Taiwan fines EVA Air $35,000 after pilot blamed for COVID infection

EVA Airways

24/12/2020 09:22

TAIPEI, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Transport Ministry on
Thursday fined EVA Airways Corp  2618.TW  T$1 million ($35,000)
after the government blamed one of its pilots for a rare locally
transmitted case of COVID-19 because he failed to follow disease
prevention rules.
    Taiwan had until this week not reported domestic
transmission since April 12, thanks to early and effective moves
to stop the virus, including mass mask wearing and strict
quarantines for all arrivals.
    But the government was jolted by Tuesday's announcement of
the domestic infection of a woman who is a friend of a New
Zealand pilot confirmed to have been infected earlier this week
having flown routes to the United States.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2J209B
    EVA Air has sacked the pilot, who has not been named and is
being treated in hospital. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2J30IY
    The case has ignited public anger after the government said
he had not reported all his contacts and the places he had been,
nor worn a face mask in the cockpit when he should have. 
    In a statement referring to the "uproar" caused by the case,
the Transport Ministry cited its minister Lin Chia-lung as
saying the airline had not fully put in place epidemic
prevention measures.
    For breaching rules related to COVID-19, the ministry will
fine the airline T$1 million, the maximum statutory fine it can
make, it added.
    The ministry will require airlines tighten their epidemic
prevention measures for air crew while also issuing its own new
rules, it said.
    EVA Air, which has already apologised for the incident, did
not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has not
been possible to reach the pilot for comment. 
    EVA Air, like most airlines, is operating a very reduced
schedule due to border restrictions globally.
    ($1 = 28.1190 Taiwan dollars)

 (Reporting by Ben Blanchard
Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
 ((ben.blanchard@thomsonreuters.com;))