Coronavirus: British man, 52, faces six months in jail for sneaking out of his Singapore hotel room

British man, 52, faces six months in jail for sneaking out of his Singapore hotel room to see his fiancée during Covid-19 quarantine

  • Nigel Skea was in 14-day quarantine at the Ritz Carlton Millenia in Singapore 
  • Officials claim Skea left his room on three separate occasions in September 
  • During one breach, he visited his Singaporean fiancée staying on the 27th floor 
  • The 52-year-old faces a fine of £7,390 or a prison term of up to six months  

A 52-year-old British man faces six months in prison for sneaking out of his hotel room in Singapore to see his fiancée while serving a mandatory Covid-19 quarantine for foreign arrivals.

Nigel Skea, 52, was locked down in the five-star Ritz Carlton Millenia last September in accordance with Singapore’s mandatory 14-day ‘stay-home’ notice for incoming foreign workers and citizens. 

According to Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Skea left his room on three separate occasions while not wearing a mask. 

At 2am on 21 September, the ICA said Skea visited a room on the 27th floor of the $360-a-night luxury hotel, where his Singaporean fiancée Agatha Maghesh Eyamalai was staying. 

Nigel Skea, 52, was serving his 14-day quarantine in a room at the five-star Ritz Carlton Millenia (pictured) in Singapore in September 

For defying the strict quarantine rules, Skea faces a fine of £7,390 or a prison term of up to six months, or both, according to the immigration authority.

The 52-year-old could also have his work permit revoked. Forty-four foreigners who have breached the city-state’s quarantine laws have already had their right to work rescinded.    

Eyamalai, who was not required to be in quarantine at the time of Skea’s visit, was also charged with helping her fiancé to break the quarantine rules.  

A spokesperson for the Ritz-Carlton Millenia told Insider that the hotel ‘observes all government-mandated regulations’ when accommodating guests serving their stay-home notices.

‘For privacy reasons, we are unable to provide any further comment on specific incidents,’ the spokesperson added. 

People wearing protective masks shop on 10 January in Singapore. Singapore has recorded under 59,000 cases and 29 deaths since the start of coronavirus pandemic

People wearing protective masks shop on 10 January in Singapore. Singapore has recorded under 59,000 cases and 29 deaths since the start of coronavirus pandemic 

Singapore has reduced its overall number of coronavirus cases and deaths by strictly enforcing its ‘stay-home notice’ (SHN) for foreigners. The directive forces visitors to stay for 14 days in a room at a government-designated hotel.

The only time individuals are allowed out of their rooms is to undergo a brief swab test to check if they have contracted the virus.  

Travellers staying outside of the government’s SHN-dedicated hotels are issued an Electronic Monitoring Device to detect whether they have defied the quarantine. 

Singapore has recorded under 59,000 cases and 29 deaths since the start of the outbreak.