Singapore records 623 new coronavirus cases; foreign workers in dormitories worst-affected

Singapore on Friday reported 623 new cases of coronavirus, increasing the total number of infections to 5,050 with most of the cases linked to packed dormitories housing foreign workers, many of them Indian nationals.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) releasing the preliminary figures said the new cases were mostly of foreign workers in dormitories.

"We are still working through the details of these cases and further updates will be shared via the MOH press release that will be issued later (Friday) tonight," said the ministry.

A large proportion of Singapore's COVID-19 cases can be traced back to foreign worker dormitories, which have seen a surge in confirmed cases recently.

The number of cases from dormitories for housing foreign workers have increased 70-fold to 2,689 as of Thursday from just 38 cases reported before April 3.

Ministry of Manpower said its officers were working “round-the-clock” with the dormitory operators to “prioritise the well-being of workers’ as reports of unsanitary conditions and crowding at the lockedown dormitories emerged, said a Channel News Asia report on Friday.

Indian-origin mega store Mustafa Centre is believed to have played a part in this explosion of cases among foreign workers, with the spread of coronavirus likely accelerated by the living quarters of the workers, said the report.

Mustafa Centre, shut down since last week for disinfection, is popular among tourists and locals for most of its Indian goods and products.

On Friday, the Ministry of Manpower said 28 employers had been fined SGD1,000 each and another four were under investigation for not complying with safe distancing measures while ferrying workers in lorries.

With immediate effect, transport companies and drivers will also be fined if they do not comply with safe distancing regulations when ferrying workers in lorries, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Tamil superstar-politician Rajinikanth and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar have shared messages of encouragement to their fans, especially foreign workers here, at the request of Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran.

In a video released on Thursday, legendary batsman Tendulkar said: "Being safe lies in our hands - yours and mine. Please follow the advice of the Government on the correct safety norms. Always observe safe distancing practices."

He added: "Stay at home, stay healthy. Let us all work together to overcome this challenge."

Foreign workers in Singapore - many of them Indian nationals - have been hit hard by the virus, with several foreign worker dormitories being placed under quarantine.

Tendulkar's message came after superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday offered his Tamil New Year well wishes to Indians living and working abroad.

Speaking in Tamil, he noted that "the entire world has been affected by the Coronavirus" and "your family and relatives who are living apart from you, are only thinking of you".

Minister Iswaran thanked the stars on Facebook for their COVID-19 messages.

"Many thanks to Mr Rajinikanth, a renowned Tamil film star, for agreeing to my request to do this COVID-19 message. It is a sincere message delivered in his unique style," said Iswaran.

He said Tendulkar's message will "mean a lot to all fans of the sport, especially our foreign workers, to hear from their cricket idol."

"I hope this message from Sachin will help to lift their morale and spirits in this circuit breaker period. Take care and stay healthy. Together, we can and will overcome!", he said.