THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Singapore tops 10,000 virus cases as worker infections rise

Singapore tops 10,000 virus cases as worker infections rise

Singapore's coronavirus cases exceeded 10,000 on Wednesday as infections among migrant workers living in dormitories continued to surge.

As of noon, the city-state preliminarily recorded 1,016 new cases, according to a statement by the health ministry, bringing the total number of covid-19 infections to 10,141. Of the new infections, the vast majority are work permit holders living in dormitories across the island, while 15 cases are Singaporeans or permanent residents, the statement said.

Crossing the 10,000 mark represents a sharp reversal for the city-state, which was seen as a global standard bearer for containing the illness in the early days of the pandemic. The total number of confirmed cases has risen ten-fold since the start of the month, and this is the third day this week that new cases have gone past 1,000 as authorities ramp up testing among foreign workers.

The rising number of cases in the housing facilities, where more than 200,000 workers live, has complicated efforts to curb the spread of the virus in Singapore, even as the government looks for new ways to house laborers who may be sharing living spaces with 10 or more people.

On Tuesday, Singapore said it'll halt the daily movement of workers in and out of all dormitories, including those that are purpose built, factory converted or temporary quarters for construction laborers. Healthy workers in essential services have been moved to other facilities.

"The large number of cases at the dorms is a serious problem," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a address to the nation on Tuesday. "To assess the extent of the spread, we have tested aggressively. Not only those who reported sick, or showed fever or flu symptoms. But also those who were well and asymptomatic."

Alongside measures to manage the situation at the worker dormitories, Singapore will also extend its partial lockdown for a further four weeks until June 1 to bring down virus cases within the community. The country will close more workplaces, with only the most essential services remaining open, Lee said.

Foreign-worker cases now account for a steep majority of all confirmed infections in Singapore. The government has converted military camps and vacant public housing into interim housing facilities for those who are healthy. Meanwhile, it is also considering using cruise ships to accommodate workers who have recovered from the coronavirus and tested negative.

All in, about 10,000 essential workers have been transferred out of the dormitories, Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo said at a briefing on Tuesday.

"We know that there are going to be some adjustments to be made by the companies and we seek the cooperation of both employers and workers on this new condition," she said of the new measures preventing dormitory residents from going to work. "It is a necessary measure to minimize the risk of transmissions."

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