Singapore Student Flouts SHN Upon Returning From UK
UPDATE (30 Aug): 24-year-old Esther Tan Ling Ying was sentenced to 12 weeks’ jail on 30 Aug for exposing others to the risk of a Covid-19 infection, The Straits Times (ST) reported.
Public prosecutors had pushed for the maximum 6-month sentence.
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When Singaporeans return from overseas, they are expected to serve stay-home notices (SHN) for 7 to 14 days.
Flouting SHN is punishable by law. But unfortunately, some have failed to follow the rules.
A 24-year-old student, Esther Tan Ling Ying, has been convicted under the Infectious Diseases Act for flouting her SHN after returning to Singapore from the United Kingdom last March.
Instead of returning home as required, she visited a food court at the airport and a clinic. She later tested positive for Covid-19.
Student flouted SHN & lied about travel history
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Tan has been charged for breaching her SHN notice. After arriving in Singapore from the UK on 23 Mar 2020, she visited a food court in the airport and a clinic in Clementi.
She had also lied about her travel history while visiting the clinic.
During Tan’s trial on Monday, she mentioned that the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer did not inform her to return home immediately.
She also stated that there was no indication on the SHN to do so and thought that the stay-home order was only applicable the next day, according to what her friends told her.
However, Tan later said she thought the SHN would only begin once she reached home.
Concerning her flu symptoms, Tan shared that she thought they were due to her long-standing sinus issues.
Sentenced to 12 weeks’ jail
The prosecutor for Tan’s trial also pulled out a CCTV clip of her coughing with her mask lowered in the clinic.
She had also signed a statement to confirm that she wanted to get medication to recover from her flu.
For flouting SHN rules and exposing the public to the risk of Covid-19 infection, Tan was sentenced to 12 weeks’ jail on 30 Aug.
The maximum sentence is 6 months’ jail and up to $10,000 fine, which Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Lim pushed for.
He called her actions “egregious”, citing how she’d lied to a doctor about her travel history.
According to ST, the doctor had testified that Tan claimed to have been in Singapore since Jan last year as she’d returned for Chinese New Year.
Tan had apparently also said she’d “dodged a bullet” by supposedly not returning to Britain, which was a lie.
Be socially responsible & follow Covid-19 rules
Covid-19 safety measures should be viewed seriously. If you’re unsure of the rules, you can check them on the Ministry of Health’s official website.
Several others have also faced severe consequences for flouting SHN. Hopefully, such cases would act as a warning for those who will need to serve them in the future.
The rules are meant to protect the community and reduce the spread of Covid-19. Hence, do remember to act responsibly and be more considerate of others.
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Featured image adapted from Unsplash.
