Remember last year’s Christmas?
You probably don’t because it was just your family and five relatives who quietly ate cake and drank wine until they all passed out in your living room.
Christmas just wasn’t the same without a large party, but we understood the government’s reasons for imposing such restrictions, and abided by them.
Or at least, most of us did.Â
Shortly after Christmas, a video of 10 men and women partying on board a yacht at Lazarus Island made its way to Facebook, outraging netizens as none of the partygoers were practising safe distancing or wearing masks.
For letting his yacht be used for such purposes, the owner of the craft will now have to pay a hefty price.
License of Pleasure Craft Suspended for 30 Days After Images of People Partying Shared Online
The license of the yacht, which is known as a “pleasure craft” has been suspended for 30 days by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) for breaking safe distancing rules.
For the unacquainted, a pleasure craft is a craft which is intended for use exclusively for sport or pleasure purposes, and not a place where lovers meet for some hanky-panky.
As you know, Singapore entered Phase 3 of its safe recovery on 28 Dec, which allowed up to eight people for social gatherings.
However, pictures and videos of the yacht party were uploaded on 26 Dec, meaning the group of partygoers had flouted Covid-19 rules, unless they had a time machine.
At that time, group sizes for gatherings were limited to five, but at least 10 men and women were seen dancing without masks on board the craft.
In its statement, MPA reminded all pleasure craft owners and operators to adhere strictly to the safe management plan they have submitted for their business operations.
“MPA takes a very serious view of any breach of safe management measures and will not hesitate to take the parties involved to task,” it added.
Investigations Still Ongoing
This calls to mind an incident in August, where 12 people were caught island-hopping after one of them shared pictures of the trip on Instagram.
The group, which comprised 10 Britons, a Singaporean, and a Singapore permanent resident, was later charged in court.
They received a $3,000 fine each for taking part in an unlawful gathering on Lazarus Island, and five of them were even permanently banned from working in Singapore.
MPA said investigations for the yacht party are still ongoing, meaning they could also take action against the inconsiderate partygoers.
For simply putting on their Christmas hats and dancing their 2020 troubles away, these 10 individuals could soon find themselves in a world of trouble.
Under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, first-time offenders can be fined up to $10,000, and even jailed for up to six months.
Repeat offenders face a fine of up to $20,000, a year in prison, or both.
With Chinese New Year just around the corner, this serves as a reminder not to get carried away with our celebrations, not just because we’d be breaking the law, but also because we’d be putting our fellow residents at risk.
Featured Image: Facebook (Bu Hui Yan)
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