Hawaii Mayor Calls Traveler Arrested For Flouting Quarantine Rules A 'Covidiot'

(HONOLULU) — A mayor in Hawaii has a choice word for the Florida man accused of trying to flout Hawaii’s traveler quarantine: “covidiot.” Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami isn’t taking credit for coining the word borne out of the COVID-19 pandemic, but said, “I may be the first elected official to bust it out in public.”... Earlier last week, Kauai police arrested another Florida man, Dwight Anthony Tucker of Tampa. He was stopped in Hanalei, a tourist town, a day after he arrived on Kauai, police said. He was arrested after authorities said he disregarded Gov. David Ige’s statewide order that requires all visitors who arrive on or after March 26 to self-quarantine at their place of accommodation. Also last week, Kauai police arrested Devin Martin of Olympia, Washington, and accused him of violating the quarantine order. “He did not have reservations for proper accommodations and he allegedly refused to find suitable lodging,” police said... “I guess there’s varying degrees of how much of a covidiot you can be,” Kawakami said. “Those three rank pretty high. I would say they rank pretty high to try to run away from a state that has a high number of people that are ill to come to Hawaii where we’ve been working hard. Everybody’s sacrificing.”... The three men have returned to the mainland, with help from the Kauai Visitors Bureau. The expense makes Kawakami upset, but he said it was necessary to get them out of Hawaii. “But, you know, when you factor in the risk that they pose to our community, not having a place to quarantine, not having any accommodation, quite frankly, possibly being another homeless individual that we would be asked to take care of,” he said. “You know, it hurts.” Kawakami plans to send them invoices.