Taiwan reported zero local cases and six imported cases on Thursday. One of the imported cases is an American pilot for EVA Air. The pilot has been fully vaccinated since July, when he got his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. He tested positive for COVID before the end of his mandatory five-day quarantine after returning from an assignment. Let’s hear from the CECC.

Philip Lo
CECC medical response division
He tested positive for spike antibodies, which show up after inoculation. That means his body had developed antibodies for the disease. Perhaps he was infected while abroad, or during the flight.

Chen Shih-chung
Health minister
He had been in quarantine two times before. After the second quarantine, he took a rapid test before an assignment, and the test came back negative. He then went on the assignment and tested positive on the fifth day after his return.

Also on Thursday, the Pilots Union Taoyuan staged a protest at three quarantine hotels, calling for better working conditions. The union is asking for at least three rest days each month, during which pilots are not undergoing quarantine or self-health management. They also called on employers not to force crew to go on assignment before completing their mandatory quarantine. The demands come after a pilot was found dead shortly after quarantine last week, sparking debate on the physical and mental toll of Taiwan’s strict border controls.