SINGAPORE: After a trial that spanned more than a year , a man from Wuhan and his wife have been convicted of withholding information from COVID-19 contact tracers.
China national Hu Jun, 40, was found guilty of one count under the Infectious Diseases Act of deliberately withholding information from contact tracers about his whereabouts and activities.
His wife, 36-year-old Shi Sha, was convicted of four charges for withholding information, giving false information and failing to respond fully and truthfully to a health officer.
Hu had travelled to Singapore from China's Wuhan, the original epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, in January 2020 to spend Chinese New Year with his family.
He tested positive for COVID-19 nine days after his arrival, and did not tell a health officer that he travelled to various places while infectious. These include hotels, a restaurant and the Chinese embassy.
In his defence, Hu said he did not give certain information to health officials as he was either unaware they wanted that information, could not recall the names of the places he visited or did not have enough time to respond.
He had come to Singapore a few times before but these were brief visits to tourist spots and he was unfamiliar with the country, he said.
On Jan 29, 2020, Hu went to Singapore General Hospital with his wife, after feeling dizzy, warm and starting to cough.
Hu testified that he felt "unusually cold" and used multiple blankets in the ward, but later told the prosecutor upon cross-examination that it was likely he only had the flu .
"Until today I'm not too sure if I'm a confirmed case (of COVID-19)," he said, claiming that no one told him so while he was in hospital.
Hu's wife, Shi, testified during her turn on the stand that she found it difficult to communicate with the contact tracer, claiming she could almost confirm that Mandarin was not the woman's mother tongue.
It was like a chicken talking to a duck, she said.
Shi said she was worried about medical bills as she did not know that the Singapore Government covered the cost of COVID-19 treatment at the time, and that people "around the world" have been reprimanding her and her husband after seeing the news.
"In these almost two years, we could not see our relatives or family, cannot see our children. Every day and night I have been remembering and recalling these details because I do not know - for going to the hospital on our own accord, treating every call from MOH seriously, I do not know what I have done wrong, therefore I have been thinking over these details," she testified at trial.
Shi and Hu face penalties of up to six months' jail, a maximum S$10,000 fine or both, for each charge under the Infectious Diseases Act.
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China national Hu Jun, 40, was found guilty of one count under the Infectious Diseases Act of deliberately withholding information from contact tracers about his whereabouts and activities.
His wife, 36-year-old Shi Sha, was convicted of four charges for withholding information, giving false information and failing to respond fully and truthfully to a health officer.
Hu had travelled to Singapore from China's Wuhan, the original epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, in January 2020 to spend Chinese New Year with his family.
He tested positive for COVID-19 nine days after his arrival, and did not tell a health officer that he travelled to various places while infectious. These include hotels, a restaurant and the Chinese embassy.
In his defence, Hu said he did not give certain information to health officials as he was either unaware they wanted that information, could not recall the names of the places he visited or did not have enough time to respond.
He had come to Singapore a few times before but these were brief visits to tourist spots and he was unfamiliar with the country, he said.
On Jan 29, 2020, Hu went to Singapore General Hospital with his wife, after feeling dizzy, warm and starting to cough.
Hu testified that he felt "unusually cold" and used multiple blankets in the ward, but later told the prosecutor upon cross-examination that it was likely he only had the flu .
"Until today I'm not too sure if I'm a confirmed case (of COVID-19)," he said, claiming that no one told him so while he was in hospital.
Hu's wife, Shi, testified during her turn on the stand that she found it difficult to communicate with the contact tracer, claiming she could almost confirm that Mandarin was not the woman's mother tongue.
It was like a chicken talking to a duck, she said.
Shi said she was worried about medical bills as she did not know that the Singapore Government covered the cost of COVID-19 treatment at the time, and that people "around the world" have been reprimanding her and her husband after seeing the news.
"In these almost two years, we could not see our relatives or family, cannot see our children. Every day and night I have been remembering and recalling these details because I do not know - for going to the hospital on our own accord, treating every call from MOH seriously, I do not know what I have done wrong, therefore I have been thinking over these details," she testified at trial.
Shi and Hu face penalties of up to six months' jail, a maximum S$10,000 fine or both, for each charge under the Infectious Diseases Act.
Continue reading...