Taiwan to quarantine all pilots of largest airline

[reader]

From Channel News Asia

TAIPEI: Taiwan will quarantine all pilots for its largest carrier China Airlines for 14 days as it tries to stop an outbreak of COVID-19 among its crew, effectively grounding the airline, the health minister said on Monday (May 10).

While Taiwan has generally kept the pandemic well under control due to early prevention with only sporadic domestic cases, since last month it has been dealing with an outbreak linked to China Airlines pilots and an airport hotel where many of them stayed. There have been 35 confirmed infections so far in the outbreak.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told reporters the only way to break what they believe is a chain of transmission at the carrier is to quarantine all China Airlines pilots currently in Taiwan, and send into quarantine those who return to Taiwan.

"This will have a big impact on China Airlines, on its passenger and freighter flights, and for the crew too. But for the safety of the whole community we cannot but make this decision," he said.

The move effectively amounted to a 14-day grounding for the airline, Chen added, and the pilots will only be allowed out of quarantine once they have tested negative.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/taiwan-quarantine-all-pilots-china-airlines-grounded-covid-19-14780524

[PeterRS]

I have been full of admiration for the way Taiwan has handled the pandemic. But the authorities sure did drop the ball big time on the matter of China Airlines pilots for it had a dress rehearsal around Christmas when an EVA airlines captain on a flight from New York was found to be positive AND had broken the short 3-day quarantine required for returning pilots. It was the first case on the island for about 8 months and resulted in a small new cluster. The pilot was fined US$10,000 and fired. Prior to Christmas, EVA had fired three other EVA pilots and four flight crew for breaking quarantine rules.

SInce the start of the year, the quarantine period for all flight crew in Taiwan was extended to 7 days. Why the government did not institute mandatory testing and then immediately vaccinate all flight crews beats me!