Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong attends the 22nd ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, November 4, 2019. Photo: VCG
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong promised on Friday that the state would do its best to take care of foreign workers’ health, livelihood and welfare here, and to let them go home, safe and sound, to their family members.
He said in a video posted on Facebook that Singapore appreciates the work and contributions of foreign workers here, and feels responsible for their well-being.
The prime minister said that COVID-19 outbreaks were seen in several foreign worker dormitories. “Many dorms have cases, and some dorms have many cases,” he added.
According to the Ministry of Health, Singapore reported a record high of 287 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, in which 202 cases were linked to foreign worker dormitories. Foreign workers of the confirmed cases are from countries including China, India, Myanmar, the Philippines and Bangladesh.
Lee said that the Singaporean government had responded comprehensively to contain the COVID-19 spread in the dorms, and to protect the foreign workers. An interagency task force has been set up to handle the situation in the dorms, and it has deployed Forward Assurance and Support Teams in all the dorms. These teams worked closely with the dorm operators and could respond quickly to the workers’ essential needs.
He said that the government had worked with the employers of foreign workers to make sure the workers would be paid their salaries, and could remit money home. Meanwhile, the government will provide foreign workers with the medical care and treatment that they need.
Besides, in the video Lee also asked all Singaporean people to take the Circuit Break, the month-long substantially tighter safe distancing measures started this Tuesday, very seriously.
“Stay home and stop socializing with others,” he said. “If we do not observe this strictly, all our inconvenience, pain and sacrifice will all be in vain.”
