An Illinois woman was reportedly arrested at an airport in Honolulu and will face charges after forging a “Maderna” COVID-19 vaccine card to enter Hawaii and bypass the state’s mandatory quarantine requirement.
First reported by local outlet Hawaii News Now, Chloe Mrozak, 24, traveled to Hawaii through Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Aug. 23 where she presented a “Safe Travels Hawai’i” screener with a vaccination card that listed “Maderna” instead of Moderna as the vaccine provider. The screener failed to confirm Mrozak’s hotel accommodation before she left the airport. A Safe Travels administrator flagged Mrozak’s vaccine card as suspicious after noting the misspelling. An investigation began into Mrozak’s vaccine proof.
A woman who was arrested in Hawaii for falsifying her vaccination card in order to comply with state travel regulations appears to have written "Maderna" instead of "Moderna" on it: pic.twitter.com/DbeoPZCmFA
— Ian Scheuring (@IanScheuring) September 1, 2021
Due to the spread of coronavirus and the Delta variant in the state, Hawaii introduced the “Safe Travels Hawai’i” program earlier this year. According to the program’s website, a 10-day self-quarantine is mandatory for all trans-Pacific travelers entering the state. However, those traveling from the United States or its territories who have been fully vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus are eligible to bypass the quarantine. A vaccination card must be uploaded to the state’s Safe Travels portal and presented hard-copy prior to boarding. The card must be presented again, hard-copy, upon arrival.
On Mrozak’s vaccine card, she listed Delaware as the location where she got the first and second dose of the vaccine. Reportedly, no records were found under her name and date of birth that could confirm she’d received the vaccine in Delaware. Additionally, no reservation was found under Mrozak’s name when investigators contacted the hotel listed on her forms. Her return flight information was also omitted.
Mrozak was tracked down at the same airport for her departure flight on August 28. There, she was arrested on suspicion of falsifying vaccination documents. Her bail was set at $2000.
Mrozak is not the first tourist to attempt to bypass Hawaii’s required self-quarantine by forging a vaccination card. Earlier last month, several reports of visitors falsifying vaccination documents to enter the state were reported. Falsifying a vaccine card carries a fine up to $5000 and is punishable by up to one year in prison.
Due to Hawaii’s massive tourist appeal, the state has taken several measures in addition to the Safe Travels Hawai’i program to crack down on the spread of coronavirus. As we reported, the city of Honolulu, specifically, will temporarily require proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test to enter a variety of indoor establishments beginning Sept. 13. As vaccination rates fluctuate following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine, vaccine mandates or “vaccine passports” could be on the horizon.