Details out next week on first sectors to re-open after circuit breaker

Singapore

DETAILS of the economic sectors or businesses involved in the first step of Singapore's post-circuit breaker re-opening will be shared next week, with many of these likely to be "more essential services", said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong at a Tuesday press conference by the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) on Covid-19.

He reiterated that even as the country nears the end of circuit breaker measures on June 1, not everything will re-open at once.

"We are steadily making progress in controlling the outbreak, both in the community as well as in the migrant worker dormitories," said taskforce co-chair and National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.

The taskforce is thus "in a good position to plan forward" to allow more workers to resume work, he said.

The plan will have multiple steps, with progress depending on how many new cases arise after the first step, said Mr Gan. If the outbreak worsens, measures may be reintroduced.

Asked if visits to family members living separately might be allowed, Mr Wong replied that the taskforce is "studying this very carefully" and recognises that many people wish to visit their family members.

As for travel restrictions, these will continue to be reviewed and updated. Singapore is prepared to work bilaterally or with a grouping of countries that are prepared to put in place similar safeguards, such as testing pre-departure or upon arrival.

"We continue to work with like-minded parties to see if some of these potential arrangements can be put in place," he said.

Singapore is also in the process of testing all 300,000-plus migrant workers living in dormitories, with a plan for them "to be progressively cleared so they can safely return to work when the time comes", said Mr Gan.

More than 32,000 workers in dormitories have been tested so far. By the end of May, some 20,000 foreign workers are expected to be ready to be discharged back to dormitories or temporary accommodation.

The number of foreign workers reporting with acute respiratory illness has been decreasing, noted Mr Wong. But the daily Covid-19 case numbers will remain high for some time due to mass testing, including of asymptomatic workers.

As at noon on Tuesday, 884 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Singapore. The vast majority were foreign workers residing in dormitories; three cases were Singaporeans or permanent residents.

Testing of foreign workers in dormitories includes serological tests for dormitories with high infection rates. Typically, those with a positive serological test would have been affected some 10 to 14 days ago, and would no longer be infectious after a period of isolation.

Mass polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are also being carried out on workers who test negative in serological tests, and workers in other dormitories.

Asked whether more dispersed housing arrangements for foreign workers would continue beyond this outbreak, Ministry of Health director of medical services Kenneth Mak said that this issue was being discussed at the inter-ministry level, with strategies and plans being worked out.