An Illinois woman has been arrested after authorities said she used a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to gain entry into Hawaii.
The card was discovered after officials said Moderna was misspelled on the document, instead, it was spelled “Maderna.”
Hawaii investigators said they were tipped off that Chloe Mrozak may have used the fake record for her arrival in Oahu last week, KHNL reported.
The state uses the Safe Travels program to verify vaccination records and negative COVID-19 tests, KHON reported.
According to the state’s tourism website, all visitors to Hawaii must either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have negative test results from a trusted testing location, otherwise, they are required to observe a 10-day quarantine.
Officials said she left the airport before screeners had confirmed her reservation at a Holliday Inn Express in Waikiki. Investigators eventually found out there was no reservation under her name at the hotel, KHNL reported.
As she continued her trip, investigators were tracking down the alleged faked card which listed the Oak Lawn, Illinois, resident’s place of vaccination as Delaware and the shot had been administered by the National Guard.
When the card was checked against state medical records, her alleged vaccination was not listed.
She was arrested when she returned to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport for her departure flight on Saturday.
Officials said she had listed her return flight as an American Airlines flight, but since she had arrived on a Southwest plane, they assumed she was flying the same carrier since most people purchase round trip tickets, KHON reported.
Special agents used Facebook to help identify her and tracked her down at the Southwest Airlines counter using a distinctive tattoo that she had shown on social media, KHON reported.
When police questioned her, Mrozak told them that she got the vaccination from her doctor and paid for the shot, KHNL reported.
She’s facing charges of falsifying vaccination documents, a misdemeanor.
More coronavirus pandemic coverage:
>> Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms?
>> How to not let coronavirus pandemic fatigue set in, battle back if it does