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SINGAPORE: A total of 13,000 workers are currently unable to resume work as they have not yet undergone mandatory routine COVID-19 testing as of Sunday (September 6).
This despite reminders to employers to schedule their workers for testing before the Sept. 5 deadline, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Health Promotion Board (HPB) in a joint press release Monday.
The access code status of these 13,000 workers will remain “red” and they will not be able to return to work. This is to protect the health and safety of other workers, authorities said.
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Once these workers have undergone the routine tests listed, their access code will be reset to “green” and they will be allowed to return to work.
Authorities have advised employers to quickly schedule appointment slots for their workers in the Health Promotion Board’s Swab Registration System to avoid further disruption to their business operations.
Since August, authorities have been engaging employers and reminding them to schedule their workers for the routine tests listed before the Sept. 5 deadline.
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“The agencies have also ensured that there were enough routine test slots lined up to reserve when the deadline was announced and guided and assisted employers facing difficulties in scheduling workers to do so,” the statement from Monday press.
As part of the safeguards to ensure the safe resumption of work, workers staying in dormitories, workers in the construction, marine and process sectors, and personnel entering workplaces must be tested assigned for COVID-19 every 14 days. .
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