A 22-year-old woman in Singapore has been jailed three weeks on Sep. 1, 2021 for going shopping with her boyfriend and hanging out with her friend, after she was specifically instructed to stay home as her Covid-19 test result was not out.

Ang Siu Yen, a Malaysian and Singapore permanent resident, pleaded guilty to one count under the infectious diseases regulations for leaving her accommodation when she had already been ordered to stay home and issued with a medical certificate (MC).

Her MC, issued for an upper respiratory tract infection, came with the instruction for her to stay home.

In total, court documents showed she left her home on two consecutive days -- the first day was when she went home from the clinic only to go out again.

About the case

Ang visited Healthway Medical Clinic at Yishun on Oct. 24, 2020, at about 8:39am and was diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection.

She received treatment there for a runny nose, cough with phlegm, and dry sore throat.

The doctor informed Ang of the diagnosis and told her to go for a Covid-19 swab test and stay at home until she received a negative result.

Ang acknowledged the instructions.

She was then given a MC, which stated that she was required by law to stay at home for the duration as stated, or until her test result showed that she was Covid-19 negative.

The MC also excused her from work for four days from Oct. 24 to 27.

Ang left the clinic and took a swab test.

She then returned home.

But she then left the house several hours later.

She took a public bus to Yishun MRT station.

She then met her boyfriend Song Mun Jian at the Sheng Siong supermarket at Junction Nine mall.

She then went back home via public bus.

Went out the next day

The next day, Ang left her house again.

Details of her travelling around Singapore for the day were logged on her EZ-Link card records.

How she was found out

A doctor from Healthway Medical Clinic went to Ang's residence between 12.15pm and 12.50pm on the second day when she went out to inform her that her swab test sample was rejected.

Ang was required to do another test.

But she was not at home.

The doctor then contacted Ang through her housemate's mobile phone.

He told her she needed to take another test.

He also reminded her that she should not be outdoors.

Went to multiple locations while out on second day

On her second day out, Ang took a bus to the National Library at 2.07pm, where she met her boyfriend.

They went shopping at Bugis Junction, and then took public transport to Yew Tee MRT at 4.41pm.

Ang bumped into her friend near Block 761 Choa Chu Kang.

Both women walked two dogs and both women posed for photos.

Ang then headed to Yew Tee Point to have dinner with her boyfriend.

She then took public transport back to Yishun.

Ang eventually tested negative for Covid-19.

For breaching her stay-home requirements, she could have been jailed up to six months and/ or fined up to S$10,000.

Top photo via Google Maps