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Yishun woman on MC shopped, visited boyfriend while sick

(Photo: Frasers Centrepoint Singapore)
(Photo: Frasers Centrepoint Singapore)

SINGAPORE — A woman placed on a five-day medical certificate for an acute upper respiratory infection instead visited her friend, shopped at Northpoint City and spent time with her boyfriend and his family.

Janani Kalaychelvam, 24, pleaded guilty on Thursday (16 September) to breaching the terms of her medical certificate, which required her to stay home. Two charges of a similar nature will be taken into consideration for her sentencing.

The Singaporean went to OneDoctors Family Clinic along Yishun Ring Road on 30 January for a sore throat, cough and shortness of breath, which she had been experiencing for a few days. She was seen by a doctor at about 7.55pm, and was diagnosed with an acute upper respiratory infection.

The doctor asked Janani to return to the clinic to take a COVID-19 swab test on 1 February, as the clinic had stopped collecting swabs for that day.

Janani was issued with a five-day medical certificate (30 January to 3 February), instead of the usual three days, since she would only be doing her swab two days after seeing the doctor. She was informed that she would not be allowed to leave home during this period except to seek medical treatment and to do her swab test, which she acknowledged.

However, upon leaving the clinic, Janani took a taxi to her friend’s house for dinner and remained there until about 3.50am on 31 January.

On the evening of 1 February, Janani left home and travelled in a Grab car to Northpoint City to shop for a shirt for her boyfriend at Uniqlo. She then proceeded to her boyfriend’s residence, where she remained until the early hours of 2 February. Her boyfriend and his mother were also present.

Janani did not tell anyone about her MC and did not wear a mask while she was there. She only returned home, via a Grab car, at about 1.16am on 2 February. In total, she left home for about five hours and 29 minutes.

According to her charge sheet, Janani again left her house on 3 February and travelled in a Grab car to Apple Orchard Road to shop before returning home in a taxi.

On 2 February, a doctor from OneDoctors Family Clinic informed the Ministry of Health that Janani had not attended her swab test. It was eventually discovered that Janani did not have COVID-19 at the time of the offences.

She will return to court on 5 October for her sentencing. For breaching her medical certificate terms, she may be jailed up to six months, and or fined up to $10,000.

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