All migrant worker dormitories affected by Covid-19 are expected to be cleared by the first week of August, said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong on July 24, 2020, with the exception of 17 standalone blocks in eight Purpose Built Dormitories (PBDs), which will serve as quarantine facilities.

Dormitories expected to be cleared of Covid-19 by Aug. 7

All migrant workers in the dormitories will be cleared by then, except for 28,000 workers who are still serving out their isolation period in various quarantine facilities.

"By August 7, we expect to clear all dormitories, and the vast majority of migrant workers," Wong told the media.

However, he added that the last batch of workers come from dormitories with a high prevalence of Covid-19, and will be subject to a final test before they complete their isolation periods.

Regarding the overall situation in Singapore, Wong shared that the daily cases can be expected to taper down by the middle of August.

"We will be working very closely with all the companies who are engaging these workers to allow them to start work and to allow work to resume as soon as possible," he said.

However, he added that contractors will be reminded to take "safe management practices very seriously", and put in place adequate measures as they prepare to resume work.

He also cautioned that the overall drop in cases is "not a reason to go out and celebrate".

"The fight is not over, and there's still a long way to go," Wong urged.

Around 232,000 workers tested Covid-19 free

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release dated July 17 that around 232,000 workers have been tested to be free of Covid-19 as of July 16.

The figure comprises of workers in both purpose-built dormitories and factory-converted dormitories.