We’ve already heard a few stories of people who breached their Stay-Home Notice (SHN), got caught for it, and then had to face serious consequences for their actions.
However, people are still doing it, although the number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore is climbing steadily and everyone is advised to stay at home as much as possible and practise social distancing.
So why is it that those who are most at risk of having the illness are also the ones who want to go out the most?
Two Students From NUS Breached Their SHN
Two students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) were caught on video breaching their SHNs.
Associate Professor Leong Ching, the NUS Dean of Students, said that both students have already been reported to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
It is unclear where the students were serving out their SHNs, but according to the update, they were “supposed to be in their rooms”.
It was also not revealed how long they had been serving it for, or which country they had returned from, since all of NUS’ student cases are imported.
“Being young and strong, you may think that (the virus) will not hit you hard,” said Associate Professor Leong, addressing the students.
“You may be right, or not, but it will expose many others – the elderly, the immune-compromised, the very young.”
Incident Will Be Brought To The NUS Board Of Discipline
This matter will be brought to the attention of the NUS Board of Discipline, which may impose a range of sanctions on the students, including expulsion.
Previously, a foreign student’s exchange programme was terminated after she breached her Leave of Absence (LOA) and made a false declaration.
She was officially reprimanded and sent back home, although it was never revealed what she did to breach her LOA.
The students who breached their SHN may also be prosecuted under the Infectious Diseases Act and could each be fined up to $10,000, or jailed for up to six months, or both.
Most Overseas NUS Students Have Returned To Singapore
Since 26 Mar, all Singaporeans and Singapore residents returning from the United States or the United Kingdom are required to serve their mandatory 14-day SHN in a dedicated facility, instead of in their own homes.
Most NUS students who were studying overseas in these two countries have already returned.
In fact, Associate Professor Leong said that in the past two weeks, 93 per cent of NUS’ 1,400 students overseas had returned home.
The remaining students will be brought back soon and will be placed on SHN once they arrive in Singapore.
The university currently has at least 18 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 14 of them are students. Two more staff members were reported to have tested positive on Monday, and staff members and students who were in close contact with them have been quarantined.
