As Singapore wins global plaudits for its handling of the coronavirus, the disease has spread rapidly within its large migrant worker community, highlighting what rights groups say is a weak link in the city state’s containment efforts.
Soraya Ali reports.
As Singapore earns global praise for mitigating its spread of the coronavirus -- migrant workers there are facing a different reality.
Infections are mounting among them, and it may expose a weak link in the city state's efforts.
As of Tuesday, over 1,600 of Singapore's roughly 3,300 cases were migrants.
Medical experts had previously flagged the potential for mass infection among them.
Singapore has more than 300,000 migrant workers living in cramped and unsanitary dormitories - with often 12 or 20 to a room.
Rights groups have also criticised the government’s initial policy response.
They say it left this community behind.
For example, a nationwide mask distribution at the start of the outbreak excluded migrant workers living in the dorms. For many, the situation highlights the different standards applied to the workers who have helped build Singapore.
While the government put up Singapore residents returning from overseas in expensive hotels to limit contagion -- some migrant workers have been confined to bunk rooms that they said had blocked toilets and overflowing bins.
The government has defended its virus-prevention measures in dormitories, which include advising operators to monitor workers for fever and preventing mingling in common areas.
Singapore has also ramped up testing in dorms and started to move some workers deemed "essential" into public housing, military camps and industrial accommodation ships -- authorities say this is helping create more room in the complexes.
About 80% of Singapore's Covid-19 cases can be linked to its crowded migrant worker dormitories.
Singapore has ordered the quarantine of nearly 20,000 migrant workers after a spike in cases were linked to two dormitories housing..
