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Tourists Arrested in Hawaii After Bribing Airport COVID-19 Screener

Hawaii News
by Eben Diskin Feb 19, 2021

Wherever there are strict rules, there will be those trying to circumvent them. That seems especially true when it comes to travel in the time of COVID-19. Last week, two tourists from Louisiana flew to Hawaii and were arrested after allegedly trying to bribe an airport screener to avoid having to quarantine.

The state of Hawaii requires travelers to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their arrival to avoid a 10-day quarantine. Apparently, these travelers thought they could buy their way out of that requirement.

When 29-year-old Johntrell White arrived at Hawaii’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Friday, he allegedly offered the screener $2,000 to let him through without a mandatory quarantine. His travel companion, 28-year-old Nadia Bailey, then added that she would contribute an additional $1,000 if the screener let her go through as well. It is believed that neither had taken a COVID-19 test prior to arriving.

Instead of being allowed through to enjoy their vacation, they were both arrested for bribery and immediately sent home. During the ordeal, hopefully someone mentioned to them that COVID-19 tests are either free or incredibly inexpensive, and widely available, and taking one would have saved them a lot of embarrassment.

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