Not that long ago during Circuit Breaker (CB) period, we were confined in our own homes, with Netflix as companion.
Back then, when Covid-19 was at its peak in Singapore, all F&B outlets were closed, including our favourite bubble tea.
Remember those days where we tried to perfect the Dalgona Coffee recipe?
While the majority of us did our part in staying home to stay safe, some were caught flouting the rules:
This time round, a lady was fined $3,700 for one count of allowing a person not from her household to enter her flat, and another for meeting others for a social gathering.
Woman Let Friend Into Flat To Take Online Certified Practising Accountant exam
Ms Mika She Yuan Wei appeared in court yesterday, 24 Sep 2020, for the charges.
She pleaded guilty to two charges under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020.
The 25-year-old Malaysian let her friend, Mr Chiew Chin Wooi, into her home to study during the Circuit Breaker period on 8 and 9 May this year.
Both Ms She and Mr Chiew are auditors.
Mr Chiew mentioned that he was a Malaysian living alone in Singapore during the circuit breaker when “everywhere was closed”.
Mr Chiew had also asked Ms She if he could go to her place to take an online Certified Practising Accountant examination as his home’s Wi-Fi connection was weak.
Ms She agreed to his request.
Mr Chiew went to Ms She’s house at about 8.40am on 8 May.. He left at 4.50pm after mentioning to Ms She that he was going to see a doctor.
Incident Revealed When Pictures of MC Was Posted Online
The incident came to light when Mr Chiew posted his five-day Medical Certificate (MC) online after he went to see a doctor for his cough.
Ms She saw the post where Mr Chiew stated in the photo captions that he had left home while on MC to take an exam.
Mr Chiew then went to Ms She’s house again the following day at 9.35am, to study together and take the second part of his online exam.
After Mr Chiew completed his exam, Ms She arranged to meet her friend, who is also Ms She’s colleague, as she wanted to pass her a birthday present. Mr Chiew went along as well.
They met at Punggol Waterway Point mall and went to the supermarket together to buy groceries, before buying dinner.
The authorities found out about Ms She’s offences after conducting investigations on Mr Chiew’s breach of COVID-19 rules when he posted his MC online.
Wanted To Help
According to Channel NewsAsia, Deputy Public Prosecutor Norman Yew asked for a fine of S$4,000, saying that Ms She had allowed Mr Chiew into her flat for two consecutive days, spending many hours together in an enclosed space.
Though Ms She was aware that Mr Chiew had gone to see a doctor and had an MC issued on May 8, she let him into her home the next day too.
“There was no real need for her to let Mr Chiew into the flat,” the prosecutor said.
The judge added that the offence would not have been known if Mr Chiew didn’t post photos online.
Ms She, who was not represented by a lawyer, said that even though she had gone to shop for groceries with others, they had not been physically together at all times, and had observed safe distancing measures.
Ms She acknowledged that she has breached the Covid-19 rules and takes full responsibility for it. However, she wanted to highlight the reason.
Ms She said, “I know at the back of my mind that it is during the circuit breaker, but I wanted to extend a helping hand to him during that period. If not, I would not have allowed him in.”
In addition, Ms She mentioned that they took precautionary measures while Mr Chiew was at her flat, such as maintaining more than 1 meter apart.
She was also aware of Mr Chiew’s MC.
However, Ms She thought the MC was for a leg sprain as Mr Chiew did not appear sick to her.
District Judge Prem Raj said that if there had been only one charge, he would have been prepared to exercise greater leniency. However, Ms She’s offences had spanned two days.
The judge mentioned that he did not understand why Ms She had to meet someone else to pass her a birthday gift when she knew the need for precautions.
However, the judge bore in mind of Ms She’s very early plea of guilt and allowed her to pay her fine in instalments.
For each count of breaking a COVID-19 regulation, Ms She could have been jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$10,000, or both.
Arrest Warrant For Mr Chiew Issued Last Month
An arrest warrant was issued for Mr Chiew last month, after he failed to return to be charged alongside Ms She.
Mr Chiew is at large after leaving Singapore on 17 Jul 2020.
He was set to face seven charges under the Infectious Diseases Act and the Covid-19 regulations on 14 August, when the court heard that he had not returned to Singapore.
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