Dormitory security guard attended 2-day course pending COVID-19 test results, gets jail

SINGAPORE: While on medical go away for an higher respiratory tract an infection, a security guard at a staff' dormitory left his dwelling pending his COVID-19 swab test outcomes to go for a two-day abilities course.Although the 46-year-old later examined unfavourable for COVID-19, the prosecution stated he was a frontline employee at a dorm housing overseas staff, a high-risk space for COVID-19 on the time.Alvin Leong Jit Loong was sentenced to 24 days' jail on Monday (Dec 13). He pleaded responsible to 2 counts of breaking a regulation below the Infectious Diseases Act by leaving his dwelling when he was on medical go away and earlier than receiving a unfavourable COVID-19 swab test consequence.A 3rd cost was thought-about in sentencing.The court docket heard that Leong was a security officer with Securitas Guarding Services, working at Sunview Way Dormitory at Pioneer North.On Nov 8, 2020, he visited a clinic close to his dwelling in Simei to hunt therapy for a fever, cough, physique aches and sore throat. A physician examined him and recognized him with a fever and an higher respiratory tract an infection.He instructed Leong to go for a COVID-19 swab test and to remain at dwelling till he was given a unfavourable consequence. Leong acknowledged this and accepted a medical certificates excusing him from work for 5 days.The certificates said that he was required by regulation to remain at dwelling during his MC - from Nov 8 to Nov 12 final yr - or till his unfavourable swab test consequence was out.After leaving the clinic, Leong went for a swab test and was instructed once more to remain dwelling till he obtained a notification of a unfavourable consequence.However, Leong left his dwelling the subsequent two days to attend the Guard and Patrol (Supervise Security Officers) course on the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability in Jurong East. On Nov 9, he left his dwelling in Simei earlier than 9am and returned dwelling after the course ended at 6pm, taking public transport each methods.The subsequent day, he left his dwelling once more earlier than 9am and went for the course, earlier than heading dwelling when it ended at about 1pm. He had not obtained any notification of a unfavourable swab test consequence.A colleague of Leong's notified the Health Ministry later that Leong had attended programs carried out by the Workforce Skills Qualifications in November and December 2020 whereas he was on medical go away.

HE PLACED COMMUTERS AT RISK: PROSECUTOR

The prosecutor requested for 4 weeks' jail, noting that Leong was in an enclosed house with different folks for a very long time - about 9 hours on the primary day and 4 on the second.He travelled a protracted distance from Simei to Jurong and again, placing fellow MRT commuters in danger, and he was a frontline employee at a dorm housing overseas staff, which was a high-risk space for COVID-19, stated the prosecutor."There is a heightened need for general deterrence of any offence that endangers public health, all the more so during a pandemic," he stated."With COVID-19 in particular, social responsibility is critical in combating the virus. People in Singapore had been advised by the Government to maintain personal hygiene, see a doctor and stay at home if feeling unwell."In mitigation, Leong stated the sentence requested for by the prosecutor was "a bit too heavy". He stated "we are all hit by COVID", and that he went for the course not "to enjoy" however to higher himself."I have no intention to harm anybody, because I (was) working more high risk so I regularly swabbed, and on that day itself I don't expect to have quarantine order," he stated.He claimed the directions weren't "very well-communicated" and questioned the choose, asking if he can attend court docket if he's at present on medical go away. He stated that in different conditions, if he had the flu and had a medical certificates, he would nonetheless need to attend court docket.The choose stated that they weren't speaking in regards to the state of affairs previously. She stated the nation was scuffling with the pandemic on the time of the offences and the physician was simply doing his job.She added that he had signs and had a excessive potential to have contracted COVID-19 as a frontline employee however went out in violation of his medical certificates."Imagine if you were indeed positive ... how many people were going to get infected by you?" she stated.She added that he may have taken one other course, and that it isn't only a cough and flu. She stated that Leong was fortunately not recognized with COVID-19, or the gravity of the breach would have been larger.For every cost of contravening a regulation of the Infectious Diseases Act, Leong may have been jailed as much as six months, fined as much as S$10,000, or each.