New Taipei man fined NT$400,000 for shirking quarantine to exercise in park, eat at hotpot restaurant

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/03/31
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A wealthy man has been fined NT$400,000 (US$13,000) for violating his home quarantine twice, once for exercising in a park and again for going out to eat at a hot pot restaurant for five hours with his girlfriend.

According to police, the 25-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), is from a wealthy family and is currently unemployed. He rented a luxury home in New Taipei City's Banqiao District and went abroad with friends in early March, reported ETtoday.

After returning from overseas, Chen was told to undergo a standard home quarantine of 14 days from March 20 to April 5. However, only five days into his quarantine, he apparently became stir-crazy and at about 5 p.m. on March 25, the man went to a nearby riverside park to exercise for about four hours.

When police visited his home to check on him, they found that he was nowhere to be found. After waiting for half an hour, Chen finally returned, and officers reported him to the Banqiao District Public Health Center, which levied on him a fine of NT$200,000 for breaking his quarantine, reported UDN.    [FULL  STORY]