Hawaiian tourism groups will pay to fly visitors who violate self-quarantine rule home

Hawaii's tourism industry, which normally welcomes tourists to the popular vacation destination, is offering visitors who disobey the state's self-quarantine order a financial incentive to leave.

"So far, with $25,000 in funding from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai‘i or VASH has paid to send 19 people back to their airports of origin during the COVID-19 crisis," the state health department said in its daily news digest Thursday.

Effective March 26, Gov. David Ige ordered all visitors to self-isolate for 14 days. The rule is being enforced with the help of an online registry that asks travelers to provide a name, phone number, flight information and address where they will be staying.

"Earlier this week, VASH paid for a pair from San Diego after they’d been arrested for violating quarantine," Attorney General Clare Connors' office said in the digest item. "Last week, a woman was sent back to Los Angeles after posting her outdoor activities on social media."

All were escorted to their flights by agents from Connors' office, the digest said. Violations are misdemeanors and can be rectified in absentia.

"During this unprecedented public health crisis, we are supporting the return of individuals who arrive from the mainland, who do not have pre-arranged lodging and may need financial assistance for their return flights," VASH president and CEO Jessica Lani Rich explained in a statement published Thursday as part of the news digest.

"The ability to return people quickly to their airports of origin during the coronavirus crisis greatly assists law enforcement's ability to ensure the success of our statewide emergency measures," added Connors. "The fact that scarce government funds do not need to be expended for these return trips also helps fulfill the mission of keeping Hawai‘i safe."

Earlier this month, Ige shut down beaches and restricted recreational boating and fishing parties to two people per vessel unless all members of the group share the same address.

While the governor declared hotels and motels as essential businesses that can remain open, vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts were not included. So local government took restrictions a step further: In Hawaii and Kauai counties, the mayors are shutting down vacation rentals.

On April 10, Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim declared that bed and breakfasts, short term rentals and timeshares must ceases operation. Any guests who are already there may stay until the end of their pre-booked period.

Kim's rule went into effect April 13 and is expected to continue through April 30, though that date is subject to change at Ige's or Kim's discretion in future emergency proclamations.

Contributing: Morgan Hines

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Hawaiian tourism groups will pay to fly visitors home