Unvaccinated man to be charged after punching NEA officers at Redhill hawker centre

[ASEAN NOW News]

A file photo of Redhill Food Centre. The police said that they were alerted to a fight there at about 8pm on Oct 23, 2021. 

 

SINGAPORE — A man who was not immunised against Covid-19 will be charged on Friday (Jan 14) with voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant and entering a hawker centre without a cleared vaccination status. 

 

According to Today online, in a statement on Thursday, the police said that they arrested the man after they were alerted to a fight at Redhill Food Centre at about 8pm on Oct 23 last year. 

 

Investigations revealed that two National Environment Agency (NEA) officers were conducting checks at the hawker centre and found that the 53-year-old man was unvaccinated. 

 

"When questioned, the man became agitated and purportedly punched the two NEA officers," the police said.

 

Under current Covid-19 regulations, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals are not allowed to eat at hawker centres and other food establishments.

 

They are allowed to buy food to take away.  

 

If found guilty of voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from performing his duty, the man may be jailed for up to seven years and fined or caned. 

 

Those who enter and have their meals at a food centre without having a cleared vaccination status can be jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$5,000. 

 

The police advised the public to take the prevailing Covid-19 regulations seriously.

 

"(We) take a stern view of abusive behaviour against public servants or public service workers who are carrying out their public duties, as well as of irresponsible behaviour relating to the flouting of safe distancing measures," they added.

 

"Offenders will be dealt with in accordance with the law."