The change in Taipei was subtle but apparent. Within hours of authorities announcing Taiwan’s first community transmission of Covid-19 since April, more people were wearing masks in more places, and hand sanitiser dispensers appeared in doorways, positioned so people would have to step around them to avoid the hint.
Until Tuesday Taiwan had gone 253 days without a local case of the virus. The circumstances around the new case have sparked fear and anger.
Health authorities said they had diagnosed a woman in her 30s, a friend of a New Zealand-born resident and pilot in his 60s, who had flown between the US and Taiwan and moved about Taipei while infectious without disclosing his symptoms or movements to authorities.
The department of public health in Taoyuan, where the man lives, said he violated the Communicable Disease Control Act by failing to provide detailed and accurate information, and would be fined the maximum penalty of 300,000 Taiwan dollars (£8,000). His employer, EVA Air, is investigating and considering firing the pilot, who flew with two co-pilots while coughing and not wearing a mask.
President Tsai Ing-wen said the case was a reminder to everyone in Taiwan to stay vigilant. “It shows that the pandemic is far from over, and that international cooperation is key, because we’re all in this together.”
But the pilot’s actions have drawn an angry response on social media, and people have linked infections to foreigners coming into Taiwan, where the vast majority of arrivals must undergo strictly supervised quarantine but some – such as aircrews – have exceptions.
“He is bad [at] self-management. Please strictly control aviation industry personnel and do not let them run around freely,” said one commenter on Facebook.
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