Man serving quarantine in Taiwan slapped with $4,700 fine after leaving room for 8 seconds

He stepped out of his hotel room for a brief moment, not realising it would be a costly mistake.

A Filipino migrant worker was recently fined NT$100,000 (S$4,700) for breaking quarantine regulations in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The man, who is in his 20s, had left his hotel room for about 8 seconds on Nov 19 to leave something at the door of a friend who was quarantined on the same floor, reported Central News Agency (CNA). 

At the time, he was serving a mandatory 14-day quarantine after arriving in Taiwan on Nov 13.

According to EBC news, regulations in the country dictated that those on quarantine are not allowed to leave their rooms even for a short period of time. 

The man might have snuck out of his room for only a few seconds, but his actions were caught on a surveillance camera in the hotel and later reported by hotel personnel to the authorities, Kaohsiung's department of health said.

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A similar incident happened on Nov 28, when another migrant worker serving quarantine was fined NT$100,000 after she was caught leaving her hotel room to get hot water for instant noodles. 

Kaohsiung authorities have asked hotel managers to closely monitor guests who are in quarantine. 

There are less than a thousand Covid-19 cases in Taiwan currently due to early intervention and effective measures. However, the country has seen a recent spike in imported Covid-19 cases, so authorities are keeping a close eye on those in quarantine. 

On Dec 6, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) in Taiwan announced a total of 22 imported cases of Covid-19, with 20 coming from Indonesia and two from the Philippines, Taiwan News reported. 

A week earlier, the Taiwanese government announced it would put restrictions on the number of Indonesian workers entering the country following an increase in imported Covid-19 cases.

ALSO READ: Taiwan to curb flow of Indonesian workers after Covid-19 spike

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annatan@asiaone.com