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Two Chinese nationals have been charged in Singapore State Courts on Feb. 28 under the Infectious Diseases Act.

They have been charged with giving false information amid efforts by authorities to conduct contact tracing and implement quarantine orders during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The couple is 38-year-old Hu Jun and his wife, 36-year-old Shi Sha, who resides in Singapore.

Hu, who is Case 16, is from Wuhan.

He arrived in Singapore on Jan. 22 and was confirmed to be infected with Covid-19 on Jan. 31.

Shi was identified as a close contact of Hu and was issued a quarantine order on Feb. 1.

It is not known why they decided to provide false information to the authorities about their movements in Singapore.

Both concealed faces using surgical masks

Media outlets in Singapore had a field day trying to film and photograph the couple when they exited court on Friday.

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Both Chinese nationals have attracted intense public scrutiny over their actions, especially given that the man had arrived in Singapore from Wuhan, the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak.

However, both Hu and Shi concealed their faces using surgical masks, which are a hot property during this Covid-19 outbreak period.

After the couple exited the State Courts, Hu was seen wearing a surgical mask and a pair of sunglasses.

He used his jacket's hoodie to conceal the top portion of his head.

Shi exited about half an hour later, wearing a surgical mask, a pair of sunglasses and a sun hat, and was accompanied by a lawyer.

She walked in the opposite direction from her husband and kept her head lowered.

Both lied about whereabouts, wife did not comply to isolation order

Both Hu and Shi gave false information to MOH officials about their movements and whereabouts from Jan. 22 to Jan. 29 as contact tracing efforts were carried out.

Hu lied that he was staying at the condominium unit at Loft @ Nathan, only had dinner at Ion Orchard once, and took a walk in the neighbourhood during the period, CNA reported.

Hu was charged with one count of obstructing contact tracing.

His wife, Shi, was also not truthful with where she was when an isolation order was issued.

She was supposed to stay in the unit at Loft @ Nathan but was said to have stayed at a hotel.

She also lied about the unit in the condominium that she had stayed in.

Shi has four charges slapped on her: Three charges of obstructing health official's work and another for failing to comply with isolation conditions.

The couple will return to court on March 2, 2020.

MOH will take action against offences under Infectious Diseases Act

The Ministry of Health announced in a news release on Feb. 26 that the couple will be charged on Feb. 28.

MOH said it was able to establish the couple’s actual movements through detailed investigations.

In view of the “potentially serious repercussions” and the risk they could have posed to public health, MOH served the couple charges on Tuesday.

MOH has reminded the public that it is an offence under the Infectious Diseases Act for anyone to withhold or provide false information to MOH officials during contact tracing.

MOH added that it views such actions seriously and will not hesitate to take appropriate action against the perpetrators.

Any person guilty of an offence under the Infectious Diseases Act can be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed for a maximum of six months, or both.

Top photo by Julia Yeo