Man Faces $3,500 Fine For 8-Second Violation Of Coronavirus Quarantine Rule In Taiwan

KEY POINTS

Health department officials said no one should think they can leave their hotel rooms
Taiwan’s virus response was widely lauded in the world
The country has recorded only 716 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, with seven deaths

A man, who broke Taiwan’s rigid quarantine rules by stepping out of his hotel room for just eight seconds, was slapped with a whopping $3,500 fine.

A migrant worker from the Philippines was quarantined in a hotel in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung, and had briefly stepped out into the hallway when the hotel staff caught him in the CCTV camera, CNN reported, citing Taiwanese official news agency CNA.

The staffers then informed the Department of Health and authorities handed him a fine worth 100,000 Taiwan dollars, which translates to $3,500.

According to Taiwan’s strict rules, people aren’t allowed to leave their hotel rooms during the quarantine period, no matter for how long. The country’s Department of Health officials told CNA that people shouldn’t think they won’t be fined for leaving their hotel room, CNN reported.

The city of Kaohsiung has 56 quarantine hotels with a total of 3,000 rooms, the department added.

The country’s efforts to halt the spread of coronavirus was praised all over the world. As early as in December 2019, when the pandemic started, Taiwan enacted strict border quarantine measures, as well as fever screening for travelers arriving from Wuhan, where the virus’s emergence was first reported.

Taiwan also conducted onboard quarantine and imposed a 14-day home quarantine rule for travelers arriving in the country from the nations with peaking coronavirus cases.

The country has carried out as many as 256,757 tests as of Dec. 6. Travelers from foreign countries were restricted from entering Taiwan from March 19, albeit with a few exemptions. The country had announced on Nov. 18 that from Dec. 1 onward, all travelers arriving from foreign countries will be required to provide proof of testing negative for COVID-19 within three weeks of arrival.

Remarkably, the island of 23 million people has recorded only 716 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, with seven deaths, according to Worldometer. Taiwan holds the world’s best virus record so far thanks to its rigorous contact tracing and universal mask-wearing policy.