Taiwan has recorded its first locally transmitted COVID-19 case since April after a pilot failed to “truthfully declare” his contacts and activities.

The latest case, which ends the island’s 253-day run without local transmission, was a woman in her 30s. She had been in close contact with an EVA Air pilot from New Zealand, who was confirmed to have been infected on Sunday, said Taiwan’s health minister Chen Shih-chung.

The pilot had operated flights to the United States and the Philippines, and it was unclear how he caught the disease, Chen said.

He coughed while on duty and would not wear a mask, Chen said. The pilot, in his 60s, had also not been truthful in his declaration of contacts and activities, he added.

The woman did not mention her encounter with the pilot during the epidemiological investigation but police later found that she had met with him earlier this month, according to Taiwan’s health authorities.

The pilot faces a fine up to NT$300,000 (US$10,658) for breaking the island’s law to control infectious diseases. EVA Air said it would dismiss pilots who did not abide by the airline’s COVID-19 guidelines.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has ordered a review of the island’s measures to contain the coronavirus. Large-scale activities to celebrate Christmas and the New Year would also be placed under scrutiny.

Meanwhile, CoronaVac, made by Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac, has shown to be effective in late-stage trials in Brazil, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The Brazil trials put the effectiveness of CoronaVac above 50%.

Separately, the Chinese version of the New York Times cited a Shanghai survey in reporting that over a third of the Chinese population suffered depression, anxiety and insomnia during the worst period of the COVID-19 outbreak. The effect could last 10 to 20 years, the report said.

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