AMBASSADOR to Singapore Joseph del Mar Yap on Wednesday said 32 Filipino workers in the city-state, who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), are still undergoing treatment in hospitals while 27 others have made full recovery and have been discharged.
Yap gave the update during Malacañang’s “Laging Handa” briefing, after reports of an uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore.
There are close to 200,000 Filipinos living and working in Singapore.
Singapore initially managed to contain the outbreak and has won international praise but was recently hit by a swell in cases in migrant worker dormitories. It has extended a partial lockdown by four weeks until June 1.
Its health ministry said on Wednesday it had confirmed another 1,016 cases of the novel coronavirus, taking total infections there to 10,141. The health ministry said most of the cases were among migrant workers living in dormitories, a group that accounts for more than three quarters of the city-state’s infections.
Yap said at least 7,000 of the confirmed cases were found in migrant workers’ dormitories where many laborers and office employees from other countries reside.
“Unfortunately, these dormitories mean people live in one building where, in some cases, there are 10 to a room. We are talking here of multiple rooms in many floors and many blocks,” he said.
The workers are hired for construction job, sanitation, and the like with many coming from neighboring countries for better pay.
Yap credited the Singapore government for acting fast to address the problem including work stoppage, putting people in quarantine, and enforcing social distancing.
“As soon as this thing broke out, the Singapore government has taken aggressive steps to address the issue. Many of the dormitories are under quarantine now… workers don’t work anymore,” he said.
“This will probably take a little more time, maybe another week or two, before the numbers start coming down,” he also said.
Yap said a “circuit breaker” measure has been put in effect, which works similar to the lockdown of certain areas now being enforced in the Philippines.
“Initially, when they instituted this last April 7, it was less restrictive. You could still go out to the parks to exercise, the stadiums were open and the beach was still accessible. But after a few days, they became stricter. The parks, stadiums and the beach are now closed,” he said.
Only those who are rendering essential services are allowed to report for work although people going out to buy food or for medical reasons are still able to do so.
Activities like exercising in the neighborhood are now family-only affairs as people are discouraged from socializing with non-family members.
Yap said the embassy is extending assistance for Filipino workers who have been displaced because of the COVID-19 pandemic including arranging for repatriation.
“There is still a few flights going to the Philippines. So, for those who want to go home these flights are available. To our countrymen who are still here, the embassy is working on reduced staff due to the circuit breaker measures but we are still providing services, including passport extensions but no more renewals in the meantime,” he said.
Consul General Adrian Bernie Candolada reiterated the embassy’s appeal to Filipinos living and working in Singapore to strictly adhere to safety protocols and to stay inside their residences if they have no pressing business outside.
Candolada also said Singaporean authorities have further strengthened measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 under the “circuit breaker” period which was extended until June 1.
Singaporean authorities said the approach meant hunkering down at home to break the transmission of the virus and strict enforcement of other measures such as physical distancing and the mandatory wearing of face mask.
“All gatherings, including religious gatherings were banned by the authorities,” Candolada said. — With Ashzel Hachero and Reuters
