A couple who traveled from San Francisco International Airport to Kaua’i have been arrested for boarding the flight despite testing positive to COVID-19.
According to police, the Hawaiian couple, Wesley Moribe, 41, and Courtney Peterson, 46 knew they had tested positive for COVID-19 when they boarded a United Airlines over the weekend, Kaua’i police spokesperson Coco Zickos said Wednesday.
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 were put in isolation. Contact tracing was done to alert anyone who needs to go into quarantine.
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They had been instructed by San Francisco International Airport officials to isolate and not travel, Zickos said.
However, Moribe and Peterson decided to board the flight anyway, accompanied by a 4-year-old child.
The two were released after posting bail of $1,000 each. Child Protective Services were notified after the child was released into the care of a family member.
United Airlines issued a statement after the arrests.
“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,” United Airlines stated.
“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.”
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