A New Zealand pilot has been sacked by Taiwanese international airline EVA Airways Corp after he was blamed by health officials for the country's first locally-acquired case of COVID-19 since April 12.
The Kiwi pilot, who is a Taiwanese resident, failed to follow disease prevention rules, according to Taiwanese health officials.
Taiwan has been hailed for its successful response against the pandemic, imposing early and effective prevention methods and encouraging the widespread use of masks. For more than 250 days, all new cases were detected in travellers arriving on the island.
However, the country was jolted by an announcement on Tuesday (local time) confirming the domestic infection of a woman, a friend of the New Zealand pilot. It was later confirmed the woman had become infected earlier this week after flying routes to the United States.
The case has ignited public anger, with one Taiwan television station calling the pilot a "public enemy". He was fined NT$300,000 after health officials revealed he failed to wear a mask in the cockpit when required and hindered investigations by not declaring all his contacts, movements and activities.
EVA Air said a meeting of its discipline committee found the pilot had contravened government regulations, including the communicable disease transmission law. The airline decided to terminate the pilot, effective immediately.
"EVA Air has always abided by the government's epidemic prevention policies, and most crew members also followed the epidemic prevention regulations," it said in a statement.
"However, the behaviour of an individual employee has undermined everyone's efforts at epidemic prevention."
EVA Air, like most airlines, is operating a significantly reduced schedule due to global border restrictions.
Neither the airline nor the government has named the pilot, who is being treated in hospital. It has not been possible to reach him for comment.
Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said 170 of the woman's contacts had tested negative for the virus, while three others are awaiting their results.
It follows revelations that the pilot was likely the source of two other cases - his co-pilots - who flew with him to the US earlier this month. At a press conference last weekend, a health official said it's believed the pilot cluster originated from the New Zealander after he failed to wear a mask on the flight.
Taiwan has reported a total of 777 cases - mostly imported - and seven deaths. Around 130 people remain in hospital for treatment.
Reuters / Newshub.
