Taiwan reported its first locally-transmitted case in 253 days on Dec. 22.

The said case (Case 771) was a close contact of a New Zealander pilot who works for EVA Air.

The pilot was found to be Covid-19 positive on Dec. 20 after his return on a cargo flight from the U.S. on Dec. 16.

Fined for dishonesty

Taiwan's Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said that the pilot did not come clean with his travel history and close contacts.

When asked about where he had visited by the authorities, the man said he did not have the habit to record where he had gone and could not remember the details.

He did not mention that he met Case 771 as well.

This hinders the contact tracing efforts and increases risk of infection to other residents in Taiwan.

He was fined NT$300,000 (S$14,177) for breaching the Communicable Disease Control Act, according to local media Central News Agency (CNA).

He must pay the fine within seven days from the day of notice.

If he refuses to do so, it will be deducted from his salary and deposits or he might face restrictions in leaving Taiwan.

Fired by EVA Air

The pilot, who was working for EVA Air, was also fired by the airline on Dec. 23.

This is because the pilot was deemed to have violated the company's Covid-19 rules and caused serious damage to the airline's image and reputation, CNA reported.

Top image via Tao Yuan International Airport/Facebook