SINGAPORE: Authorities are monitoring migrant worker dormitories to manage the risk of new COVID-19 outbreaks, even after the completion of testing for all these workers.
"There
have already been instances where new cases of COVID-19 cases are
detected at previously cleared dormitories," said a joint news release
on Tuesday (Aug 11) by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Building and
Construction Authority (BCA), the Economic Development Board (EDB) and
the Health Promotion Board (HPB).
"The Interagency Task Force (ITF) is actively monitoring the dormitories to manage the risk of new outbreaks."....
1. At higher risk dormitories, wastewater will be monitored for traces of the coronavirus....
2. In a separate statement later on Tuesday, MOM said that all dormitories have been declared cleared of COVID-19, with the exception of 17 standalone blocks in purpose-built dormitories that are being used as quarantine facilities.
This means that all workers living in dormitories have either recovered or have been tested to be free from the virus, except for 22,500 workers still serving out their quarantine period, said MOM....
3. "With the completion of dormitory clearance, and BCA giving permission for all construction firms to resume work from Aug 10, the majority of foreign workers (including dormitory residents) are now able to resume work," the labour ministry added.
Above is from CNA. There are several points of concern now that they knew that new cases can still be detected from dormitories that have been cleared of Covid19. And from all sources of information, people who have been infected and cured could be reinfected again and also could be harbouring the virus that can then spread to new contacts while they appeared to be asymptomatic.
Read point 1 above, waste water could have traces of coronavirus. Where did the waste water go to? Think what Newater is all about.
When they said dormitories are declared clear does it mean that the people in these dormitories would no longer infect others and can be let out?
And the third point, can resume work in the construction site. Would they be allowed to move out from construction sites, to eat or to socialise?
The big question, how safe are the foreign dormitory workers that have been cleared from Covid19 and would they be allowed to mix freely with the rest of the population? And what are they going to prevent the waste water from getting into our drinking system?
Today's news reported there would be a trial period for some of the workers to visit recreation centres, do some errants and buying food. Hope they start these cautiously and monitor them carefully as the risk of reinfection and being asymptomatic carriers is very high. If only 5 or 10% of the foreign dormitory workers are infectious out of 350,000, we are risking for a big surge in infected cases.