Close living increases coronavirus transmission risks: Josephine Teo

Changes need to be made to communal living as Covid-19 has shown that it can spread even when hygiene standards are high, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said yesterday.

This is especially so when it is clear that the coronavirus can spread even when symptoms are not obvious and people are in close proximity to one another, like at workplaces, social gatherings or in the same home.

To illustrate her point, the minister, speaking at a virtual press conference, cited Covid-19 clusters being found on luxury cruise ships and aircraft carriers.

Yesterday, her ministry outlined measures to be implemented at designated blocks in dormitories that will house workers who have tested negative or recovered from Covid-19.

Mrs Teo said the aim is to reduce the numbers in dorms, even though it will be a gradual process.

"That is the aim and we will progressively try to do that. We have to be mindful that this does put quite a lot of pressure on the arrangements at the dormitory, so it will take time, and it largely depends on how soon we can identify appropriate places to build up capacity to house the workers who would otherwise have returned to the dormitories."

Mrs Teo said it is much clearer now, as understanding of the virus evolves, that it can spread in many different settings.

The risk of transmission is present at construction sites, social settings from karaoke sessions to shopping, and "within households, within families", said Mrs Teo.

"In particular where many people live together, regardless of the room arrangements or the hygiene standards, the transmission risk is higher," she added.

Pointing to luxury cruise ships and an aircraft carrier, she said such vessels may house at most three people in a room, and their hygiene standards could be considered to be very high.

"But because many people live together... transmission risk becomes higher."

As for dorms, they were designed for communal living, where the workers socialise and interact closely every day, she said.

"Going forward we will have to see how best to make adjustments.

"But in the existing dormitories, we will have to, right now, implement new measures such as setting up facilities to segregate the workers, and also do things like prevent overcrowding at the communal facilities."