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HEALTH-VIRUS-SINGAPORE FOCUS-NEWSERIES
Singapore moves migrant workers out of dorms after surge in virus cases
SINGAPORE, April 9, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Thousands of migrant workers are
being moved out of crowded dormitories in Singapore after a surge in new
coronavirus cases linked to the sites, authorities said Thursday.
A sharp jump in cases in the massive dormitories had already prompted
authorities to quarantine four complexes housing tens of thousands of people
this week.
Fears had been growing among the workers, many of whom are construction
labourers from South Asia, that they were highly vulnerable to infection in
the cramped dorms where social distancing is difficult.
Singapore health officials Thursday reported a record daily increase of 287
new virus cases — over 200 of which were linked to the dorms.
In a bid to reduce the risk of infection, many migrant workers are now
being moved from dormitories to other sites including military barracks,
vacant apartment blocks and a massive exhibition site where the Singapore
Airshow takes place, authorities said.
About 5,000 who work in services deemed essential have already been
transferred, and thousands more will be transferred in the coming days with
the help of the armed forces and the police, they said.
“We are sparing no effort to contain the spread of the virus in the
foreign worker dormitories,” said Lawrence Wong, a cabinet minister who is a
key figure in Singapore’s fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.
But he warned that “despite our best efforts at containing the situation,
all of us have to be mentally prepared that the numbers in the foreign worker
dormitories will continue to rise in the coming days, and perhaps even in the
coming week”.
– Social distancing ‘impossible’ –
The focus will be on moving healthy migrant workers who work in essential
services — such as construction, cleaning and public transport — out of the
dorms.
Officials did not say how many in total would be moved. The government will
also step in to help run the dorms, which are usually privately operated.
There are some 200,000 workers living in 43 dorms in the city-state. The
sprawling complexes are usually self-contained, have shops and other
facilities on-site, and are often located in less desirable parts of the
city.
Construction workers typically toil for long hours, earning in the region
of $400 to $500 a month building the city-state’s glittering skyscrapers and
shopping malls.
One worker from Bangladesh, who lives in a dorm where there are several
known infections, earlier told AFP that social distancing to fight the virus
was “impossible”.
“One small room with 12 people living together… how can we make social
distance?” the labourer said in English, on the condition of anonymity.
He said hygiene standards were poor and workers were forced to use a
communal cooking area and bathroom.
“We know the virus character, how this is spread — so if this living
condition continue I am very worried,” he added.
The ministry of manpower has scrambled to improve conditions at the dorms,
with caterers brought in to provide regular meals and cleaning services
ramped up.
A task force involving government officials, police and the armed forces
has also been set up to provide support to foreign workers and dormitory
operators.
But Amnesty International warned quarantining workers in close proximity
could be a “recipe for disaster”, and migrant rights campaigners had been
pushing for them to be moved to other sites.
Singapore has reported 1,768 virus cases including six deaths, relatively
low by global standards, and has won praise for its handling of the outbreak.
But infections are rising sharply and authorities this week introduced
tough new curbs, including closing most workplaces and asking people to stay
at home.
The infections at the dorms have sparked soul-searching in Singapore about
the treatment of foreign labourers, who have played a key role in the city-
state’s dramatic transformation from a gritty port into an ultra-modern
financial hub.
Writing on Facebook, veteran Singapore diplomat Tommy Koh said it should be
a “wake-up call to treat our indispensable foreign workers like a first world
country should, and not in the disgraceful way in which they are treated
now”.
BSS/AFP/MRU/2103hrs