Taiwan to send China Airlines pilots into quarantine in bid to stop Covid-19 outbreak

Health minister says it will have a big impact but it’s the only way to break the chain of transmission

Carrier will try ‘as much as possible to maintain flight operations’ and says it’s ‘not a total grounding’

Reading Time:2 minutes

A Covid-19 outbreak in Taiwan has been linked to China Airlines pilots and an airport hotel where many of them stayed. Photo: Handout

Published: 5:30pm, 10 May 2021Updated: 2:59pm, 17 May 2021

Taiwan will quarantine all pilots for its largest carrier China Airlines for 14 days as it tries to stop an outbreak of Covid-19, the health minister said on Monday, impacting a lifeline for the island’s trade-dependent economy.

Taiwan has generally kept the pandemic well under control due to early prevention with only sporadic domestic cases, but 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 the chain of transmission at the carrier is to quarantine all China Airlines pilots currently in Taiwan, and any who return to the island.

“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.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says the decision was taken “for the safety of the whole community”. Photo: EPA-EFE

The pilots will only be allowed out of quarantine once they have tested negative, Chen said.