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SINGAPORE – Blocks in the dormitories for healthy migrant workers, whether those were negative or recovered from the coronavirus, will have strict measures to try to minimize the chances of a new outbreak.
The measures are designed to control the movement of people in and out of these areas, limit the amount of mixing between workers, and ensure that any new cases can be quickly identified and isolated.
On Friday (May 15) the government outlined its plan to protect healthy workers as the country prepares for the end of the switch in June. Some 20,000 foreign workers are expected to be discharged from care centers by the end of the month and ready to resume work.
Healthy workers will be housed in blocks that are physically separated from the rest of the facilities.
Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources, Aubeck Kam, said in a virtual briefing on Friday that 5,400 beds can be expected in the dedicated blocks for next week. The chairing task force will also aim to recover dorms or blocks in dorms that house up to 60,000 migrant workers in the coming weeks. This is approximately 20 percent of the dormitory population.
Ms. Chew Ee Tien, director of the Foreign Human Resources Unit at MOM presented the measures that will be implemented in these dedicated blocks.
The entry and exit of workers to these blocks will be done in a “carefully regulated manner,” Chew said, to reduce the risk of Covid-19 re-emerging. Dorm operators should establish a system to track all movements in and out of dorms.
For those who are allowed to return to work after the circuit breaker ends in June, they should go alone to work and return to the dorms immediately thereafter. All residents must also download and activate the TraceTogether app.
“At some point, if the number of cases in the dormitories is reduced to a very low level, it will be possible to consider allowing BRW residents to also abandon the dormitories for non-work reasons,” he said, referring to the blocks for recovered workers.
Ms. Chew said that time spent outside the bedrooms should be kept to a minimum, which includes not having large meetings, as everyone will need to follow existing distancing measures.
To limit the mix of workers, dormitory operators will also need to establish barriers and mark routes from dormitory blocks to common areas and entrances. Within each block, residents must remain within their levels and rooms, and not move freely to other levels. Workers will be allowed to mix only with those in the same room.
In terms of shared facilities, workers in the same room will be assigned bathrooms, showers, sinks, and stoves in community kitchens for their use.
Minimarts, canteens, and stores can be opened, but only for contactless orders, such as by phone, text message, or online ordering and delivery.
When workers get to and from work, pick-up and drop-off times should be staggered, Ms. Chew said. “This is to avoid crowding into the bus bay, and pick-up and drop-off areas should also be designated.”
And to ensure that any new infections can be detected quickly, dormitory residents will be screened regularly and must report their temperature, oxygen level, and heart rate daily. Medical assistance will continue to be provided, he said.
The ministry will work with the Singapore Bedroom Association, bedroom operators and employers to implement these described measures, Ms Chew said.
“In the coming weeks and months, we must remain vigilant and implement measures so that workers can work and live in a safe environment.”
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