Man Charged for Leaving Home While on Stay-Home MC; Even Went to Tampines IKEA

There are innumerable things to do at IKEA.

These include shopping for furniture, stuffing your face with meatballs, and arguing with your significant other.

One thing that IKEA is not, however, is a COVID-19 quarantine facility.

So, if you’re supposed to isolate at home, you probably shouldn’t go there.

But that’s exactly what one 22-year-old did.

Man Left Home While on Stay-Home MC & Even Went to Tampines IKEA

In September last year, Fathullah Abdul Rahman was issued a medical certificate at the Civil Defence Academy Complex Medical Centre.

In it, Dr Dong Xiaoke stated that he must not leave his Geylang East Central flat between 2 and 4 Sept.

So, Fathullah had two options:

1. Stay at home
2. Literally anything but leave his home

So, of course, he left his home.

Fathullah allegedly left his house on 2 Sept, taking the MRT and a bus to the IKEA store in Tampines.

That day, he stayed outdoors from 4.45pm to 10.10pm.

He also allegedly went out the next day, and stayed outside between 11.25am and 8pm. He met a woman at Bedok MRT station and they went to Kallang.

Dr Dong later issued Fathullah another MC, stating that he must not leave his flat between 17 and 19 Sept.

But he went out twice during that period.

On 17 Sept, he allegedly left his house at 3.50pm to go to the Singapore Expo and returned at 10.13pm that day.

The next day, he is said to have left his home at 12pm to go to the Skate Park in Somerset Road. He then visited Bugis Junction shopping mall and returned home at 10pm.

If there were an instruction manual on what not to do when issued a stay-home notice, this guy could write 7 volumes. 

Faces Four Charges

The 22-year-old now faces four charges under the Infectious Diseases (COVID-19 Stay Orders) Regulations 2020.

He intends to admit to his offences on 22 July, according to ST.

What makes his alleged offences worse is that he was later found to be COVID-19 positive. The date of his diagnosis was not revealed in court.

If convicted, Fathullah can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to S$10,000.

Earlier this year in March, the Ministry of Health warned those with acute respiratory symptoms to comply with MC requirements.

“We urge individuals to adhere to the prevailing measures, and to stay at home for the duration of MC issued for the episode of illness, to prevent putting our loved ones and others in the community at risk of infection,” it said.

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