The purpose of a quarantine order is very simple: stay at home and isolate yourself to prevent further spreading a disease.
While quarantine in the 1800s must have been painfully boring, there’s an endless list of things to do nowadays in your own room thanks to the internet.
Hungry? You can order some bak kut teh online instead of flouting your quarantine order to get it.
Lonely? You can video call your friends and even have a Zoom meeting with your boss if you miss his rebukes.
Bored? You can binge a thousand shows on Netflix, play Among Us with internet strangers, watch cute cat videos on YouTube until your brain becomes goo, and even read, because believe it or not, books still exist.
One man, however, couldn’t bear the boredom of his quarantine order. He simply had to leave his home to get some entertainment.
So, what did he do? Take exhilarating rides on public transport.
Man on Quarantine Order Spent Bulk of Time on Public Transport Coz He Was Bored
On 10 May this year, Soh Poh Tiong, a cleaner stationed at Northpoint City shopping mall, reported to work as usual.
His supervisor asked him to return home because a colleague of his had contracted Covid-19.
Soh was ordered to stay at home and not report to work until further notice.
Over the next few days, officers from the Ministry of Health (MOH) tried to visit Soh at home to serve his quarantine order, but couldn’t as he was away.
Where?
On a bus or MRT, travelling around the country because he was bored.
MOH officers only managed to serve the order on 13 May, and clearly informed him that he couldn’t leave his home for any reason until 22 May, even to buy food.
So, naturally, Soh left his home every day from 14 May to 21 May, even after signing and acknowledging the quarantine order.
He claimed he was very bored at home, according to CNA.
He left his house to take walks around the neighbourhood and visit various locations, but spent most of his time outdoors on buses and trains.
In fact, his EZ-link records show that he spent between 2 hours and 10 hours each day on buses in that period.
Are there some special or hidden features on buses that we’re not aware of? A musical performance that you can activate with a click of the right stopping bell, perhaps?
During his time outdoors, Soh also visited Toa Payoh HDB Hub and even interacted with staff members there to pay his bills.
Besides that, he had travelled to Ang Mo Kio, Clementi, Harbourfront, Tampines, and Lorong Chuan.
Jailed For 12 Weeks
The 65-year-old pleaded guilty to three charges under the Infectious Diseases Act, with five additional charges taken into consideration.
For repeatedly flouting his quarantine order, Soh was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail on Tuesday (8 Dec).
In Soh’s defence, the prosecutor said that Soh had always worn a mask and never publicised his breaches on social media.
I wonder who he’s referring to…
Nevertheless, Soh knowingly went against rules put in place to protect the public, and must therefore pay the price.
For his offence, Soh could have been jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$10,000, or both.
So, whether you’re craving some hot bak kut teh or a 10-hour ride on a bus, please stay at home if you’re under quarantine.
It’s the right thing to do.
Featured Image: NavyBank / Shutterstock.com
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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