Chef with COVID-19 symptoms continued working despite doctor's orders and later tested positive, gets jail

SINGAPORE: A chef who had COVID-19 symptoms was required by law to stay home on medical leave for five days, but he ignored the doctor's instructions and continued to go to work.

Over the next few days, he developed a dry cough and lost his sense of taste, but he went for a job interview at another eatery.

Six days after his visit to the clinic, he took a swab test and tested positive for COVID-19. His wife and their domestic worker also tested positive.

Malaysian Lau Zhi Zhang, 25, was jailed for five months on Monday (Feb 21). He pleaded guilty to two counts of exposing others to the risk of infection, under the Infectious Diseases Act. Another two charges were considered in sentencing.

The court heard that Lau was a long-term visit pass holder working at Napoleon Food & Wine Bar along Telok Ayer Street at the time of the offences in 2020.

Sometime in late March 2020, he developed a fever, cough and runny nose. His wife had also complained of the same symptoms a few days before.

On the morning of Mar 31, 2020, Lau went to a clinic in Circuit Road with a temperature of 37.7 degrees Celsius. He was diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection and issued a medical certificate from Mar 31 to Apr 4, 2020.

It indicated that Lau was "required by law to stay home 5 days". The doctor also told him it was mandatory for him to stay home and that he could not leave his flat or go to work during those five days.

After the clinic visit, Lau went for lunch at a nearby food centre and walked home. The next morning, he left his home to meet a colleague.

Knowing that Lau had been issued a medical certificate, Lau's colleague told him not to go to work, but Lau said he was already on his way. They met at Telok Ayer MRT Station and walked to Napoleon together.

Lau then worked in the kitchen from 10.30am to 11pm with his colleague, and took the MRT home after that. 

From Apr 2 onwards, Lau developed a dry cough and lost his sense of taste. He left his home the next day to have lunch at Circuit Road Food Centre, exposing others to the risk of infection.

On Apr 4, Lau met the same colleague as they had a job interview at another restaurant named Picotin in the Upper Bukit Timah area. 

He met his colleague at Mattar MRT Station before taking a private-hire car to Picotin. They were interviewed by the restaurant manager for about half an hour, before taking a cab to Napoleon.

Lau was not working that day, but he went along to have a drink and chat with his colleague. Lau told his colleague that he suspected he had COVID-19.

His colleague advised him to take a swab test as soon as possible, and Lau headed home at about 1.45pm.

He went to a polyclinic for a swab test two days later and was notified on the same day that he had tested positive for COVID-19. 

Lau's colleague did not test positive for the virus, but was quarantined as a close contact.

The prosecutor sought at least five months' jail for Lau, saying he had repeatedly flouted the laws and also made an arrangement for the job interview when he already knew of his symptoms.

For exposing others to the risk of infection, Lau could have been jailed up to six months, fined up to S$10,000, or both.