Back on 16 April 2020, MOH released the official number of the day’s new cases late at night, but prior to that, the number “728” has been floating around in various online forums.
It was, however, nice to see that most people online were sceptical about the number; but when the official number was out, many people, me included, were shocked.
It turns out that someone had actually called the police about an Instagram story that purported the figure 728.
Yesterday night, we finally solved the mystery of the 728.
It turns out that a 35-year-old woman, then known just as a civil servant who has access on the classified information about COVID-19, had shared the number with members of a private WeChat group.
And we all know where this would head to.
Someone in the group posted the figure in an Instagram story, and ta-da: nowadays, MOH started to announce the preliminary numbers in the afternoon first, and the full details at night.
It’s also mentioned that that wasn’t the first time she’s done it; it appears that the figure, 728, was so high back then that a so-called friend couldn’t resist using that classified information to gain some new Instagram followers.
Today, it’s revealed that the woman, who has been arrested under the Official Secrets Act and Computer Misuse Act yesterday, is an MOH officer.
Well, she was.
Woman Who Leaked COVID-19 Numbers is an MOH Officer & Has Since Been Suspended
MOH today confirms that the woman indeed works in MOH, and does have the authorisation to the information for work purposes, but she has allegedly used it for other unauthorised purposes.
And lest you’re worried that this information is easily accessible by just anyone who walks past MOH office, or just any MOH officer, don’t be: MOH said that confidential information about COVID-19 is placed on a secured server, and the information can only be accessed by a restricted group of officers.
The woman has since been suspended from work and no longer has access to the confidential information.
MOH added, “MOH takes any wrongful access and communication of information by our staff seriously.
“Following the incident, MOH is reviewing our processes to ensure that the necessary information security protocols are in place.”
Well, it’s not explicitly mentioned but one of the new processes could be to announce the numbers in the afternoon instead of making us wait till 11:59pm.
Because there would be no one leaking the numbers when you release it yourself.
In the meantime, for to get the real updates, just bookmark MOH’s website lah.
If not, subscribe to Gov.sg WhatsApp channel here or Gov.sg Telegram channel here.
And also, remember to join Goody Feed Telegram channel here. We might be slower but we make the dry information wet.
Reader Bao: That doesn’t sound right
You think too much.