVID-infected passengers from boarding and most require travelers to complete a health questionnaire and screening prior to flight. How that worked or didn’t, in this case, is not yet clear. The couple also had a child with them on the flight.
We checked with the Hawaii District Court on Kauai earlier. The couple was apparently charged with reckless endangerment. They posted bail of $1,000 each. It isn’t clear what the possible penalty is for a conviction based on that charge. Also, it is possible that their violation could also be associated to Kauai’s COVID regulations, which coincidentally calls for $1,000 bail. Those rules are largely related to violation of the 14-day quarantine, so we aren’t clear where this would fit in. If convicted based on the COVID rules, they could each face up to a $5,000 fine and/or up-to one year in jail.
So here is my question, which I have not seen addressed in any articles about this couple who knowingly flew while Covid positive…..What about the other people who were on that United flight to Kauai with this couple. Have they all been contacted and are they required to quarantine as well? I would think the answer would be something that the flying public has a right to know.
With the “less than 72 hour before boarding” rule, people have a strong motivator to get tested pre-flight. But, now that Kauai is back to mandatory 14 day quarantine, few if any people flying here will bother to get a pre-flight test. What’s the point?
This couple was facing a mandatory quarantine anyway, since they did not have negative results. If they were flying one day later, they would not have gotten tested, and no one would have been the wiser. I’m not justifying their actions, just making an observation.
The old scared people of Kauai celebrating Mayor Anger Management’s decision should understand they actually made it more likely that returning residents will bring the virus with them. But, since they will all be in quarantine, what does it matter? Well, since no more non-stops to Kauai, people must first fly to HNL or OGG, and vast majority of people on the same flights are headed for other islands that don’t require quarantine.
So, maybe a coordinated, identical for all islands, all travelers, set of rules is not such a bad idea after all??
United Airlines released a new statement on Dec. 3 at 8 a.m. stating that the couple who boarded a plane after testing positive for COVID-19 are no longer welcome on United flights.
“We have banned these customers and will investigate this matter,” United said.
I just arrived in Hawaii last night. When I was boarding for my final leg of the flight, the airline didn’t ask for my COVID results. I had them in hand and the person at the gate said, she didn’t need to see it, I will be checked upon landing in HI.
That is because you are not required to be tested in order to fly to Hawaii. You must however follow the state mandated rules, that is have a timely negative covid test result from a designated source, if you want an exemption from the 14 day quarantine.
It is reasonable to assume that no tourist will board a flight without being in compliance.
Aloha, I flew into Maui yesterday and was surprised to overhear a group of returning residents tell the folks checking our paperwork at ogg that they did not test since they were choosing to quarantine. So there are many instances where there is a possibility of flying with positive covid passengers…
I am really sorry to have to say – these are the sort of mindless, reckless, selfish behavior that support draconian measures to control this pandemic. Like impose huge fines, jail time, mandatory masking and so on. This country’s willy nilly, politically correct response since March is pathetic. Not only communist countries can utilize harsh measures for the good of the public – look at the numerous free first world countries who have done just that and their cases are almost non-existent. From memory so could be off, but Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan and so on…you can Google it, but among the top countries where COVID is under control.
We are now paying for it now – you better pray you or a loved one does not end up in emergency in the next six – twelve months. If you are unlucky, you will not get timely, good care because resources literally are being/have been literally consumed by COVID cases. Resources means anything from ICU beds, medicine, and even medical personnel, and personnel who are not worn out physically and mentally from months on end of deaths and long hours.
I can’t understand the point you’re trying to make.
I agree. The question is If this wasn’t an election year, would President Trump have declared Marshall Law in January or February ( the state rights be dammed ) and taken a national plan approach. It would not have been popular ( to put it mildly) but would have been the way to control a global pandemic. We’ll never know
Perhaps Kawakami will make a statement on this? About how important it is for residents to follow the protocols? Nah he won’t make a peep. It’s so much easier to pander to the locals and blame the evil of the visitor industry for Kauai’s supposed rampant virus spread (all of 16 active on-island cases, according to today’s Garden Island Newspaper). It’s a much less local-friendly story to tell when the inconvenient truth is that locals not following rules are the main cause of Kauai’s cumulative case total of 137 since March.
BOH…thank you for your reports and all you report on.
I am wondering if a person gets an upcoming covid 19 vaccine…and then wants to travel to Hawaii (Assuming this person also does the pretesting before the flight)…could they test positive because of receiving the shot???…or is the vaccination comprised of “dead virus” like our annual flu shots???
I have not heard how this might affect our results after being vaccinated. Any info would be appreciated.
Thank you
Hi Jean.
Good question. We certainly assume you would not test positive after receive the vaccine.
Aloha.
Depending on the content and composition of the vaccine and the type of test given, you very well could test positive after receiving a vaccine. And, because no vaccine is 100% effective, it will be interesting to see how the state handles those issues. Is the positive COVID test a result of the vaccine, or is it because the vaccine was not effective for that person? Don’t forget about false negatives, either. At some point we will have to move to Realville, and get on with our lives as normal, as we do with the flu and other viruses.
Irresponsible, inconsiderate of others and arrogant.
When flying to Hawaii, you do not need to have you negative test to board the plane, you only have to have it before you land in Hawaii. When I flew to Kauai in late October there was a problem with my test and i was having trouble getting my results. I was still able to board our flight to Honolulu(connecting flight). As our plane was descending to Hololulu and I had service to check my emails, I received my negative results and was able to upload it onto my safe travels account to avoid having to quarantine. I think this would be an important change going forward to avoid anyone boarding without results. Hope this helps!
Well maybe it was error on the airlines
Airlines do not ask for or verify covid test results before flying to or from hawaii.
1. They deserve to be hit with the maximum fine, at least.
2. This shows that it’s not just tourists (sorry, ‘visitors’) who disrespect the Islands and the people who live there.
Interesting question: how long have these people been living in Hawai’i? Recent transplants, or old-time families, or something in between?
I’m not condoning anything that happened in this story, but a positive test doesn’t necessarily mean you are contagious. Some people who test positive for the virus can do so for several months after a positive test but are not contagious. I for one tested positive and isolated for 10 days according to the CDC but was still positive after two weeks. My very mild symptoms lasted only a couple days at the beginning. I’m not planning a trip to Hawaii but that really sucks for someone who is in this same situation. And it is a real scenario some people are facing. A test can literally detect it even when it is dormant in your system.
Moribe and Peterson had learned about their diagnoses before boarding and were told not to fly and to isolate by quarantine staff at the airport
Police said they ignored the instructions and traveled anyway.
Frankly, if you live on Kauai and are guaranteed to do a 14 day quarantine in your home anyway, why even bother getting tested before you fly? So they can arrest you when you land? Presumably it wouldn’t change anything for them after that, and it’d be preferable for them to isolate at home. This ignores the issue with spread to other passengers on the plane, but transmission on planes hasn’t been well-established (not really well-studied, either) as far as I am aware.
I returned home to Kauai on Monday on a United flight from SFO, with all my pre travel testing and health questionnaire etc in order. I will say this, United did not ask for my Covid test results before boarding which is why they may have slipped through. The bigger question is why in the hell would anyone with a positive test endanger a whole plane full of passengers? This infuriates me! I had made plans to stay in California had my test been positive. I Just don’t understand this reckless behavior!
Relax maybe they didn’t know test was positive. But i feel like u do.
They learned about their diagnoses before boarding and were told not to fly and to isolate by quarantine staff at the airport.
Police said they ignored the instructions and traveled anyway.
They did know and were told not to board the flight but they did anyway. That’s not very considerate to all of us that have elderly family members.
I feel bad for all people sitting near them on the plane and the flight crew. Hope no one else gets the virus. Thanks for all you updates BOH.
Hi Diane.
Thank you too. There should be more updates soon on this story.
Aloha.
Thank you for alerting the public to this. In the past month, I have taken 2 trips to LA (I test regularly prior to leaving HNL and again prior to leaving LA) and carry on rather than check my baggage. Both VAULT (new FDA-approved EUA saliva test) and WORKSITE LABS (nasopharyngeal swab) had a very fast (about 36 hours) turn-around prior to our trip back to HNL. I can tell you that NO ONE at TSA or at the gate prior to boarding asks for your COVID status.
The travel.hawaii.gov website requires uploading of test results AND within 24 hours of your departing flight to Hawaii that you complete a Health Questionnaire. Either the information from the uploaded test results and questionnaires are NOT provided to the airline staff OR in this case, the travelers lied on the questionnaire and did not upload any test results. Either way, I do not believe that the airline staff at the gate are provided any information about the covid status of the travelers, nor empowered to take away your boarding passes. If you are aware of the airlines having access to passenger information, please do share what information they see and how they are instructed to deal with covid+ travelers.
United’s pilot flight to London that rapid tested everyone is an effort to re-gain international business by advertising Covid-free flights. Did you see this story? (cnn.com/travel/article/quest-united-airlines-covid-test-flight/index.html). I am sure they were unhappy that this Kauai couple tried to slip through. Thanks again, this dialog thread has been very informative!
Hi Jennifer.
Thank you. We appreciate you sharing your experience.
Aloha.
Yes I saw the story and thought it’s a harbinger of things to come. It’s the way to go. I don’t think people are afraid of flying; they’re afraid of the idiots on the plane. Let’s not forget the man from NYC who at outset of CONID in NYC, knew he was CONID positive, but got on a Jet Blue flight to West Palm Beach anyway. And to make it worse, once they were in the air, his wife told everyone her husband was positive.
I believe it’s fairly simple. Test results are confidential protected health information. They are not shared directly with any airlines without the permission of the passenger. The airline cannot require proof of a negative covid test. The passenger could simply say they didn’t test prior to the flight and then be subject to the 14 day quarantine. They rely on the passenger to tell them the truth on their questionnaire but people lie all the time. What I’m not clear about is how Kauai found out about the positive covid test in the first place unless the passengers either gave consent to share their results with the airline or disclosed the results upon arrival.
They were advised to quarantine and not travel according to one report out of
SFO. Not only did they endanger other peoples lives but they also had a 4 year old traveling with them!
Thanks for the info.
I’m sorry, what does the four year old have to do with the issue?
Amazing !! Can’t wait to hear the logistics on this !
Airline error? System error ? Testing facility error?
Thx for sharing. If someone from that flight catches COVID and dies, I hope that couple is treated like a criminal would be, if the police hit a bystander in a gun fight — tried for manslaughter (I know, can’t prove where the person got it). But SF has awesome medical care. Hawaii, not so much. Very sad indeed. Mahalo BOH for reporting.
Hi Casey.
Thanks. We appreciate you sharing.
Aloha.