Kuwaiti athlete “skips quarantine” while attempting to compete at Ironman 70.3 Kenting Taiwan

According to news reports from Taiwan, one of the competitors at Ironman 70.3 Kenting on the weekend has been fined almost US$36,000 (the maximum amount) for breaking the 14-day quarantine requirement for travellers to Taiwain. According to Taiwan News the athlete was supposed to be undergoing mandatory quarantine at a hotel in Taipei and the Central Epidemic Command Center had reported him missing.”

According to the Pingtung Public Health Bureau, the man arrived in Taiwan on April 18 with proof of a negative COVID-19 test three days prior to his flight. He was supposed to remain in quarantine until May 2. Officials say that “the Kuwaiti national in his 20s” wore a mask while registering for the event, but “failed to submit health verification and other COVID-19 related documents while registering for the 2021 Ironman 70.3 Kenting triathlon in Pingtung County on Saturday.” According to another news agency, Focus Taiwan, once race officials realized the man didn’t have the appropriate health documents, they reported the issue to the health bureau and isolated the man in a separate room until health officials arrived to handle his case. Officials are also trying to determine if he kept his mask on while taking a train from Taipei to Pingtung.

The man has been sent to a quarantine facility in Kaohsiung to finish out his quarantine.

Taiwan has one of the most successful records in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, with 11 deaths and a total of 1,076 cases of the disease. The race in Kenting on the weekend marked the return of Ironman racing to the region at the southernmost tip of Taiwan. Kenting hosed the original Ironman and 70.3 races, but hasn’t hosted an event for five years. There were 391 competitors in the race.