Tighter measures will be in place for blocks in dormitories set aside for healthy migrant workers, to prevent new outbreaks as they return to work, said the authorities yesterday.
The measures are designed to control the movement of people in and out of these areas, limit mingling among workers and make sure any new cases are identified and isolated quickly.
Healthy workers - those who have tested negative or recovered from the coronavirus - will be housed in dormitory blocks where they are physically segregated from the rest on the premises.
The Government yesterday outlined its plan for protecting them as the country gears up for the end of the circuit breaker next month. Some 20,000 foreign workers are expected to be discharged from care facilities by the end of the month and ready to resume work.
The Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Permanent Secretary Aubeck Kam said yesterday that 5,400 beds can be expected in the dedicated blocks by next week. So far, more than 2,000 beds have been set up.
The task force he chairs aims to "recover" dorms or blocks in dorms - making and keeping them virus-free - housing up to 60,000 migrant workers, in the coming weeks. This is about 20 per cent of the dorm population. The task force aims to do the same for all remaining dorms in the coming months, by testing and clearing all the residents.
Ms Chew Ee Tien, director of the Foreign Manpower Unit at MOM, laid out the measures that will be put in place at these dedicated blocks, called blocks for recovered workers, or BRWs.
Dorm operators will have to put in place a system to track all movement in and out of dorms. To reduce the risk of Covid-19 re-emerging, workers entering and leaving these blocks will be "carefully regulated", said Ms Chew.
For a start, residents in BRWs must leave only for work and return to the dorms immediately after.
"At some point, if the number of cases in the dorms is brought down to a very low level, it will be possible to consider allowing residents from BRWs to also leave the dorms for non-work reasons," she said.
Ms Chew said that time spent outside dormitories should be kept to a minimum, and large gatherings avoided as everyone will still need to adhere to the prevailing safe distancing measures.
MOM said yesterday that additional measures will have to be taken to reduce crowd sizes at popular locations where workers tend to gather, with more details to be announced later.
To limit mixing of workers in the designated blocks, dorm operators will also be required to set up barriers and mark out routes from dormitory blocks to common areas and entrances. Within each block, residents have to stay within their levels and rooms, and not move freely to other levels. Workers will be allowed to mingle only with their roommates.
Workers from the same room will be assigned toilets, showers, wash basins, and stoves in communal kitchens for use. Minimarts, canteens and shops can open, but only for contactless ordering and delivery. Pick-up and drop-off timings when workers leave for and return from work must be staggered.
And to ensure any new infections can be quickly detected, dorm residents will be tested regularly, and they are to report their temperature, oxygen level and heart rate daily. Medical support will continue to be provided, Ms Chew said.
The ministry will be working with the Dormitory Association of Singapore, dorm operators, and employers to implement these measures outlined, she said. "In the weeks and months ahead, we must remain vigilant and implement measures so that the workers can work and live in a safe environment."
