Singapore cases begin increasing Forty new cases linked to foreign worker dormitories.

[Sally Furniss]

One of the worst-hit countries when the virus first spread from China in January, Singapore’s strict surveillance and quarantine regime helped slow the outbreak, but recent rises in locally transmitted cases have raised fresh concerns. Singapore reported 142 new infections on Wednesday.

Forty of the new cases were linked to foreign worker dormitories. Tens of thousands of blue-collar foreign workers live in close quarters in the city state.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...lockdown-surge

[sharon sanders]

posted with permission

hat tip Jason Gale


Dormitory Infections Push Singapore Virus Cases to New Record
2020-04-16 01:33:30.96 GMT


By Abhishek Vishnoi
(Bloomberg) -- Singapore reported its highest daily
increase of coronavirus cases on Wednesday as infections
engulfed more dormitories housing low-wage foreign workers.
Authorities said an additional 447 cases were confirmed as
of noon Wednesday, bringing the total to 3,699 in the country.
Of the new cases, more than 400 infections -- about 90% -- are
tied to facilities that house migrant workers in close quarters,
according to a government statement. Workers in about 20
dormitories have been affected by the virus outbreak in
Singapore, according to a Bloomberg analysis of government data.
READ: Thousands in Dorms Pose New Test in Singapore Virus
Fight
The city-state is grappling with a pace of infections
that’s picking up among workers staying in the dormitories, at a
time when it appears to be stabilizing elsewhere across the
country. The government has tightened entry rules, mandated
masks, poured billions of dollars into the economy and imposed a
weeks-long partial lockdown to contain the outbreak.
Close to 80% of Singapore’s workforce is now working from
home as the city-state enters its second week of “circuit-
breaker” measures, including the closure of schools and most
workplaces. Imported cases have been cut to zero the last
several days, while daily numbers of community spread have
leveled off in the last two weeks.

--With assistance from Philip J. Heijmans and Kevin Varley.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Abhishek Vishnoi in Singapore at avishnoi4@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Lianting Tu at ltu4@bloomberg.net;
Joyce Koh at jkoh38@bloomberg.net
Siraj Datoo, Derek Wallbank