Two travelers from the mainland U.S. were arrested in Hawaii for allegedly falsifying vaccination cards, the Department of the Attorney General said.
Norbert Chung, 57, and Trevor Chung, 19, were arrested at Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye Airport for violating Hawaii's "Safe Travels" program, which requires travelers to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to enter the state, a spokesperson for the Attorney General said.
It is not clear when the arrests were made.
The arrests were made following a tip from a "community member," the Attorney General said. The Chungs were arraigned Wednesday morning and face a fine of up to $5,000 and/or up to one year imprisonment.
"Attorney General investigators are committed to ensuring all such leads are investigated and thank the community for their assistance and support," the department said. "Along those lines, the Department of the Attorney General will investigate and prosecute those who cheat the Safe Travels program, which was established to keep our islands safe."
This is the first case in which the Hawaii Attorney General has charged individuals with falsifying vaccine cards, it said.
As part of Hawaii's "Safe Travels" program, trans-Pacific visitors to the islands who are not vaccinated and do not have a 72-hour negative COVID test must self-quarantine for ten days upon arrival. Fully vaccinated travelers are exempt from the quarantine.