COVID-19: Woman fined for gathering with 14 other people at Chinese New Year celebration last year

SINGAPORE: A woman joined 14 other people at an office unit for a celebration during the Chinese New Year period last year, when the maximum group size under COVID-19 laws was eight. 

China national Lin Xiaofeng, 34, was fined S$3,000 by a court on Monday (Feb 7) for her flouting of COVID-19 regulations.

She pleaded guilty to one charge of breaking a COVID-19 regulation by gathering in a group of more than eight people outside her home for a non-permitted purpose. A second charge of leaving her home without reasonable excuse was taken into consideration.

The court heard that three of her co-accused - Chua Li Jin, 32, Low Xiang Hua, 31 and Ethan Tan, 31 - were having dinner on Feb 24, 2021 when Chua proposed having a Chinese New Year gathering.

Chua contacted another co-accused, 39-year-old Ong Hui Siong, who suggested having the gathering at his office in 1 Pemimpin Drive.

Ong contacted other people to help him prepare the office space for the gathering and deal with his guests. Some guests invited other guests, and people turned up for the celebration from 9pm on Feb 24, 2021.

Lin was invited by Low, arriving at the office at about 10pm on Feb 24, 2021. While the group was there, they sang karaoke and drank alcohol.

At about 2am on Feb 25, 2021, an unidentified caller notified the police about "suspicious activity" at 1 Pemimpin Drive.

Police officers went down to the location and heard loud music coming from inside. When they knocked on the door, Ong opened it. The group was seen drinking alcohol, playing games and singing karaoke inside.

There were no measures taken to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, the prosecutor said.

The prosecution and defence agreed that Lin should receive a similar sentence as her co-accused.

The prosecutor asked for a fine of S$3,000 for Lin, saying that the case involved a social gathering of more than eight people in an enclosed venue where COVID-19 regulations were "freely flouted".

"The regulations were enacted in response to the serious public health threat posed by COVID-19," she said.

"In particular, it is critical that individuals keep contact with each other to a minimum. Regulation 6, which criminalises social gatherings whether in public or at home, specifically addresses the need to reduce unnecessary interaction."

She added that the gathering was "frivolous and completely unnecessary", causing a noise disturbance that resulted in a 999 call.

For breaking a COVID-19 regulation, she could have been jailed up to six months, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

Most of Lin's 14 co-accused have been sentenced. Most of them received fines of S$3,000 each, except Ong, the tenant of the office space. He was fined S$12,000 in November.

Two others, Joseph Lim Si Swee and Lim Weitzien, were fined S$6,000 each. They had helped Ong prepare the premises for the gathering and had additional charges under the Public Entertainments Act and Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act. 

The other cases are pending.