Circulars

[3 Nov 2021] ADVISORY TO DORMITORY OPERATORS AND EMPLOYERS – UPDATES ON HEALTHCARE PROTOCOL FOR MIGRANT WORKERS IN DORMITORIES

Posted on by stas

Issued on 10 October 2021
Updated on 3 November 2021

  1. The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on 9 October 2021 that contacts of COVID-19 cases will be issued with an Antigen Rapid Test (ART)-based Health Risk Warning (HRW), that will last seven days from the day of its issuance. This approach will take effect on 11 October 2021.
  2. In line with MOH’s updated protocols, migrant workers who are contacts of COVID-19 cases and issued with a HRW, will be required to:
    • On the first day of the HRW issuance: Perform a mandatory ART self-test under supervision. If the ART result is negative, they will be allowed to leave their dormitory and go to work.
    • On the second to seventh day of HRW issuance: They should test negative for their ART on the same day before leaving the dormitory for work and other activities.
  3. Workers who tested positive for their ART will follow the management protocol detailed in Table 1 below:

    Table 1

    Group of workers      Protocol if tested positive on the ART
    Fully vaccinated workers who are asymptomatic
    • Recover in a dorm recovery facility (DRF) or a centralised recovery facility (CRF).
    • Repeat ART on Day 4 and / or Day 7.
    • If test result is negative on Day 4, migrant worker will be discharged from DRF / CRF and allowed to return to work, otherwise continue in DRF / CRF.
    • If test result is negative on Day 7, migrant worker will be discharged and allowed to return work.
    • If test result is positive on Day 7, remain in DRF / CRF and be discharged only on Day 10.

          During the recovery regime, if your migrant workers report sick and has been

          given a PCR swab, they will re-enter into DRF / CRF and undergo another 10

          days time-based recovery regime if their PCR result is positive.
    Fully vaccinated, symptomatic workers
    • Undergo confirmatory PCR test.
    • Isolate in dormitory isolation facility (DIF) or swab isolation facility (SIF) while pending PCR test result.
    • If PCR test result is negative, allowed to return to work.
    • If PCR test result is positive, the worker will be conveyed to a CRF / DRF.
      • Will be discharged on Day 10.
    Unvaccinated workers
    • Undergo confirmatory PCR test.
    • Isolate in dormitory isolation facility (DIF) or swab isolation facility (SIF) while pending PCR test result.
    • If PCR test result is negative, allowed to return to work.
    • If PCR test result is positive, the worker will be conveyed to a community care facility (CCF) or hospital.
      • Will be discharged on Day 14.
  4. For workers who are vaccinated with the World Health Organisation Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) e.g. Sinovac, they will now go through the same management protocol as those vaccinated with the Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR)-approved COVID-19 vaccine (e.g. Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty) in the dormitories.
  5. For roommates of the ART-positive workers in the dormitories, they should test themselves using ART if necessary and monitor their health.
  6. Workers who live in private residential premises will follow the public healthcare protocols of the community.
  7. For further queries, please contact us at .
  8. Thank you for supporting us in our fight against COVID-19.

For more information, click here. 

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