All dormitories in Singapore have been declared cleared of Covid-19 with effect from Aug. 19, according to a press release from the Ministry of Manpower.

This includes the 17 standalone blocks in purpose-built dormitories serving as isolation or quarantine facilities.

All residents in the standalone blocks have either completed their quarantine or have been moved to other government facilities depending on their health status.

20,000 residents expected to be able to return to work

With the recently cleared dormitories, an additional 20,000 residents are expected to have the Green AccessCode.

A Green AccessCode indicates that the workers are allowed to return to work, as their dormitories have completed the necessary preparations to allow dormitory residents to resume work in a safe manner.

Half of these residents, however, currently have a Red AccessCode as their addresses are not updated.

Reminders will be sent to dormitory operators and employers to update the workers' address accordingly.

Currently, 86 per cent, or 333,000 foreign workers in the Construction, Marine and Process (CMP) have a Green AccessCode, compared to 81 per cent on Aug. 11.

Overall, some 84 per cent, or 240,000 CMP dormitory residents now have a Green AccessCode, compared to 78 per cent on Aug. 11.

In the press release, MOM said it expects that there will always be a proportion of workers who have a Red AccessCode.

This includes reasons such as workers testing positive or are being quarantined, the TraceTogether app no longer being installed on their mobile device, and not undergoing their Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) when they were required to do so.

This is to ensure compliance with RRT, and contain any cases, with traced contacts isolated within the block or level of the dormitory.

Preventing a second wave of infections

On Aug. 12, it was reported that there were instances where new cases of Covid-19 are detected at previously cleared dormitories.

MOM said that they have adopted a multi-layered strategy to prevent a second wave of infections in the cleared dormitories.

"The new infection cases in cleared dormitories and decant sites remind us on the need to be vigilant."

"Our priority will be to prevent and arrest new infections through early detection, timely containment and effective isolation."

This includes implementing safe distancing measures in the dormitories, and grouping migrant workers in the dormitories according to the industry they work in.

Contact tracing will be conducted once a new case is detected, and sector agencies will work closely with employers to assess the risks at workplaces.

Safety timeouts will be put in place when necessary.

Immediate close contacts of the detected cases will be quarantined at a dedicated facility, and other close contacts will be quarantined on-site, and undergo tests to clear them of Covid-19 before they are able to return to work.

Aggressive testing operations will also be conducted to prevent a possible second wave of infection.

Top image via MOM's Facebook page