appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

TODAY

Six people who were part of a 12-person gathering at Singapore’s Lazarus Island in August were fined S$3,000 (US$2,200) each on Thursday for breaking the Covid-19 group limit of five.
They include Singaporean Natalie Joanna Sarkies, 29, who posted photographs of the group gathering on Instagram. The photos were later reposted on various platforms.
The five others who were fined are British nationals, all aged between 30 and 32.
All six pleaded guilty to one count each of breaching the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures)(Control Order) Regulation 2020, which bans gatherings of more than five people outside their home or for non-work purposes.
Singapore expats who flouted circuit breaker rules fined, work passes revoked
They were all aware of this requirement, which is still in force today, the court heard. It is not known if they will be allowed to continue working in Singapore.
Another Briton who met them for the outing was similarly fined S$3,000 last month. His lawyer said then that his stay in Singapore was “about to come to an end”.


The other five people who gathered at the island – four Britons and a Vietnamese citizen – have been charged and their cases are pending.
The court heard that the group took a ferry from mainland Singapore to St John’s Island on August 8 at about 11am.
They then walked to the beach along Lazarus Island, which has a land connection to St John’s Island, and engaged in various leisure activities together, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Timotheus Koh said. At 6pm that day, they took a ferry back to mainland Singapore.
Singapore PM pushes for foreign talent, says LGBT people welcome
DPP Koh sought fines, noting that the photos showed it was a planned outing and that they either had their face masks pulled down or were not wearing masks.
“Their conduct belittles the tremendous efforts and sacrifices of the vast majority, who have, among many things, given up the pleasures of social interaction with family and friends for the public good to contain the spread of Covid-19,” he said.
“The courts should firmly denounce such behaviour and send a strong message that we need to continue to be vigilant and comply with measures, even as they are cautiously eased, to prevent a ‘second wave’ of community spread.”

Defence lawyer Shafiuddin Ong from Emerald Law – who represented three of the accused – said in mitigation that his clients “have realised the folly of their conduct”.
His clients personally addressed the court and apologised, with Sarkies saying: “I take full responsibility for the actions that I have done and I would like to express my deep regret and remorse, especially during these tough times.”
Are Singaporean workers really losing jobs to Indian expats?
While Ong sought a lower fine of S$2,500, District Judge Ronald Gwee said that parity was an issue as the Briton who met the group was previously sentenced to a S$3,000 fine.
For breaching a Covid-19 regulation, they could have been jailed up to six months or fined up to S$10,000 (US$7,400), or both.
In June, seven foreigners pleaded guilty to socialising in groups at Robertson Quay bars and restaurants during May, when coronavirus circuit breaker measures were in force, and were fined S$8,000 or S$9,000 (US$5,700 or US$6,400) each. Six also had their work passes revoked.
Read the original story at Today Online.


Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotels sees ‘bleisure’ boom after pandemic curbs, CEO says

US could require US$15,000 bonds for some tourist, business visas

China’s Shenzhen, Guangzhou airports hit record highs, surpass pre-Covid passenger levels

Landmark US Chinatown survived Covid, anti-Asian violence – but tariffs pose new threat

Coronavirus pandemic

Singaporean, expats fined for breaching coronavirus regulations in island outing

A group of 12 people, mostly from Britain, who went to Singapore’s Lazarus Island on August 8, breaking the legal limit for gatherings of five people. Photo: Facebook

People sit along the steps of the quay watching lights illuminate Marina Bay Sands hotels and resorts to celebrate its tenth anniversary and usher in the holiday season in Singapore on November 26, 2020. (Photo by Roslan Rahman / AFP)

Singaporeans stranded by coronavirus embrace island daycations and private yachts

Singaporeans have become so eager to travel that they’ve been chartering private jets without leaving the country. Photo: Handout

The latest Restaurant A380 @ Changi idea is part of a Òsuite of experiencesÓ meant for SIAÕs Singapore customers and fans over the next few weeks. Photo: Handout

As Singapore job market tightens and employment passes stricter, expats are feeling the squeeze

Uncertain job prospects, online commentary and stricter conditions risk making Singapore a less welcoming destination. Photo: Xinhua

epa08615812 A volunteer medical personnel in personal protective equipment (PPE) calls out to a migrant worker patient for his turn at Healthserve clinic in Singapore, 18 August 2020 (issued 21 August 2020). Healthserve is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) providing affordable medical and dental care for migrant workers through volunteer-run clinics. The NGO has seen some of its volunteer doctors reduced drastically at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic due to a directive that doctors working in public institutions should only be working in one place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The daily number of infections in Singapore has tapered down as the local government declared all migrant workers dormitories - where several clusters were detected - cleared of COVID-19. About 86 percent of workers in the construction, marine and process sectors were allowed to resume work on 19 August 2020. EPA-EFE/HOW HWEE YOUNG ATTENTION: This Image is part of a PHOTO SET

epaselect epa08615808 Volunteer medical personnel put on their personal protection equipment (PPE) at a Healthserve clinic in Singapore, 18 August 2020 (issued 21 August 2020). Healthserve is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) providing affordable medical and dental care for migrant workers through volunteer-run clinics. The NGO has seen some of its volunteer doctors reduced drastically at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic due to a directive that doctors working in public institutions should only be working in one place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The daily number of infections in Singapore has tapered down as the local government declared all migrant workers dormitories - where several clusters were detected - cleared of COVID-19. About 86 percent of workers in the construction, marine and process sectors were allowed to resume work on 19 August 2020. EPA-EFE/HOW HWEE YOUNG ATTENTION: This Image is part of a PHOTO SET

Young Singaporeans are ready to talk about race. Are their parents?

Pedestrians in the Orchard Road district of Singapore. Photo: Reuters

Raeesah Khan from Singapore's opposition Workers' Party. Photo: Facebook

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE: Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew addresses delegates at the Global Brand Forum in Singapore, 16 August 2004. Lee Kuan Yew will no longer be involved in day-to-day government as mentor to the cabinet, his son, the new Prime Mnister Lee Hsien Loong, said in remarks published 16 August 2004. AFP PHOTO/ROSLAN RAHMAN (Photo credit should read ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

epa08538206 Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong waves in a bus after visiting a polling station in Singapore, 10 July 2020. Singaporeans go to the polls 10 July 2020 in a general election amidst the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic where all 93 seats will be contested in parliament. The ruling People's Action Party has called for Singaporeans to give it a 'strong mandate' in order to overcome the health and economic crisis posed by the pandemic while opposition parties have said that it is critical for more alternative voices in parliament to provide checks and balances on the government. EPA-EFE/HOW HWEE YOUNG

Singapore's Minister of Law Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam speaks during a press conference along with deputy speaker of the parliament and chairman of the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods, in Singapore on September 20, 2018. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)

===PHOTO CAPTURED ONLINE=== Ong Ye Kung. Photo: Facebook

Expats who flouted Singapore’s circuit breaker to gather for drinks face US$7,000 fine or jail

People are seen gathering and drinking outside a restaurant in Robertson Quay in Singapore in May, during the circuit breaker restrictions. Seven foreigners have been charged with flouting social distancing rules. Photo: Facebook

Boat Quay stands near-empty during a phased lockdown due to the coronavirus in the central business district of Singapore, on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Mostly empty offices, staggered work hours, face shields and contact tracing -- that's what Singapore's cautious return to work will look like under the watchful gaze of the hub's financial regulator. The authority's approach is part of a phased reopening of the city-state, which has been under one of the longest lockdowns in Asia as authorities battled a second wave of coronavirus infections. Photographer: Lauryn Ishak/Bloomberg

Hong Kong second-worst city in Asia for expats to live due to soaring costs and declining stability, survey finds

Hong Kong has once again slid down a ranking of the world’s best places for expats to live. Photo: Winson Wong

A woman take selfie of the city from The Peak on a sunny day amid the ‘third wave’ of the coronavirus infections. 17JUL20 SCMP / Sun Yeung

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

Coronavirus


The Singapore woman and five Britons were part of a group of 12 people who gathered at Lazarus Island in August, breaking the limit of five
Another Briton was fined last month and five more are still to be charged. In June, seven foreigners were fined for flouting circuit breaker rules



They were part of a group of 12 people, mostly Britons, who gathered at Lazarus Island in August, breaking the limit of five.


Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Singapore

Coronavirus Singapore

Today Online