SINGAPORE, May 12 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Singapore is steadily making progress in controlling the COVID-19 outbreak, both in the community as well as the migrant worker dormitories, said co-chair of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce, Lawrence Wong.
“The community figures are steadily coming down… our surveillance shows that the undetected cases in the community are also coming down,” said Wong who is also the republic’s National Development Minister at a virtual press conference here today.
According to the taskforce, the number of new cases in the community has continued to fall to eight new cases daily in the past week while there was progress made on the reproduction rate of the virus in the community which was coming down as well.
“We are in a good position to start thinking about possible easing of some of the restrictions beyond June 1, but we will do so in a very cautious and calibrated manner,” Wong said.
Singapore kicked in tighter circuit breaker measures on April 7, which is scheduled to end on June 1.
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In the meantime, Wong said it was very encouraging to see many of the migrant workers were well on the road to recovery.
“By the end of this month, we will have 20,000 who are ready for discharge. Likewise in June, we expect to see many more recovering and well on their way to being discharged and able to resume work as well,” he said.
“All that is coming together, just as we ease on the restrictions of the circuit breaker and reopen the economy,” he said, adding that more workers will be allowed to resume work beyond June 1, and then the republic will gradually take steps to reopen the economy.
The republic’s Health Ministry said it has been testing more than 3,000 migrant workers in the dormitories daily, and to date, more than 32,000 or about 10 per cent of the total workers have been tested.
Starting May 5, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce has allowed the gradual resumption of selected activities and services, but subject to the necessary safe management measures being in place.
— BERNAMA