QUARANTINE ISN’T OPTIONAL

Couple Boarded Flight After Testing Positive for COVID-19. Now They Face Jail Time.

The couple was arrested on reckless endangerment charges after they risked infecting numerous United passengers on a flight out of San Francisco.

A couple was arrested—and may be permanently banned from flying on United Airlines—after boarding a flight to Hawaii while knowingly COVID-19 positive. Wesley Moribe and Courtney Peterson boarded a United flight from San Francisco to Lihue with their 4-year-old and were arrested on second-degree reckless endangerment charges upon their arrival at their destination city. They posted $1,000 of bail, and their son went home with a family member. Child Protective Services were also called, and the parents could face up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. The San Francisco International Airport was aware of the couple’s diagnosis and had informed them of their need to isolate and stay in place until they had recovered. United Airlines is looking into whether it will allow the couple to use their airline in the future. “Prior to traveling, all United customers are required to complete a ‘Ready to Fly’ checklist acknowledging they have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days,” a spokesperson for the airline said Wednesday.