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Greater Observance of Safe Distancing Measures in Foreign Worker Housing

Foreign manpower
  1. The Inter-agency Task Force (ITF) has stepped up inspections of foreign worker housing premises to ensure that living conditions are acceptable, and safe distancing measures are adhered to. The Forward Assurance and Support Teams (FAST) have observed that the majority of foreign worker residents across all housing types are adhering to the safe distancing measures implemented at their residences.  These include purpose-built dormitories (PBDs), factory-converted dormitories (FCDs), construction temporary quarters (CTQs) and private residential premises (PRPs).

    ENSURING WORKERS’ WELL-BEING AND ADHERENCE TO SAFE DISTANCING MEASURES

  2. The FAST teams have been working closely with dormitory operators, in-house security and employers to ensure that all aspects of the workers’ well-being are taken care of. These include the provision of daily meals, medical and remittance services for workers, as well as the general upkeep of the living conditions.

  3. With the workers’ basic needs being taken care of, we see that there is now greater observance of safe distancing measures in the housing premises.  In the inspection of about 4,000 housing premises, including 43 PBDs, all 1,300 FCDs and CTQs, and 2,700 PRPs since 11 April, the FAST teams have observed that most of the premises have instituted and enforced appropriate safe distancing measures, such as:

    • No intermixing of workers between blocks and where necessary, between floors
    • Implementation of safe distancing measures during collection of food and supplies
    • Staggered use of common facilities

  4. There were some dormitories which required assistance from the FAST teams to effectively implement safe distancing measures. In these cases, the FAST teams have worked with dormitory operators to find different solutions. For instance, FAST teams assisted some dormitories to source for portable toilet and shower facilities to allow different cohorts of workers to use separate toilet facilities.

  5. The ITF appreciates that workers have been cooperative in complying with safe distancing measures. We would like to remind all workers to continue to practise safe distancing measures to minimise the risk of further spread of COVID-19.

    FURTHER ADVISORY
  6. The ITF will continue to work closely with dormitory operators and residents to ensure proper management of living conditions and compliance of safe distancing measures. Workers can report breaches of safe distancing measures or feedback on living conditions to the FAST team onsite or contact the Ministry of Manpower at www.mom.gov.sg/feedback.