SINGAPORE — After being diagnosed with an acute respiratory infection, Prabu Rajendran was issued a five-day medical certificate (MC) and told to stay home as required under the law.

But on the day he was given the MC, he went over to his friend’s place, drank alcohol and could not be roused in the taxi ride home, staying out for about 13 hours in total.

On Wednesday (May 5), the 28-year-old hotel concierge who worked at the Fullerton Hotel Singapore was sentenced to two weeks’ jail. He will begin serving his sentence on Thursday.

The Singaporean pleaded guilty to a single charge of leaving his Bedok North flat without a reasonable excuse.

He was issued the MC from April 2 to 6 last year, just before the circuit breaker period to restrict activities and movements kicked in to limit the spread of Covid-19.

Prabu had gone to work on April 2 but felt feverish, so his supervisor told him to see a doctor. He went to Raffles Medical Clinic and reported having a phlegmy cough and runny nose.

The doctor told him he had to stay home for the entire duration of the MC and Prabu was given a copy of it. The doctor also advised him that he was only allowed to leave home if he needed medical assistance, and to get his family’s help or use food delivery services for food.

Prabu then returned home and slept, before waking up at around 9pm. He started talking to his female friend who invited him over to her home for dinner with her family.

He agreed and went over in a taxi while not wearing a face mask.

At his friend’s home, Prabu drank alcohol and grew intoxicated. He then spent the night there and left the following day, taking a taxi home.

He fell asleep and when they got to his block, the driver could not get him to leave and pay the fare. The driver then called for police assistance.

When police officers arrived, they managed to rouse him. They asked if he intended to pay his taxi fare, but he was uncooperative and raised his voice at the officers.

Prabu was arrested at 12.50pm and taken to the Bedok Police Division headquarters. He was asked to fill in a health declaration form there, where he disclosed that he was on a five-day MC.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani asked for at least four weeks’ jail, noting that Prabu had symptoms associated with Covid-19 and that he left his residence for a significant period of time. He ultimately did not have the disease.

Prabu’s lawyer Ng Lip Chih asked for the maximum fine, but District Judge Ng Cheng Thiam said that it was insufficient.

Prabu could have been jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$10,000, or punished with both.