An Indian-origin Singaporean was sentenced to two months jail on Thursday, 2 April, for shouting “corona, corona” and spitting on a hotel floor at the Singapore Changi Airport, the first conviction of its kind in the country related to the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to a media report.
Jasvinder Singh Mehar Singh, 52, pleaded guilty to one count each of committing a rash act and being a public nuisance on 3 March, The Straits Times reported.
Still unhappy, Singh spat onto the floor two more times and yelled: "corona, corona."
Singh must also spend an additional 55 days behind bars, as he had breached a remission order after his early release from prison in February. He was sentenced to jail in January to six months and five weeks' jail over offences including harassment.
At around 10:30 am on 3 March, Singh went to the restaurant, took a plate and helped himself to some food at a buffet line without informing the staff.
Court documents did not state if he was staying at the hotel at the time.
Hotel manager Vikram Om Prakash Kakroo later guided Singh back to the hotel from Terminal 3. When they reached the lobby, Vikram asked Singh to take a seat. The manager then phoned the hotel's security manager.
Vikram stopped Singh and took him to a sofa in the hotel's lobby.
Singh, who sat down and placed both feet on the table in front of the sofa, later kicked a plastic sign off the table.
After that, he spat onto the floor twice and shouted: "corona, corona." The police were alerted at around 10.45am.
For acting in a rash manner, Singh could have been jailed for up to six months and fined up to SGD2,500.
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