The Big Read: A year after the first Covid-19 outbreak in dorms, how has life changed for foreign workers?
A year after the first dorm cluster was identified, many foreign workers have returned to work, but are still living with strict movement restrictions. — Photo by Raj Nadarajan for TODAYSINGAPORE, March 27 — On most days, Mr Al Amin, a foreign worker who hails from Bangladesh, leaves for work at 7am and returns to his dormitory room at around 8pm.
“We cannot use the gym or go downstairs. I cannot meet my friends to talk. Even though there is a lake just in front of the dormitory, we cannot even go there to sit,” said the 29-year-old site supervisor who did not want to give his real name for fear of getting into trouble with his employer and dormitory operator.
At that time, the virus spread quickly among the workers who lived in densely-packed rooms which could house up to 20 people each. At the peak of the outbreak in April last year — when Singapore entered the circuit breaker period — over 1,000 new Covid-19 cases were identified in dormitories daily. In total, nearly half of the over 320,000 foreign workers living in dormitories have tested positive for Covid-19 in polymerase chain reaction or serology tests. — Photo by Raj Nadarajan for TODAY
On Wednesday, the multi-ministry Covid-19 task force was asked at a press conference why migrant workers are still subjected to more stringent measures compared to the rest of the community even though cases have fallen considerably among the population. The Covid-19 outbreak in the dorms has raised questions about Singapore’s treatment of its migrant workers, and there is widespread acknowledgement that their living conditions have to be improved.
One year on, the restrictions placed on dormitories have had varying impacts on their residents. While some foreign workers toldthat they no longer felt as worried as they did before, others continued to feel stressed over being cooped up with other residents. At the other end of the spectrum is Mr Al Amin, who said that his stress level had only reduced “from 100 per cent to 90 per cent” now.
Squabbles among his roommates are also common as the activity of one could disturb another, said Mr Al Amin. In a statement last September, migrant worker group Transient Workers Count Too argued that the Government should allow workers out of their dormitories, given the low number of Covid-19 cases detected among them and efforts to isolate positive cases.
“I am unsure whether it’s really necessary to maintain these restrictions. As noted, there are other brakes on transmission, such as the herd immunity and frequent testing, and for the residents’ mental well-being, we should aim to release as many of these restrictions as possible,” said Assoc Prof Cook.
He added that he was mindful of the mental pressure of being cooped up, and that the Government is working out arrangements to ensure that they do not remain in their rooms all the time.After Covid-19 threw into sharp relief the plight of migrant workers here, the authorities announced last June that it would take steps to improve their living standards in dormitories.
These dormitories, which are temporary structures meant to last for two to three years, will act as a testbed for new and improved standards in future dormitories. A resident rests in his shared room at a Quick Build Dormitory managed by Westlite Accommodation at Tuas Avenue 2. — Photo by Raj Nadarajan for TODAY
Mr Alagarsamy hopes that future dormitories would also be limited to five people to a room. He would also prefer dormitories to have ensuite kitchens to reduce the hassle of having to carry the food back to his room.The planned improvements on future dormitories will alter the way foreign workers live in a post-pandemic Singapore, said observers and industry players.
Mr Kong Chee Min, chief executive officer of Centurion Corporation, which is the parent company of Westlite Accomodation, said that ensuite kitchens, toilets and showers will “make a difference” in future dormitories. Apart from the layout of rooms, Mr Kong said that the design of dormitory estates, as well as systems to manage the movement of foreign workers, will be important.
As such, on top of other government measures, such as Rostered Routine Testing where workers are tested for Covid-19 every two weeks, Westlite has also implemented additional measures to reduce the risk of potential transmission, he added. However, Mr Cheah of S11 cautioned that changes to dormitories will not guarantee that they are resistant to future pandemics.
He estimated that dormitories based on new standards set by the Government would cost about S$50 to S$100 more per person monthly, up from the current market price range of S$280 to S$350 . “So let’s say in another six months, the prices of dormitory rental go up, then we must be careful to price tenders accordingly due to the higher overheads at that time,” said Mr Nelson Tee, managing director of CHH Construction System.
“Many businesses would have locked in their costs in their existing projects and will now need time to adjust to higher migrant worker housing costs. One such new model, which has been floated by the authorities, is the “build, own and lease model” where the Government builds the dormitory. A separate entity, such as a private company or non-governmental organisation, can then lease and operate it, said Mr Wong, the Education Minister and task force co-chair, in June last year.