6 youths in viral video fined for flouting safe distancing rules
With a face mask folded to cover only his nose, the youth ranted for three minutes on a bridge about circuit breaker measures while thrusting his hips and making obscene gestures with his hands.
A video of his antics later went viral, prompting several police reports.
Yesterday, the police said the boy, along with five friends who were with him at the time, have since been issued fines of $600 to $2,000 for flouting safe distancing measures.
In its release, the police said the group of six boys, aged 14 to 20, were out cycling in the early hours of last Thursday and gathered at the Lorong Halus Bridge at about 2am.
It was there that the video was taken and shared among themselves.
In the video, the youth could be heard voicing his displeasure at the circuit breaker measures. Punctuating almost every sentence with a profanity, he claimed defiance till the end.
"The more they ask us to stay at home, the more we come out," he said.
"The more they fine us, the more we pay the fine. We're staying out every second, every minute, every hour every day, until coronavirus spreads to the whole Singapore."
Officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division identified all six of the boys within nine hours after the video went viral and police reports were made.
The police have urged the public to take the circuit breaker measures seriously.
For flouting the circuit breaker regulations, at least one of the boys was slapped with the maximum composition fine of $2,000.
If charged and convicted in court for the offences under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, they could have each been fined up to $10,000, or jailed for up to six months, or both, for the first offence.
If convicted a second time or more, the maximum penalties are doubled. - DAVID SUN
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