SINGAPORE - A Singapore permanent resident who arrived at Changi Airport on July 14 allegedly lied on his declaration form for opt-out travellers so that he could serve his stay-home notice (SHN) at home. Taiwanese Lu Yi Yin, 48, is said to have declared that he would be occupying his home alone or with household members with the same travel history and serving their SHN during the same period. He was then told to serve his SHN from July 14 to 28. Enforcement officers conducted a check at his home the following day and found two other household members there who did not share his travel history. Lu, who appeared in a district court on Friday (Oct 15), was charged with an offence under the Infectious Diseases Act. Court documents did not disclose from where he had flown as well as details about his home address and household members. Since Aug 11 last year, all travellers serving their SHN outside of dedicated facilities are required to wear an electronic monitoring device throughout their SHN period. Among the criteria, the traveller has to occupy his or her place of residence alone, or only with household members who share the same travel history and are serving SHN of the same duration. In a statement, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said: "With this enhanced surveillance regime, the Government is able to adopt a more risk-based approach to allow travellers from selected countries or regions who by default have to serve SHN at dedicated facilities." Lu's bail was set at $5,000 and his case has been adjourned to Jan 7 next year. For committing the offence under the Act, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000. A repeat offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $20,000. More on this topic Related Story Man sentenced to 3 weeks' jail for lying on travel declaration; he wanted to serve SHN at his residence Related Story South Korean man fined $7k for making false SHN declaration on arrival at Changi Airport
SINGAPORE - About 950,000 Singaporean HDB households will receive $135 million in service and conservancy charge (S&CC) rebates from next month to March next year. This is part of the $900 million Household Support Package announced in this year's Budget, to provide additional support to families during this period of uncertainty, said the Ministry of Finance in a statement on Friday (March 26). The Household Support Package helps families with household expenses, with lower- to middle-income families receiving more. It includes vouchers that each household can use to defray expenses and support local businesses, as well as S&CC rebates and goods and services tax vouchers. Eligible Singaporean households will receive between 1½ and 3½ months in S&CC rebates during this fiscal year, depending on their flat type. They will be notified through letters by April 1, and receive their quarterly S&CC rebate automatically in April, July and October 2021, as well as January 2022. The rebates will be credited directly into households' S&CC accounts managed by their respective town councils. Households do not need to take any action to benefit from the rebate. In a Facebook post on Friday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat wrote that Covid-19 has affected many Singaporeans. "At this year's Budget, I announced how we will continue to provide targeted support for families through the Household Support Package," he said. "When I go on my regular walkabouts, residents share with me that the various measures in the Household Support Package will go some way to help them in these difficult times. By helping all families through this crisis, we can emerge stronger from Covid-19." Residents can check their household's S&CC rebate eligibility online by logging in to the My HDBPage at this website with their Singpass. Those with queries on rebate eligibility can also submit them at this portal. Those with specific queries on their household's S&CC payment or account status can contact their respective town councils. More on this topic Related Story Multiple layers of support to help S'poreans cope with impact of Covid-19: DPM Heng Related Story $940m in wage credits to be given to over 98,000 employers by end-March
An audio clip circulating on WhatsApp about people being hired to enforce household visit rules during Chinese New Year has been debunked by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE). "There is no such hiring exercise being conducted by agencies involved in the enforcement of safe distancing measures and safe management measures," said MSE on Thursday. Speaking in Hokkien, a woman in the clip alleges that 5,000 individuals are being engaged to check households for breaches of the eight-person visitor limit during Chinese New Year. She also claims that each person will be paid $15 an hour and will be visiting homes in several housing estates. In response to The Straits Times' queries, MSE said: "Agencies have deployed safe distancing ambassadors (SDAs) since the circuit breaker in 2020, and have been hiring to replace attrition." The ministry said the number of SDAs has remained constant and there are no plans to hire an additional 5,000 of them during the Chinese New Year period. The Government has tightened rules on household visits ahead of Chinese New Year, in a pre-emptive move to minimise the number of social interactions and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Besides limiting every household to eight unique visitors a day, individuals are encouraged to cap their visits at two households a day. Enforcement officers will also do random spot checks to enforce the new rule on household visits, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong last week. Mr Wong had added that neighbours of those in breach of the rules may also contact the authorities. However, it is impossible to enforce rules on interactions that take place within a home, he had said. People are encouraged to meet virtually rather than in person, and give electronic red packets instead. On Thursday, MSE said: "We urge everyone to follow the rules, do our part by being socially responsible, including during festive periods, to prevent a resurgence in community transmission and keep Singapore safe."