‘If I stay home, it’s very boring’: Man charged with repeatedly leaving home despite quarantine order
It is unclear how the authorities discovered the alleged breaches.
SINGAPORE — Despite being served a quarantine order after he was suspected to have come into contact with a Covid-19 patient, Soh Poh Tiong wandered out of his home eight times, for up to 10 hours on one occasion.
The 65-year-old Singaporean was charged on Wednesday (Nov 11) with eight counts of leaving his place of isolation in May.
He had been ordered by Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, director of medical services at the Ministry of Health, to be isolated in his Housing and Development Board flat along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 from May 10 until noon on May 22.
In spite of this, Soh allegedly left his home on eight occasions from May 14 to May 21.
The duration when he was out ranged from two hours and three minutes to 10 hours and six minutes, court documents showed.
It is unclear how the authorities discovered the alleged breaches.
When District Judge Teo Guan Kee asked Soh if he wished to plead guilty or contest the charges, he repeatedly replied in Mandarin through an interpreter: “Yes, I was wrong.”
Deputy Public Prosecutor Michelle Lu proposed that Soh be given the opportunity to plead guilty in four weeks, adding that he can seek legal help in the meantime.
Soh then told the court that he has not worked for two or three years.
He said: “I cannot stay at home. I will not be able to take it… I want to be honest. I am all alone at home. If I stay home, it is very boring, so I have to go out and take a walk.”
He will return to court on Dec 8.
If convicted of leaving his place of isolation under the Infectious Diseases Act, he could be punished with a jail term of up to six months or a fine of up to S$10,000, or both.
