SINGAPORE: More migrant workers will be able take part in weekly visits to the community under a programme that was piloted last month, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Friday (Oct 22).
Starting Oct 30, up to 3,000 vaccinated migrant workers will be able to visit Little India and Geylang Serai, which has been included as an additional location option, per week, the ministry said. They will be allowed up to eight hours per visit.
This is due to the “positive outcomes and encouraging feedback from the pilot”, MOM added.
Under the pilot community visit programme, up to 500 workers from selected dormitories have been allowed to visit Little India per week since Sep 13.
During this period, around 700 migrant workers from 30 dormitories visited Little India for six hours per visit.
“The workers were required to administer Antigen Rapid Tests (ART) before and after the visits, and none have tested positive thus far,” said the ministry.
Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said in a Facebook post on Friday that the pilot provided the ministry “with useful learning points on ways to improve the experience for our migrant workers”.
“For example, there was feedback from our post-visit surveys on increasing the duration of visits, and for alternative locations to be included,” he said.
“We are also confident that our safeguards are working, as none of the participants tested positive when taking the ART after returning from their community visits.”
Eligibility to sign up for the community visits was also extended to include workers who reside in dormitory blocks without COVID-19 clusters. Previously, only workers from dormitories with no positive cases were allowed to take part.
“These dormitories must have implemented good safe living measures and have workers with high vaccination rates,” MOM said, adding that those participating in the visits will be required to take an ART on the day of their visit.
“MOM will monitor the progress of the community visits and assess further expansion of the scope and scale of the visits at an appropriate time.”
The ministry also said it will make visits to recreation centres “more accessible and convenient” for vaccinated workers starting Oct 30.
“All vaccinated migrant workers can visit recreational centres up to three times a week, and will no longer be required to undergo a pre-visit ART,” it said.
“Unvaccinated migrant workers will be able to visit RCs up to three times a week as well, using their ART negative results from their rostered routine testing regime or a pre-visit ART test.”
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Starting Oct 30, up to 3,000 vaccinated migrant workers will be able to visit Little India and Geylang Serai, which has been included as an additional location option, per week, the ministry said. They will be allowed up to eight hours per visit.
This is due to the “positive outcomes and encouraging feedback from the pilot”, MOM added.
Under the pilot community visit programme, up to 500 workers from selected dormitories have been allowed to visit Little India per week since Sep 13.
During this period, around 700 migrant workers from 30 dormitories visited Little India for six hours per visit.
“The workers were required to administer Antigen Rapid Tests (ART) before and after the visits, and none have tested positive thus far,” said the ministry.
Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said in a Facebook post on Friday that the pilot provided the ministry “with useful learning points on ways to improve the experience for our migrant workers”.
“For example, there was feedback from our post-visit surveys on increasing the duration of visits, and for alternative locations to be included,” he said.
“We are also confident that our safeguards are working, as none of the participants tested positive when taking the ART after returning from their community visits.”
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Eligibility to sign up for the community visits was also extended to include workers who reside in dormitory blocks without COVID-19 clusters. Previously, only workers from dormitories with no positive cases were allowed to take part.
“These dormitories must have implemented good safe living measures and have workers with high vaccination rates,” MOM said, adding that those participating in the visits will be required to take an ART on the day of their visit.
“MOM will monitor the progress of the community visits and assess further expansion of the scope and scale of the visits at an appropriate time.”
The ministry also said it will make visits to recreation centres “more accessible and convenient” for vaccinated workers starting Oct 30.
“All vaccinated migrant workers can visit recreational centres up to three times a week, and will no longer be required to undergo a pre-visit ART,” it said.
“Unvaccinated migrant workers will be able to visit RCs up to three times a week as well, using their ART negative results from their rostered routine testing regime or a pre-visit ART test.”
Continue reading...