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Updated April 19th, 2020 at 20:28 IST

Singapore records 942 new Coronavirus cases, most of them migrant workers

Singapore on April 18 recorded 942 new coronavirus cases linked to congested dormitories where migrant workers mostly from South Asia have been living.

Reported by: Vishal Tiwari
Singapore
| Image:self
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Migrant workers living in dormitories across Singapore have become the source of increasing coronavirus cases in the past few weeks. According to reports, Singapore on April 18 recorded 942 new coronavirus cases linked to congested dormitories. Authorities are reportedly moving healthy workers to Army camps, vacant public housing blocks and accommodation vessels, known as floating hotels. Minister of Transport Khaw Boon Wan announced the plan last week in a Facebook post. 

Read: Singapore Shifts Healthy People To 'floating Hotels' As Coronavirus Cases Spike

As per reports, only 14 out of the 942 detected cases are Singaporeans and permanent residents, rest all are migrants. If reports are to be believed, around 3,00,000 low-wage workers mostly from South Asian countries work in the City-State in the construction and maintenance sector. The Ministry of Health said that 13 of such dormitories where COVID-19 clusters have been found are gazetted as an isolation area to prevent the spread of the virus.

Read: UN Urges Countries To Protect LGBT+ People Against Discrimination Amid COVID-19 Crisis

According to data by Worldometer, Singapore has recorded 6,588 confirmed coronavirus cases so far, of which eleven people have lost their lives with 23 of them under critical condition. There are currently 5,837 active cases in the country, while 740 patients have been treated successfully. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on April 3 announced closure of schools and non-essential businesses for one month in order to prevent the spread to the virus. 

Read: Iran Extends Furloughs For Prisoners For Another Month To Curb COVID-19 Spread In Jails

Coronavirus outbreak

The coronavirus outbreak has infected over 2.35 million people globally and has killed nearly 1,61,000 patients since it first broke out in December 2019. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Currently, the United States, Italy, Spain, France and the United Kingdom are the most affected countries in the world with a recorded death toll of 15,000 and above. 

Read: Ireland To Quadruple Its Contributions To WHO After Trump Halts US Funding

(Image Credit: AP)
 

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Published April 19th, 2020 at 20:28 IST

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