（Singapore, April 29, 2020）As of none of today, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has preliminarily confirmed an additional 690 cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore, bringing the island country’s total number of COVID-19 cases to more than the 15,000.
It says the vast majority of the new cases are Work Permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories. Six cases are Singaporeans/ Permanent Residents.
Meanwhile, a 50-year-old male Singapore Citizen, Ong Chong Kiat, will be charged in court on 30 April 2020 after breaching his Stay-Home Notice (SHN), an offense under the Infectious Diseases (COVID-19 – Stay Orders) Regulations 2020.
MOH says that the Government had announced that from 20 March 2020, 2359 hours, all residents, Long-Term Pass holders, and short-term visitors entering Singapore would be issued an SHN and must remain in their place of residence at all times for a 14-day period.
Further measures were put in place, from 9 April 2020, 2359hrs, requiring all residents, Long-Term Pass holders, and short-term visitors entering Singapore to serve their 14-day SHN at dedicated facilities.
Ong arrived in Singapore from Indonesia on 24 March 2020 and was served with an SHN for the period of 24 March to 7 April 2020. However, he left his place of residence in Hougang on two occasions.
On 27 March 2020, Ong took a private hire vehicle to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) Building, with the intention to make an appeal to be allowed to depart Singapore before completing his 14-day SHN. ICA officers advised him to return home immediately. He had left his place of residence for approximately three hours.
On 30 March 2020, he again left his residence and took a private hire vehicle to Tan Tock Seng Hospital to obtain medical test reports, before proceeding to ICA Building to try to appeal again to be allowed to depart Singapore before completing his 14-day SHN. He had spent approximately two hours outside.
