69 more dormitories cleared of Covid-19; 247,000 workers in total cleared of virus: MOM

SINGAPORE — Another 69 foreign worker dormitories have been cleared of Covid-19, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Tuesday (July 21). 

The newly cleared dormitories comprise three purpose-built dormitories, 59 factory-converted dormitories and seven construction temporary quarters, MOM said in a statement.

In addition, 41 blocks for recovered workers in 11 purpose-built dormitories have also been cleared, including the remaining blocks in Tampines Dormitory, Cochrane Lodge 1, Cochrane Lodge 2, Changi Lodge 2 and Sungei Tengah Lodge. 

This means that these dormitories are now fully cleared of Covid-19, the ministry said. 

It added that some 16,000 workers at Sungei Tengah Lodge — the largest purpose-built dormitory here — will all be able to immediately return to work “if their employers have obtained approval from their sector agencies to restart operations”. 

In total, 891 dormitories and 56 blocks in 17 purpose-built dormitories in Singapore have been cleared of Covid-19. 

As of Monday, about 247,000 workers have either recovered or have been tested to be free from the coronavirus. 

MOM also said that the inter-agency task force handling the infection controls at dormitories is also progressively rolling out more decontamination measures to allow more recovered workers from uncleared blocks or dormitories to resume work safely, without compromising public health. 

Singapore has recorded a total of 48,035 Covid-19 cases as of Monday.