Coronavirus: 2 S'poreans, US pilot to be charged with breaching stay-home notices

Two Singaporeans and a United States commercial pilot are expected to be charged today with breaching the stay-home notices issued to them after they entered the Republic from overseas.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) detailed the three cases in a statement yesterday. Each is believed to have left his or her place of accommodation during the 14-day stay-home period, which is not allowed at all under the Government's Covid-19 measures.

The two Singaporeans are Chong Chun Wah, a 48-year-old man who returned to Singapore from Indonesia on March 17, and 25-year-old Siti Wan Su'Aidah Samsuri, who had come back from Australia on March 25.

Chong is alleged to have left his Bukit Batok home during the 14-day period thrice, and will be charged under the Infectious Diseases Act and the Infectious Diseases (Covid-19 - Stay Orders) Regulations 2020.

On different days, he is believed to have taken a bus to Jurong East to buy food, spending about one to 1½ hours outside; checked his mail at the ground floor of his block for five minutes; and spent 30 to 45 minutes walking to and back from a Bukit Batok coffee shop to buy food.

Siti Wan Su'Aidah, meanwhile, is alleged to have failed to respond to multiple calls made to her mobile phone by ICA as part of enforcement checks. She is said to have walked to Vista Point from her Woodlands home to buy groceries and cigarettes when she should have strictly stayed at home.

ICA said she spent about 15 to 20 minutes outside. She will be charged under the Infectious Diseases (Covid-19 - Stay Orders) Regulations 2020 and the Infectious Diseases (Measures to Prevent Spread of Covid-19) Regulations 2020.

The third person expected to be charged today is US commercial pilot Brian Dugan Yeargan.

He is deemed by ICA to have taken the MRT from Changi Airport to City Hall while on his stay-home notice, where he then walked to Chinatown Point to buy personal items. The 44-year-old had arrived in Singapore from Australia on April 3 and was issued a 30-day short-term visit pass. He spent about three hours outside, ICA said, and will be charged under the Infectious Diseases (Covid-19 - Stay Orders) Regulations 2020.

The immigration authority reiterated in its statement that it will not hesitate to take firm action against those who fail to observe stay-home requirements. Those who wish to report information about people breaching their stay-home notices can call ICA on 6812-5555 or make an online report.

Separately yesterday, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said that another 200 people who did not comply with safe distancing measures and 80 who did not wear a mask outside their homes face fines.

Nine will be fined $1,000 for having committed offences a second time. First-time offenders are fined $300.

"If these are acts of defiance and irresponsibility, they clearly undermine the efforts that everyone else has been making. What will it take to get them to understand that they are putting everyone's safety at stake?" said Mr Masagos.