Covid-19: 1,300 foreign workers to be temporarily housed at two SAF camps

SINGAPORE — Around 1,300 foreign workers will be temporarily housed in unused sections of two military camps as part of measures to stem the spread of the Covid-19 disease during the circuit breaker period.

Pioneer, the Ministry of Defence’s (Mindef) publication, said in a Facebook post on Thursday (April 9) evening that the sections of Jurong Camp II and Bedok Camp II used to house the workers are not required for any operational activities by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

“Strict health safety measures, such as staggered meal timings, twice-daily temperature checks and safe distancing, will be in place to ensure the safety of both SAF personnel as well as the workers,” said Pioneer.

The publication said in its post that the move was made at the request of the Ministry of National Development (MND).

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the multi-disciplinary taskforce tackling the coronavirus, said at a media briefing on Thursday that Singapore needs a “ major and urgent intervention” to fight the spread of Covid-19 among the foreign worker population.

He said that to do all of this well, Singapore will need to reduce the number of workers in each dormitory.

“So we are moving them out, those who are not sick, and accommodating them.”

SAF military camps, the Changi Exhibition Centre, floating hotels usually used for offshore accommodation and a few vacant Housing and Development Board blocks are among the properties that have been requisitioned for this purpose.

On Wednesday, the MND announced that a number of foreign workers are now housed in eight blocks along Redhill Close, with another 13 blocks in the estate in the midst of being refurbished to resettle more.

The moving of these foreign workers into the 3-room flats in these blocks will be done progressively, as its refurbishment completes in the next few weeks.