6 more people charged with violating Covid-19 rules over impromptu New Year countdown at Clarke Quay

SINGAPORE — Six more men aged 19 to 23 were charged on Tuesday (March 1) with flouting Covid-19 regulations during an impromptu New Year’s Eve gathering at Clarke Quay.

The incident on Dec 31 last year was captured on camera and went viral on social media.

Court documents, which did not give the specific ages or nationalities of the men, stated that they were:

• Kevan Loh Wei Kang
• Declan Goh (Wu Yiren)
• Shae Mika’il Farook
• Glaxy Low Xuan Ming
• Shyama Kumar Sharath
• Ateesh Ashutosh Rao

They each face two charges.

Rao, Sharath and Farook are accused of failing to keep a safe distance and wear a face mask properly at midnight on Dec 31 last year close to Read Bridge, near the Riverside Point mixed-use development.

Low allegedly attended a gathering there for a common purpose at midnight on Dec 31 last year. He is said to have gone with three others to the gathering, which comprised more than five people, to record video interviews and take photographs.

He and Goh were also charged with not wearing a mask over their noses and mouths, and failing to keep a 1m safe distance at the walkway between Singapore River and Clarke Quay Central at 11.30pm that evening.

This brings the total number of people charged over the gathering to 10.

The four charged in January were Verma Pulkit, Harjaz Singh, Kotra Venkata Sai Rohankrishna and Brooks-Potts William Alexander. They are aged 19 to 22.

Court documents stated that Kotra had similarly gone for a gathering with three other people and interacted with about 20 others while taking videos and photographs. He was wearing a Spider-Man costume at the time.

A total of 15 people have been served notices of composition of S$1,000 each for violating Covid-19 regulations over the gathering as well.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority said in a statement on Monday that further investigations into other individuals are ongoing and enforcement action will be taken against them if they are found to have breached any safe management measures.

Those convicted of breaking laws that safeguard the public against Covid-19 can be jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$10,000, or both.