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Written Answer by Minister for Manpower Mrs Josephine Teo on COVID-19 Vaccination Programme for Foreign Workers

Foreign manpower

NOTICE PAPER NO. 419 OF 2021 FOR THE SITTING ON 10 MAY 

QUESTION NO. 1129 FOR WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY END OF QUESTION TIME

MP: Ms Cheng Li Hui

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether she can provide an update on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for foreign workers in Singapore and in the construction industry; and (b) whether workers in the construction industry are still required to undergo fortnightly swab tests after full vaccination is achieved; and (c) whether work permit applicants who are fully vaccinated in their home country have reduced days of Stay-Home Notice upon arrival into Singapore.

Answer:

  1. We have started the COVID-19 vaccination programme for workers staying in large dormitories who are more susceptible to the risk of infection and thus prioritised for vaccination. This included migrant workers from the Construction sector.

  2. By end April, 42,000 migrant workers had been fully vaccinated of which about 70% were from the construction sector. Depending on availability of vaccine supply, MOM and MOH will continue to progressively vaccinate migrant workers in the coming months.

  3. Vaccinated migrant workers will have better protection against becoming seriously ill, but the risk of infection is not zero. In addition, the risk of onward transmission by vaccinated persons is being studied. At present, migrant workers who have received the full course of two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines will be tested every 28 days instead of the current 14-day testing cycle. This frequency will be subject to monitoring and review.

  4. For newly arrived migrant workers, the requirements for Stay-Home Notice who are vaccinated in their home countries remain the same as unvaccinated persons for now. The government is monitoring the vaccine situation, including studies on reduction of transmission risk due to vaccination, and will review these requirements as more information become available.