8 April 2020 - Update on Conditions at Three Dormitories Gazetted as Isolation Areas

1. Conditions at the three dormitories gazetted as isolation areas, S11 Dormitory @ Punggol, Westlite Toh Guan Dormitory and Toh Guan Dormitory, continued to improve. The Inter-Agency Taskforce further streamlined mealtime routines and stepped up on the upkeep of cleanliness.
2. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been coordinating with members of the Inter-Agency Taskforce to take care of the well-being of the foreign workers residing at the three dormitories. With the experiences gained from the gazetting of the first two isolation areas (S11 and Westlite Toh Guan) on Sunday, the ground team was able to ensure swift implementation and coordination at the Toh Guan Dormitory after it was gazetted yesterday.
   
   MEALS AND SNACKS
   
   
3. MOM has been working continuously with multiple caterers to ensure timeliness and quality of meals distributed. Portions of the meals have been increased to take into account feedback from the resident workers. To date, the caterers have delivered close to 233,000 portions of meals and snacks. The caterers will continue to adjust their menus to cater to the dietary preferences of the residents.
4. Meal distribution routines have improved significantly over the past three days. On average, every meal distribution exercise is now completed within two hours, across all three dormitories.
5. Residents of the dormitories provided the following feedback:
   • The meal distribution process was smooth
   • There was better variety of food compared with previous days
   • The meal portions were sufficient
   
   MOM will continue to work with the dormitory operators and caterers to further improve the timely delivery and quality of meals.
   
   CLEANLINESS IN THE DORMITORIES
   
   
6. The resident workers now spend the entire day in the dormitories. To cope with the increased usage of washroom facilities and higher volumes of trash generated, dormitory operators continued to step up on waste management and sanitation regimes. This has resulted in improved hygiene conditions. The enhanced measures at S11 and Westlite are also being implemented at Toh Guan Dormitory progressively.
7. The frequency of refuse collection and removal from the premises for disposal have been further increased from once to three or four times daily, depending on the premises. The disinfection and cleaning of the common areas and washroom facilities are being carried out three times per day.
8. MOM officers on the ground will continue to ensure that the highest standards are upheld. Our officers will also act on feedback provided by dormitory residents on possible areas of improvement.