500 migrant workers to be allowed into community weekly
Pilot begins next week for fully vaccinated workers living in dorms with no cases over previous two weeks
A pilot programme allowing migrant workers in dormitories to go back into the community is set to begin next week - nine months after the scheme was announced in December last year and more than 16 months after movement curbs were first imposed.
For a start, up to 500 fully vaccinated migrant workers living in dorms that have had no Covid-19 cases in the previous two weeks will be allowed to visit pre-identified locations in the community for up to six hours each week.
These dorms will also need to have good safe living measures in place and a 90 per cent vaccination rate, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said yesterday.
More than nine in 10 migrant workers living in dorms are fully vaccinated but The Straits Times understands some dorms have not met the required rate.
The first identified location for the pilot scheme is Little India.
Workers will need to take an antigen rapid test (ART) before the visit and three days after the visit. MOM will evaluate the scheme after a month.
ST understands that workers must apply to be part of the scheme. It will be open to all dorms that meet MOM's criteria, but it is not clear how workers will be selected or split into cohorts.
Bus transport to and from Little India will be provided.
Workers will also be restricted to an area within Little India, but the ministry did not specify where and how big this area will be. More details are expected to be announced next week.
MOM will also ease other restrictions from next Monday, the same day a mandatory self-testing regimen for workers living in dorms is set to begin.
As part of this new regimen, workers must regularly test themselves using ARTs - in addition to the rostered routine testing they are subjected to.
MOM will also work with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to introduce activities such as movie screenings, sports events and religious services at the centres.
Excursions to attractions organised by NGOs will be allowed to resume, with pre-event tests.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a visit to Westlite Mandai dormitory, where a cluster of 14 cases was recently closed, Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Health Koh Poh Koon said the initial plan for the community visit pilot scheme is for workers to visit Little India on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays over two time slots in the morning and afternoon. About 80 workers will be allocated to each time slot.
There will not be fixed itineraries for the community visits but workers may go to religious sites first before visiting shops and eateries.
Dr Koh said MOM will work with mosque and temple management to segregate the workers from other devotees.
"They have a little bit of flexibility there to also meet up with people they want... I think that degree of freedom is important for them to actually de-stress," he added.
Dr Koh said the easing of restrictions on workers comes as the number of people in the larger community vulnerable to Covid-19 is falling as vaccination rates rise.
Barring a "black swan event" such as a new, more virulent strain of the virus, the community visits for workers will likely go on even if they result in a few infections.
The high vaccination rate has provided a degree of baseline protection, which will be enhanced by third booster shots for the community and possibly for migrant workers as well, Dr Koh said.
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