Taichung measles patient faces fine for traveling when infectious

Kaohsiung/Taichung, Jan. 4 (CNA) A Taichung man who traveled to Kaohsiung after being identified as a contact of a measles patient will be fined up to NT$300,000 (US$9,100) for violating rules during the infectious period, the Kaohsiung health bureau said Saturday.

The man in his 30s visited a hospital in central Taiwan -- which has not been identified by authorities -- on Dec. 20 and 21 and was later identified as a contact on Dec. 28 after a measles case was confirmed in a ward located on the same floor as the one he visited, Kaohsiung's Department of Health said in a statement.

The Taichung man first traveled to Kaohsiung on Dec. 27 and 28 and visited multiple locations there, including attending an event at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, before returning to Taichung later in the evening on Dec. 28, the health bureau said.

On Dec. 29, he developed measles-like symptoms, including a fever and chills, and sought medical attention at a clinic in Taichung the next day, before heading back to Kaohsiung on the high-speed rail on New Year's Eve, the health bureau said.

From Dec. 31 to Jan. 2, he visited more than 10 locations in Kaohsiung, including spending two nights at the Yisin branch of the Hub Hotel in Cianjhen District.

After developing a rash on New Year's Day, he went to see a doctor on Jan. 2, and was immediately placed in an isolation ward as the doctor reported his case to the infectious disease system, the health bureau said.

Because the patient, who was diagnosed with the measles on Friday, showed suspected symptoms during the infectious period (Dec. 28 to Jan. 2) but failed to comply with "self-health management" rules, he violated Article 48 of the Communicable Disease Control Act and will face a fine between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000, the health bureau said.

A total of 185 contacts in Kaohsiung have been identified, all of whom have undergone health assessments, and they will remain under health monitoring until Jan. 20, the health bureau said.

The Taichung health bureau also announced Saturday that it has identified 20 contacts of the man in Taichung and is continuing to trace and identify additional contacts at the locations visited by the patient.

Taiwan had recorded 29 cases of measles in 2024 as of Dec. 30, consisting of 19 domestic cases and 10 imported cases, the Centers for Disease Control said at a regular news conference on Dec. 31.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes, leading to severe illness, complications, and even death.

It causes symptoms such as high fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash that covers the entire body, according to the World Health Organization.