Medical personnel assist a migrant worker as he enters an ambulance at a factory-converted dormitory, amidst the coronavirus disease COVID -19 outbreak in Singapore on April 28, 2020. SINGAPORE, Sept. 17 Reuters - Singapore announced new standards for migrant worker dormitories on Friday, with the aim of reducing the risk of transmission of infectious diseases and improving living conditions after the facilities suffered a major COVID epidemic last year.
The outbreak had a spotlight on the often-carried and unsanitary conditions in the dormitories that house tens of thousands of low-wage labourers from countries such as Bangladesh, India and China.
The new standards include capping occupancy, shared toilets, better ventilation and the segmentation of en-suite facilities, the Manpower Ministry said on Friday. Residents will also have more spacious rooms with in-room Wi-Fi coverage.
While the requirements apply to existing facilities, authorities are also reviewing how to improve existing dormitories. The government also plans to build two new dormitories with combined at least 12,500 beds that will be finalized in about three years.
Last year alone, Singapore closed the sprawling housing blocks to ring-fence the surge in COVID - 19 cases in the dormitories for several months to tighten the expanding border.
Even this year when the rest of Singapore returned to some semblance of normal life, foreign workers have mostly been confined for work, nearby recreation or essential errands to their living quarters.
In Singapore, this week a pilot programme was started to ease some movement measures.