A Filipino migrant worker has been charged a fine of $3,500 (Rs 2,58,000) in Taiwan for breaking Covid-19 quarantine regulations for eight seconds.
The man who was isolated at a hotel in Kaohsiung City in southwest Taiwan had stepped out of his hotel room into the hallway, he was caught on the security cameras.
The hotel staff which saw the man loitering in the hallway, contacted the city's health department which levied a fine of 100,000 Taiwan dollars which is equivalent to around Rs 2,58,000.
The man had been in quarantine for 5 days when he stepped out to sneak in something to his friend in the adjacent room.
People are prohibited from leaving their rooms while in quarantine under Taiwan's pandemic prevention measures, which has helped the country in keeping the overall number of cases of Covid-19 under check. Taiwan has been widely lauded for its efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic. According to data provided by John Hopkins University, the island nation has reported only 716 cases of the novel coronavirus and seven deaths so far.
The Taiwanese government has also invested in mass testing and quick and effective contact tracing.
The city's health department said the fine would be a warning or a demonstration to the roughly 3,000 people staying at the city's 56 quarantine hotels as to what can happen if the don't abide by the law and follow the Covid-19 protocols.