S’porean woman who went to buy bubble tea, help friend with wedding preparations charged with breaching stay-home order
Nurul Afiqah Mohammed, who was infected with the coronavirus, had gone to Punggol Field to help her friend with wedding preparations and other members of her friend’s household were present on both days while she was there.
SINGAPORE — A 22-year-old Singaporean woman who returned to Singapore from Australia has been charged on Friday (Dec 11) under the Infectious Diseases Act after repeatedly breaching her stay-home notice requirements.
She later tested positive for Covid-19.
Nurul Afiqah Mohammed arrived in Singapore on March 21 and was given a stay-home notice from March 21 to April 4.
On March 23, she allegedly left her residence along Woodlands Drive to buy bubble tea at Causeway Point mall. She then went to Nanyang Polytechnic.
On April 2 and 3, Nurul allegedly went out again, this time to Punggol Field to help her friend with wedding preparations. Other members of her friend’s household were also present on both days while she was there.
Nurul later felt unwell and visited Khoo Teck Puat Hospital on April 12. She tested positive for Covid-19 and was admitted to the hospital.
In a statement on Friday, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that Nurul’s case demonstrates “the very real risk breaching stay-home notice requirements can pose to all of us”.
In a separate case, Mohd Noor Salam Mohd Yusof, 40, was issued with a stay-home notice from March 26 to April 10 upon his arrival in Singapore from Malaysia.
On March 31, he allegedly left his declared place of residence along Woodlands Street and took public transport to his mother’s home in Chua Chu Kang. He also visited Choa Chu Kang Neighbourhood Police Centre along the way.
Then, on April 2, Noor allegedly left his mother’s place to visit the Housing and Development Board branch office in Chua Chu Kang, an eatery Limbang Kopitiam and the vicinity of Limbang Shopping Centre.
Noor was also charged on Friday with breaching a stay-home notice under the Infectious Diseases (Covid-19 — Stay Orders) Regulations 2020.
Failure to comply with stay-home notice requirements may lead to a fine of up to S$10,000 or a jail term of up to six months, or both. For foreigners, ICA may further revoke or shorten the validity of permits and passes to remain or work in Singapore.
