Taiwanese man fined $35,000 for violating quarantine 7 times in 3 days

A Taiwanese businessman who recently returned from China has been fined $35,700 for violating his quarantine seven times within three days.

CNN reported that the unnamed man, who lives in Taichung in central Taiwan, was under home quarantine in his apartment building after he returned from a business trip to China and violated it at least seven times, according to local media.

The man left his apartment building seven times in just three days to go shopping, get his car fixed and more. He reportedly got into an altercation with one of his neighbours when they confronted him about leaving his home during quarantine, CNN citing TTV News reported.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen denounced it as "a serious offence" and added that the man "must be given severe punishment.

"Along with the heavy fine, he will have to pay 3,000 NTD (USD 107) per day for the cost of his quarantine. Last year, in December, a worker from the Philippines was fined $3,500 for violating his quarantine for a total of eight seconds. 

The man, who was placed under quarantine in a government-sanctioned hotel, briefly stepped into the hallway outside his room and was captured on CCTV, CNN reported further. Taiwan recorded just 889 coronavirus cases and seven deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

(With inputs from agencies)