Migrant workers to stay in dorms on rest days at start of Phase Two: MOM

SINGAPORE'S Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Thursday said migrant workers will continue to stay within their dormitories on their rest days in the "immediate period entering into Phase Two" of the reopening starting June 19.

The manpower ministry said in a statement that up to 75,000 workers are now in cleared premises. This comes as MOM and the Inter-Agency Task Force (ITF) progressively clear migrant workers of Covid-19 infections.

The ITF is also working with dormitory operators, employers and workers to put in place measures to allow the workers to leave the dormitories for work in a safe way.

MOM added there will be some risk that infections are brought from workplaces back to cleared dormitories. Hence, movements of the workers beyond the workplaces will pose additional risks of cross-infections with the general community, in both directions.

When both the community and dormitory infection rates are sustained at lower levels for a longer period of time, workers in cleared dormitories and blocks will have the chance to leave the dormitories to run personal errands at approved locations such as recreation centres.

In the meantime, workers can access communal facilities within the dormitories with safe distancing measures in place. Employers must also continue to ensure food and daily necessities are provided to their employees in the dormitories, MOM said.