Police Arrest Couple Who Caught 5-Hour Flight Despite Testing Positive For COVID

December 3, 2020, 11:46 am

A Hawaii couple who boarded a five-hour flight from San Francisco to Kauai despite knowing they tested positive for coronavirus was arrested Sunday on reckless endangerment charges.

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A number of news organizations are reporting that Wesley Moribe, 41, and Courtney Paterson, 46, boarded the United Airlines flight Sunday with an unidentified four-year-old child.

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According to the Los Angeles Times‘ account of the incident, “Once they arrived at San Francisco International Airport, the airport’s quarantine station instructed them to refrain from boarding their United Airlines flight and quarantine themselves.”

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  Kauai Police Department

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  Kauai Police Department

Yet the couple defied those orders and boarded the five-hour flight. The story noted, “Upon arrival at the Lihue Airport, the couple were identified and detained by Kauai police, who were equipped with personal protective gear. Moribe and Paterson each posted $1,000 bail.”

CBS News’s account added a statement from Kauai police, who said, “They knowingly boarded a flight aware of their positive COVID-19 test results, placing the passengers of the flight in danger of death.”

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The couple has been banned from flying United Airlines in the future, according to the L.A. Times report.

A number of people took to Twitter to comment on the selfishness of the couple’s actions. One surmised that others are making similar moves but just not getting caught, and declared, “With mindsets like this, the pandemic will never end.”

Shameful! I’m sure there are plenty of others that did the same thing. They just haven’t got caught. With mindsets like them, this pandemic will never end

— Donna Glaesener (@luvmesweeter) December 3, 2020

Another labeled them “the same type of MFers that hide their zombie bites in zombie movies.”

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And it inspired one person on Twitter, identifying herself as “Grandma Cookie,” to institute a three-point plan culminating with holding President Trump and his family accountable.

My opinion as an American Citizen: 1.There should be no travelling allowed until the US gets a grip. 2. Round up the anti maskers put them somewhere away from society so the professionals can do their magic. 3. Hold DT & his family accountable.

— Grandma Cookie (@GrandmaCookie8) December 3, 2020

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*First Published: December 3, 2020, 11:46 am