Authorities in Singapore have banned three British men from working there after they were caught breaking lockdown rules. Like many countries around the world, Singapore currently has lockdown rules in place to prevent the coronavirus situation from getting worse.
The men were fined thousands of dollars after they were caught breaking the rules. They were spotted by a picture that went viral. The picture showed people drinking despite there being a rule that bans social gatherings.
The picture went viral last month and they were charged shortly after. The group was not the only one that was spotted and fined for breaking the lockdown rules. That same day, an American couple and an Austrian were also caught breaking the rules.
The group is just one of many that have been punished for not staying at home. The government recently said that between May 1 and June 25, 140 people had their permission to work in Singapore removed for breaking the rules.
The court was told that the men met at a popular bar and restaurant area. The group met and would later visit other bars. Local media reports that the group visited three bars in a 45 minute span.
The bars were not open to large groups of people but they were allowed to serve takeaway alcohol for those walking by. Later that day, a Facebook post went viral for showing pictures of people drinking in groups.
The post sparked controversy, with some asking why some were being punished while others were drinking outside with no consequences. The BBC reports that the prosecution asked the judge to give the men jail for a week. The judge decided to hand out fines.
The group was not the only one punished for being outside and visiting bars. An American couple went outside to buy food but decided to stop in another place for takeaway beer. Along the way, they met an Austrian man and they offered him beer.
The court was told that they drank and talked for about half an hour. All three received fines. The fines were not the only punishment for the people caught breaking the rules. Reports say six of the seven people that were caught were banned from working in the country.
The names of the people that were banned from working in the country were not revealed. But reports say the court was told that the Austrian man has permanent residency in Singapore. This means he does not have to work with permission.
The BBC reports that two other British men were charged for drinking that same day. But their cases are pending.
Singapore is one of many countries that have strict lockdown rules. The coronavirus pandemic has affected most of parts of the world but some countries are slowly returning to how it was before. In other places, the situation has now taken a bad turn again, forcing governments to pause plans and announce new lockdown rules.
Coronavirus has 9.61 million confirmed cases around the world. Singapore has more than 42,000 confirmed cases but Google charts show that the number of daily cases have been decreasing this month.
