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COVID-19: Foreign workers from some cleared dorms can run personal errands on rest days

SINGAPORE - APRIL 29:  Foreign workers are seen at the door of their dormitory room on April 29, 2020 in Singapore. Singapore is now battling to control a huge outbreak in the coronavirus (COVID-19) local transmission cases among the migrant workers.  (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)
Foreign workers seen at the door of their rooms in a dormitory room (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — Foreign workers from selected cleared dormitories will be allowed to visit Recreation Centres on their rest days for personal errands this month, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a joint statement with 14 organisations on Wednesday (12 August).

During the trials, the workers can run errands such as buying groceries, SIM cards and remitting money.

The tentative move to allow the workers to leave for leisure and personal errands comes after the MOM had cleared all dormitories on Tuesday.

“MOM recognises that such social activity is important for the mental well-being of the residents. The eventual goal is to allow residents from cleared dorms to enjoy their rest days without movement restrictions,” the statement said.

The move towards this goal will be done in a measured way to ensure that the residents and the broader community are kept safe and healthy. The statement cited the lessons learnt from other countries’ reopenings that led to new waves of COVID-19 infection.

To reduce crowding outside the dormitories on rest days, the exits by the workers will be spread out across each day. The workers from participating dormitories will need to apply for a Dormitory Exit Pass through their SGWorkPass app, which will provide a specific exit timeslot. They have to meet all the following criteria to be granted an Exit Pass:

i) Has recovered from COVID-19, or has a negative swab test result within 14 days prior to the exit date;
ii) Not be on Quarantine Order or Stay Home Notice;
iii) Is staying in a cleared dormitory;
iv) Has installed and registered TraceTogether; and
v) Chooses an Exit Pass timeslot with available vacancies.

The trials will help refine the Exit Pass arrangements so as to allow the progressive ramp-up of the number of participating dormitories over the next two months, the statement said. Details of the Exit Pass arrangements will be announced in due course.

“We aim to have all dormitory residents able to apply for Exit Passes to visit Recreation Centres in October 2020. The limits on exit duration and destinations will be reviewed after October 2020, taking into account Covid-19 transmission trends then.”

The statement by MOM was issued along with:

Alliance of Guest Workers’ Outreach (AGWO, an initiative of Hope Initiative Alliance)

Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI)

Association of Process Industry (ASPRI)

Crisis Relief Alliance (CRA)

Dormitory Association of Singapore Limited (DASL)

Healthserve

Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME)

ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR)

Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC)

National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC)

Sama Sama

Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL)

Specialists Trade Alliance of Singapore (STAS)

Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2)

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