Coronavirus pandemic
PM assures Modi on care for Indian workers
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PM Lee said he appreciated Mr Modi's affirmation of Singapore's efforts in looking after the migrant workers.
PHOTO: MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION
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Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong assured Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday that Singapore would care for Indian migrant workers in the same way it cares for Singaporeans.
In a phone call in which both leaders discussed the coronavirus situation in their countries, Mr Modi also thanked PM Lee for the support and care being extended to Indian citizens here.
The Indian High Commission told The Straits Times that Mr Modi had called PM Lee as part of his ongoing engagement with various world leaders on Covid-19.
In a Facebook post after the call, PM Lee said Singapore is in its circuit breaker period, while India has implemented a nationwide lockdown since late last month.
This was "not a simple decision" for India, which has a population of 1.3 billion people, PM Lee noted.
He said: "I thanked PM Modi for India's help when we brought home some Singaporeans from India recently.
"I assured him that we will care for Indian migrant workers here, just as we care for Singaporeans.
"The migrant workers made personal sacrifices to come to work here. They have made many contributions to Singapore, so we have a responsibility for them."
PM Lee also said he appreciated Mr Modi's affirmation of Singapore's efforts in looking after the migrant workers, as well as his assurance that India will not forget this.
He added: "India and Singapore are strategic partners with extensive economic ties. We agreed to work together on the challenges posed by the pandemic, keep supply chains intact, and keep essential supplies flowing."
Mr Modi said on Twitter that he had offered his thanks to PM Lee. He also said: "The India-Singapore strategic partnership can contribute to stability and prosperity in the post-Covid world."
As of Sunday, more than 1,600 Indian nationals in Singapore had been diagnosed with Covid-19.
The Health Ministry stopped releasing individual case data, including for nationality, after that date.
Indian nationals made up the second-largest group of Covid-19 patients in Singapore by nationality at the time.
Bangladeshi nationals made up the largest group, with more than 2,900 patients, while Singapore citizens made up the third-largest group, with over 1,100 patients.
