Taiwan has reported its first local coronavirus transmission, ending 253 days of being virus-free in a major blow for an island that has been lauded for its pandemic response.

Health authorities said a woman in her thirties had tested positive for the coronavirus after coming into contact with a “foreign pilot” working for a Taiwanese airline who was a carrier.

“Health units arranged for her to be tested and she was confirmed positive today,” the Centre for Disease Control said in a statement, according to AFP.

Taiwan has recorded just 770 coronavirus infections and seven deaths after it shut its borders early and implemented strict quarantine rules.