The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 111 news locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 and 5 imported cases.
24 of the cases are linked to the North Coast Lodge cluster
30 are linked to previous cases and were detected through surveillance. 33 are currently unlinked.
Bugis Junction
MOH is investigating 20 cases of COVID-19 infection amongst individuals who work in Bugis Junction (200 Victoria Street).
Staff who have been working in affected shops at Bugis Junction will be tested, and close contacts of confirmed cases will be quarantined.
Free testing
To uncover any community infection cases, we will also extend free COVID-19 testing to members of the public who had visited the retail shops or used the services/ facilities at Bugis Junction between 17 August and 24 August.
Individuals who had only walked through the mall to connect to neighbouring buildings or Bugis MRT station need not be tested.
All visitors to Bugis Junction between 17 August and 24 August are advised to monitor their health closely, and minimise social interactions as far as possible, for 14 days from their date of visit.
They are encouraged to see a doctor immediately if they feel unwell.
Joel Ang Yun Nan, 25 y.o, was jailed for two weeks and fined S$15,500 on Monday (Aug 23) over the infringement of Covid-19 regulations.
He had already been arrested for hosting two large parties over two weekends in an industrial building in Sin Ming, but decided to break the rules again by organising another large gathering several months later when new restrictions have already kicked in due to the spike in locally transmitted Covid-19 cases.
An additional two months of imprisonment will be meted out if he is unable to pay his fine.
He pleaded guilty to three charges, two for exceeding the maximum allowed group size and one for unlicensed provision of public entertainment or exemptionz
Three more charges which includes supplying alcohol without having a liquor license was taken into consideration during his sentencing.
The parties he organised
On January 8, he hosted a party involving 40 people for his birthday celebrations.
The maximum permissible size for gatherings was only 8 at the point of time where it was Phase 3 of safe reopening.
The party was allegedly planned in December last year by Ang and his accomplice, Kenneth Chua Wei Lun to be hosted at a unit in Sin Ming’s Midview City Building.
Ang and Chua rented the unit under a company “Music Production Studio” where Ang was an authorised representative and jointly made decisions such as the furnishings and also the share of the profits for liquor sales.
Chua came out with the capital for their venture while Ang was in charge of overseeing the operations.
Patrons were not charged for entry fees but for alcohol via cash or paynow.
Other illegal gatherings
Ang had also opened the unit for other parties several other times before the Jan 8 incident.
To hide from the police that he was running an entertainment venue illegally, he lied to them and said that he paid for all the alcohol and he was the host.
Their venture came to light on Jan 8 when the building’s security team told the operations manager (OM) about loud music playing and also the countless number of people entering and exiting the unit.
The OM then went up to check around midnight and found many people waiting outside the locked unit and decided to call the police.
Police officers then found 40 people ages between 17 and 32 inclusive of Chua and Ang when they searched the unit around 3.10am.
While Ang was investigated for this, he proceeded to host another party with 12 patrons the following weekend at the same place.
Second check by Police
On Jan 17, 3.30am, Police went back to check the unit again.
This time, seven men and six women between 19 and 36 were caught drinking alcohol, chatting and blasting music from speakers.
Ang was also present and was arrested but subsequently released on bail after being charged.
Four months later
Ang approached a friend soon before he was set to plead guilty in court for his previous offences to organise another “chill” gathering for his friends at Jalan Besar’s Ho Tat Song Building.
Police officers who were patrolling the area after 12am on May 17 found the group drinking and singing without face masks.
Seven bottles of liquor, seven speakers, one karaoke display and four microphones were also found.
It was P2HA that time and people were only allowed to gather in groups of up to 2.
One other attendee, Jayden Ang Jin Jie, 20 has also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced Thursday (26 August).
Penalties for breaking Covid-19 laws
Imprisonment up to six months, fined up to S$10,000 or both for first time offenders.
Repeat offenders face a jail term of up to a year, fine of up to S$20,000 or both.
For providing public entertainment without a license, a fine of up to S$20,000 is the punishment.
A man was filmed by a car’s security camera for ripping off a wiper from the back of a vehicle.
It is believed that the man was unhappy as there was limited space for him to move his vehicle.
However, this is a crime that can be charged under Singapore’s Mischief Penal Code. If the man is found guilty of causing damage of $500 or more he can face imprisonment of a maximum of 2 years and/or a fine.
The wiper is cheap but if ripping the wiper cause the motor to be damaged it can cost much more for repair.
A 74 y.o logistics worker has reportedly passed on after falling off an elevated platform at the loading bay area of Century Square mall in Tampines on August 13.
He was pulling a trolley backwards in the loading day when he the unfortunate incident happened.
He allegedly fell off the open side of a 1 metre tall platform located next to the ramp.
The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council said in a bulletin on Monday on August 23 that the man may have mistakenly entered the open side of the elevated platform instead of the ramp.
The worker, who was employed by AST Logistics, was taken to Changi General Hospital where he passed on the following day because of his injuries.
Spokesperson of the management of Century Square, Frasers Property Retail said that they are aware of the incident and shared their condolences with the family of the deceased.
A netizen sends in an email exposing a Thai Disco that has hostesses working inside and they are offering other Thai girls to work if “ladies drink” commission.
Here is the story:
Sharing this piece of info on a Thai girl who is a Singapore PR. The operator of a Siam Diu who is now openly recruiting for hostesses on her FB.
S***** Bar at Golden Mile Complex, a so-called FnB joint but in truth a Thai disco in operation. Siam diu owner, who is a Singapore PR from Thailand, openly recruiting for hostesses on FB, now that the authorities are relaxing their checks on such places. Attached is her photo. Even though hostesses are still not allowed today, it seems like this operator will challenge the law. The KTV saga had already died down.
Many places are reopening or have already reopened. The operators, especially those that were not caught in the previous KTV cluster, are back in business and recruiting for hostesses openly on FB.
Her post shows that ladies drinks (LD) can cost up to $520 per 24 shots and using this as an incentive for recruitment. Targeted towards Thai wives living in Singapore. Do they care that history may repeat itself?
Why should they care, the money is too good for them to stop. This owner has a banker boyfriend to assist her on this as well.
This shows that money counts above anything in the nightlife business. But challenging the laws so openly now that we have just reopened slightly?
There have been many scammers from China there are using phone calls to scare people by pretending to be “MOH” officials. They will first scare the victim into believing them and later ask for your bank information.
Here is an encounter by a netizen:
Just received a call from robocall that told me to press 3 and someone speaking Chinese claiming to be from “MOH” informed me that someone USED my name (I gave a false name) to send false covid news in china.
Then they asked me to write down a bunch of details of the registered phone number in shanghai before “forwarding” me to “shanghai police”.
The “policeman” asked a bunch of questions, then asked me to search for the shanghai police station before showing me the official website’s contact number and called me back spoofing that number and claiming that he will record a “statement” from me before he can investigate this impersonation fraud.
I hung up and he called me multiple times and even WhatsApp me which I ignore and report on WhatsApp.
A netizen, Gilbert Goh, shared a heartbreaking photo depicting the forgotten and neglected members of our society.
Goh started a charity campaign to provide money and food for the poor and homeless in Singapore, and he chanced upon an elderly tissue seller.
Goh handed him an angbao and the uncle was so moved that he started crying.
Here is what Gilbert had to say:
“Shocked when this elderly tissue paper seller shed tears after passing him our angbao earlier today.
He is a regular peddler at the usual spot and there are many passer-by who supported him by buying his tissues or just drop him some small cash out of sympathy.
We sometimes passed him our free meals whenever we are distributing at that vicinity and he seems to be there 24/7 even late at night.
If you do pass by that area and see him peddling his tissues, why not support him by buying some?
Do something good for Singapore – a charity movement to alleviate the hardships of displaced elderly Singaporeans.”
