Police do not conduct checks on homes to enforce COVID-19 safe distancing rules: SPF

SINGAPORE: The police do not conduct checks on residences to enforce safe-distancing measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said.

In a statement on Tuesday (Apr 14), the SPF said it was aware of text messages circulating that give the “false impression that the police are proactively conducting checks at residential units to enforce the elevated safe distancing measures”.

The SPF said: “This is not true. The police urge the public not to spread unsubstantiated information which may cause public alarm.”

It added however that the police would take enforcement action should they encounter anyone flouting such safe distancing measures while attending to other incidents at residences.

As an example,the SPF noted that  the police had responded to a call for assistance for a family dispute at a residence at Jurong West Avenue 1 on Apr 11.

“During the engagement, the police officers discovered that there was a gathering of family members, in particular two who were not from the household living in that residential unit,” it said.

The SPF noted these two were the man who had called for police assistance, as well as his wife, adding that the family living there included the man’s mother, his uncle and other family members.

“The police officers therefore issued a warning to the couple who was not residing there and was not there for an essential purpose, for not complying with the elevated safe distancing measures under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020,” it said.

On Monday, debunking another rumour circulating online, the SPF said that the police do not conduct road blocks to issue fines to people for not complying with COVID-19 safe distancing measures.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram