Some 5,500 migrant workers from 40 dormitories here were cleared to resume work from Tuesday, following the completion of necessary preparations.
They are among the residents of the first batch of 60 dorms that the Government declared clear of Covid-19 last week.
The remaining 20 dorms are still in the process of fulfilling the requirements that will allow their residents to resume work.
Among the stipulations is for the workers' residential address to be updated by employers in the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) database, and for workers to do the same via the FWMOMCare app that they have to install. Workers also have to record their temperatures twice daily and indicate if they have symptoms on this app.
MOM yesterday said that another 30 dorms were added to the Covid-19-free list on Tuesday. These include a purpose-built dorm (PBD), 14 blocks of recovered workers in eight PBDs, and 29 factory-converted dorms and construction temporary quarters. Once they make the necessary preparations as instructed by the Government, their 8,400 migrant workers will be able to return to work.
They will join the 40,000 workers who have been cleared of Covid-19 and who may return to work, pending approval from the authorities.
The 5,500 workers who have received approval to resume work will now see a green AccessCode on their SGWorkpass app, provided their companies have been given approval to resume work as well.
The AccessCode feature shows a green status if a worker is Covid-19-free, his employer has been granted approval to resume operations, and the dorm he stays in has also been cleared.
All foreign workers must install the app, and they can leave their dorms to work only if it displays the green status.
MOM said an inter-agency operation centre has been set up to help workers and their employers use the AccessCode feature on the app.
The feature gives workers, dorm operators and employers a clear indication as to whether or not a worker is allowed to leave the dorm to work.
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3 final steps before resuming work
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After a dorm is declared to be cleared of Covid-19 - that is, every resident in every block has tested negative for the virus or has fully recovered and been discharged - further preparations are necessary before the workers can resume work.
The Manpower Ministry outlined the final three steps:
• Dorm operators have to arrange staggered pickup and drop-off timings for workers.
• Employers have to confirm or update the residential addresses of their workers in the MOM database.
• Migrant workers have to install the FWMOMCare app to record their temperatures twice daily, and indicate if they have symptoms of Covid-19. They also have to report that their residential address matches the records of their employer and dorm operator, and install TraceTogether to facilitate contact tracing.
Hariz Baharudin
MOM said it has received feedback about issues with this feature, with some workers' passes showing different statuses even though they are permitted to work.
These issues could arise from reasons like employers not updating their workers' residential addresses through MOM's online systems or companies not having attained approval to work during this period.
MOM said information is available online to resolve these issues. Employers can also e-mail the ministry if they have any queries.
