I applaud the foresight of the Government in isolating the foreign construction workers for intensive testing instead of repatriating them. The strategy is bearing fruit (S'pore cautiously moving towards a new normal, Aug 7; and 265,000 foreign workers get nod to return to work, Aug 6).

This foresight may enable Singapore to recover faster from the economic slump because unlike some countries, Singapore made the wise decision of keeping these foreign workers.

This has saved employers the inconvenience of having to recall workers and quarantine each one upon arrival, which would incur additional costs. As it is, construction firms are already struggling to survive during this downturn.

The strategy of testing and isolating foreign workers could give Singapore the edge over other countries by being among the first few to recover.

Cheng Choon Fei