A facility built at Tanjong Pagar Terminal that can house up to 15,000 patients or migrant workers with the coronavirus started receiving workers last Tuesday.

When The Sunday Times visited the site yesterday, workers were seen wearing face masks and settling in. The Ministry of National Development said the partially completed tentage at the terminal can house up to 3,500 people.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean shared pictures of the facility which he said is being prepared to house patients who are currently recovering or who have recovered from Covid-19.

The facility at the terminal includes tentage with beds and floating accommodation, going by photos posted by Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security. The tent and floating accommodations are for step-down care facilities, with proper social distancing in place, he said.

It means that Covid-19 patients from hospitals who are recovering or have mild symptoms can be transferred to the terminal to be cared for and help free up hospital facilities for more serious cases.

Referring to the tent and floating accommodations at Tanjong Pagar Terminal, Mr Teo thanked public agencies and private sector partners, noting that they "worked tirelessly to construct and prepare these sites in a matter of weeks, particularly the tentage facilities".

He is advising the multi-ministry task force on handling the Covid-19 situation in migrant worker dormitories.

Other locations have recently been identified as temporary sites to house healthy foreign workers in essential services too.

These include the former Nexus International School at 201 Ulu Pandan Road.

The site, which can house up to 1,000 people, will be refurbished for essential workers this month. The workers are expected to move in by mid-June.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Christopher de Souza assured residents that the site would be self-contained, with all meals and amenities provided on-site.

He said steps would be taken to ensure the well-being and safety of the workers while minimising the disruption to residents living close to the facility.