Some 1,000 or more temperature screeners are currently being hired in Singapore by healthcare institutions, private businesses and public institutions in the wake of the Wuhan virus outbreak.

And some of these screeners are being hired at very lucrative rates.

It is understood that the market rate currently for day shifts can be more than S$7 to S$8 per hour, up to S$12, with some graveyard shifts overnight paying as much as S$32 per hour for 12-hour shifts.

Hundreds of these jobs are currently available and a majority of short-term contract jobs have been snapped up.

WhatsApp messages about jobs

According to WhatsApp messages forwarded to inform recipients that such vacancies are now available and to be filled as soon as possible, the remuneration was touted to be between S$33 and S$48 for healthcare assistants at Changi Airport.

However, Raffles Medical Group, tasked with hiring the screeners, has clarified that these figures are “doctored” and “inaccurate”, as reported by Today.

Its rates are S$12 an hour for the day shift and S$16 hourly for the night shift.

Today also reported that Raffles Medical Group is looking for temporary healthcare assistants to be deployed at Changi Airport, a hotbed of activity for temperature screeners, who are tasked to identify, isolate and prevent those who are infected from entering Singapore.

Such temporary workers contracted by the various firms will receive anywhere between S$7 and S$32 an hour, the report said.

Another recruitment firm was looking for 300 to 400 workers.

Snapped up quickly

An email thread seen by Mothership said that many vacancies for the short-term contract work have been filled and the the longer term six-month contract work pays S$8.80 an hour.

The email said in response to queries about job availability for three-month contracts:

Thanks for reaching out. Wish to clarify that currently only 6-month contracts is available @ $8.80 per hour.

The rates indicated in your email may have been wrongly changed by others. Sincere apologies for inconvenience.

Hope this clarifies.

The attractiveness of short-term contracts are that they offer higher per-hour rates, but the duration of the job is shorter, say, over one month.

Various locations

Other than the airport, temperature screeners will be deployed at the front of buildings to work with security, as well as sent to man stations at lift lobbies, checkpoints, hospitals and guardhouses.

Their task is to take the temperatures of visitors and workers.

The manpower-intensive nature of this job is evident as up to 260 screeners are needed at Singapore's checkpoints alone, Today reported.

Hundreds of excess screeners are also needed on standby, as they are put on short notice to be activated as and when they are needed.

Post-festive season, temperature screeners are also needed to check temperature and health conditions of those workers who have returned to Singapore from China after they had gone back to their home country over the Chinese New Year period.

As a result of the Wuhan virus outbreak that has spread across the globe, 12 confirm cases have been reported in Singapore as of Jan. 30.