Jerome Adams, the U.S. surgeon general, will be arraigned on Wednesday in Hawaii on charges he entered a public park that was closed due to the coronavirus. The arraignment will occur virtually.
Adams and two other men were taking pictures in Kualoa Regional Park in Oahu in August, according to the criminal complaint. Adams told the police officer issuing the citation that he didn’t know the park was closed.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell had closed the parks to prevent large crowds from gathering that could spread the coronavirus. A violation carries with it a fine up to $5,000, up to a year in jail, or both.
At the time, Adams was visiting Hawaii to work with Gov. David Ige and Caldwell on COVID-19. On Aug. 25, Adams appeared with Ige and Caldwell at a press conference to announce “surge testing,” an initiative supported by the federal government that gave Hawaii the ability to conduct 5,000 coronavirus tests per day.
At the press conference, Adams said, “To the people who are lapsing a little bit, I want you to understand that a little bit of fun right now can result in shutdowns further on down the road.”
