Woman charged with leaving home while sick, staying out when she could be COVID-19 case or carrier
File photo of the State Courts in Singapore. (Photo: Calvin Oh)
SINGAPORE: A woman who was given a medical certificate requiring her to stay home for four days as she had an acute respiratory infection is accused of leaving her house twice.
Two weeks after being given the medical certificate, Norliana Hazuliani, 22, allegedly remained outside her Clementi flat, exposing other people to the risk of COVID-19 infection, even though she had reason to suspect she either was a case or carrier of the disease.
Norliana was on Thursday (Jul 15) given two charges of failing to comply with a COVID-19 stay order and one charge of exposing others to the risk of infection.
According to her charge sheets, she went to Clementi Polyclinic on Oct 10 last year and was diagnosed with acute respiratory infection.
She was given a medical certificate for four days, but is accused of leaving her home that very day.
She allegedly left her home again two days later while the medical certificate still applied.
About two weeks later on Oct 26, 2020, Norliana was told by a doctor at Changi General Hospital that she had an upper respiratory tract infection.
She was asked to undergo a swab test for COVID-19, and given a medical certificate stating that she was unfit for duty and required by law to stay at home for three days until her test came back negative.
According to court documents, Norliana remained outside her home from 9.52pm that day and 9.16am the next day.
She is accused of exposing other people to the risk of infection by her presence when she had reason to suspect she was a case or carrier of COVID-19.
There was no indication in open court whether she actually did have COVID-19.
Norliana told the court she intends to plead guilty, but asked if the case could be adjourned till after Hari Raya Haji so she could spend time with her family.
She is set to plead guilty on Aug 23. For each charge under the Infectious Diseases Act, she could be jailed up to six months, fined up to S$10,000, or both.
