‘Honeymoon suite to cell block.’ California couple broke COVID-19 rule, Hawaii cops say
A California couple hoping to spend their honeymoon in Hawaii were instead arrested, officials say.
The couple “scoffed” at Hawaii’s traveler self-quarantine mandate and were arrested Thursday by officials from the Department of the Attorney General, according to a news release from Gov. David Y. Ige.
“From the honeymoon suite to cellblock,” the news release said.
Borice Leouskiy, 20, and Yuliia Andreichenko, 26, traveled from Citrus Heights, California, to Hawaii for their honeymoon, the news release reported. They entered a Waikiki-area hotel Wednesday, when a front desk manager told the couple about the requirements of the self-quarantine order.
The order requires all residents and visitors who enter Hawaii to self-quarantine for 14 days, according to a news release from Ige.
“With the majority of Hawaiʻi’s COVID-19 cases linked to travel, it is critical that we further mitigate the spread of the virus by both residents and visitors who are coming from out-of-state,” Ige said in the news release. “This plan was developed in collaboration with our county mayors and Hawaiʻi’s business, community and visitor industry leaders.”
The couple allegedly told the hotel staff that what the manager told them contradicted what airport screens said earlier, according to the news release.
“They also indicated they planned to visit friends and go to parks and beaches and claimed airport screeners told them that was OK,” the news release reported. “The hotel manager reiterated the rules and said the couple scoffed at him again and then left the hotel.”
Leouskiy and Andreichenko refused to sign the quarantine acknowledgment, according to the news release.
On Thursday morning, the day after they checked into the hotel, the couple left the hotel room again. When they returned, they were told they were in violation of the order, the news release reported.
AG officials were told about the couple’s violations and arrested Leouskiy and Andreichenko, the news release said. The couple was charged with “unsworn falsification to authority and violation of the 14-day quarantine.”
“We appreciate the vigilance and cooperation of the hotel staff, and staff at other hotels, in helping maintain the health and safety of visitors and residents,” Attorney General Clare Connors said in the news release. “It is important that everyone flying into Hawai‘i at this time abide by our mandatory rules. Law enforcement, in partnership with other state and county agencies and the travel industry are continuing to monitor compliance with the mandatory self-quarantine rule.”
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 5:25 PM with the headline "‘Honeymoon suite to cell block.’ California couple broke COVID-19 rule, Hawaii cops say."