Some recovered foreign workers in Singapore will be temporarily housed on board SuperStar Gemini and SuperStar Aquarius cruise ships.

Temporary onboard accommodations

In a press release by Genting Cruise Lines (GCL) on May 1, they said that they have successfully completed stringent evaluation checks by the government.

The two ships will be providing temporary on board accommodations for foreign workers in Singapore who have recovered from Covid-19.

As part of stringent precautionary measures, they said that they have taken steps, such as preventive hygiene, sanitization and disinfection procedures, to safeguard the well-being of all guests and crew.

Their ship design also enables 100 per cent external fresh air to be filtered and supplied to the cabins and on board public areas, they said.

This ensures a constant and healthy flow of fresh air throughout the vessel with no recirculation of air within the ship.

Michael Goh, President of Dream Cruises and Head of International Sales, Genting Cruise Lines, said that GCL had implemented stringent precautionary measures from the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hence, there have been no reported cases of Covid-19 infections among guests or crew to date while on board any of its cruise ships, Goh added.

Cruise ship has started receiving foreign workers

In a Facebook post on May 1, the Singapore Tourism Board said that the cruise ship SuperStar Gemini has started receiving foreign workers who have recovered from Covid-19.

The first workers boarded the ship on Apr. 29 from Marina Bay Cruise Centre, which is now equipped with sick bays and an isolation station.

This is their Facebook post:

Govt was previously assessing feasibility of using ships

On Apr. 17, it was reported that the government was assessing the feasibility of using two mid-sized cruise ships as temporary accommodation.

This is to help manage the spread of Covid-19 and allow health measures to be implemented more effectively in dormitories by reducing the number of workers there.

These two ships were considered as they possess readily available rooms and en-suite toilets to minimise person-to-person contact.

The two ships can accommodate up to 2,000 foreign workers.

STB said previously that the ships will be activated only if there is a need to supplement other temporary accommodation facilities.

As of Apr. 30, Work Permit holders residing in dormitories make up 13,842 of the total confirmed cases in Singapore.

Top photo via STB/Facebook