Newly arriving foreign workers in Singapore who have to complete a 14-Day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) upon arrival will now have to go through an additional 7-day testing regime during which they will have to stay at a designated facility.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore said in its press statement that from 6th January newly arrived foreign workers approved for entry into Singapore and staying in dormitories will be able to move into their dormitories only after completing the additional testing regime.
The workers will still be able to go to work while they undergo additional swab tests at the designated facility.
The Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) introduced this new requirement to minimise the risk of an imported COVID-19 positive case transmitting the virus into the dormitories.
The 14-day SHN and a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) exit test reduces the risk of a missed positive COVID-19 case starting a new cluster in purpose-built dormitories, factory-converted dormitories, temporary living quarters, temporary occupation licence (TOL) quarters and construction temporary quarters.
The MOM said that COVID-19 positive cases will be swiftly isolated and conveyed to a hospital or a Community Care Facility and their close contacts will also be quarantined and isolated.
The MOM has started approving the entry of a larger number of foreign workers into Singapore and believes it is prudent to implement these additional measures.