Foreign worker dormitories will now move their operations out of "crisis mode" to a more sustainable model.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said in an Aug. 15 Facebook post that the inter-agency task force (ITF), comprising close to 3,000 officers, including about 1,000 from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), have worked hard to care for migrant workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Focusing on three key phases

With all dormitories now cleared of Covid-19, Teo added that the operations are shifting out of "crisis mode" to a more sustainable model.

The model will focus on these three key phases: Safe Re-opening, Safe Transition and Safe Nation.

In the initial phase during circuit breaker, Teo said that the task force focused on saving lives by meeting short-term needs.

As the dorms gradually reopen, the task force must now channel their efforts into "protecting livelihoods and guarding against new infections".

Teo said:

"My heartfelt thanks to the ITF officers and other stakeholders including employers and dormitory operators for working round the clock to ensure the safety and well-being of our migrant workers. There is much more work to be done. Let us continue to stay vigilant."

You can read her full Facebook post here:

Dormitories closed

MOM announced on Aug. 11 that all dormitories have been declared cleared of Covid-19, with the exception of 17 standalone blocks in six Purpose-Built Dormitories (PBDs) serving as quarantine facilities.

Upon the clearance of the virus, dormitory residents will be able to resume work once the dormitory operators, employers and workers have made the necessary preparations to do so in a safe manner.

But in a later statement from MOM, Building and Construction Authority, Economic Development Board and Health Promotion Board, they said that new cases of Covid-19 are detected at previously cleared dormitories.

The statement said that ITF is actively monitoring the dormitories to manage the risk of new outbreaks.

The ITF will also isolate and quarantine all at-risk workers within the block that was housing the infected worker if their monitoring picks up potential infections among the workers.

Top image from MOM.