20YO Man Pleads Guilty to Meeting Girlfriend While on MC; Had Been Waiting for Swab Test Result


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What would your reaction be, as a good 20-year-old man with a girlfriend, when you are informed you might have contracted a potentially lethal virus highly transmissible by physical contact?

Meet your girlfriend physically, of course. Sharing is caring.

That is what happened to 20-year-old Foo Suan Rong, who was diagnosed with acute respiratory infection on September 16 last year following a persistent sore throat and blocked nose, according to TODAYonline.

As per legal requirements, the doctor issued a three-day medical certificate (MC) to Mr Foo, and informed him he was required to stay at home for the period of the MC or if he tested negative for COVID-19. 

Mr Foo promptly complied, returning home after taking a COVID-19 swab test.

For a day.

The next morning, he left his home and social responsibility and took a train from Choa Chu Kang MRT station to Admiralty MRT station. He also took a train from being a decent citizen to being a trash boyfriend as he met his girlfriend there. 

They spent the rest of the day in the Orchard area until late at night, when both returned to Mr Foo’s home, intending to spend the night together. Shortly before they arrived, Mr Foo received his negative COVID-19 test result, although he did not see it until the next day.

Because travelling along almost the entire North South Line (NSL) twice and walking around a high-traffic area while possibly carrying the coronavirus was a very good idea, Mr Foo was quickly prosecuted. 

He pleaded guilty to one charge of leaving his home when required to stay home on medical leave on Monday (5 Apr).

His sentencing is currently being considered. The prosecution pressed for imprisonment of at least a week, characterising Mr Foo’s actions as “a wanton disregard for the safety and well-being of the general public”.

Damn. Maybe he should have done this instead.

All about MCs in the Time of COVID-19

MCs, once the hottest commodity in any clinic, now come with a whole range of restrictions if they are issued for a respiratory illness. Here’s what you need to know about them.

If you find yourself with symptoms of a respiratory tract infection, the Ministry of Health (MOH) advises you to visit a Public Health Preparedness Clinic (PHPC) immediately, even if it is not your regular GP clinic. 

If you are given the five-day MC, you are required to stay at home for the whole duration, except to seek further medical attention. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has called on employers to treat MCs as part of their paid hospitalisation leave benefits, if that assuages your concerns with employment.

You might also be referred to a COVID-19 swab test at a PHPC or polyclinic that offers such services, whose availability you’ll have to confirm ahead of time. The test will be fully subsidised by the government if you receive it within 48 hours of the referral, though you’ll have to use private transport to minimise risks to the community. 


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Or really, just follow the doctor’s instructions. And certainly do not visit your girlfriend. 

Feature Image: Horth Rasur / Shutterstock.com