Singapore – A video showing a foreign worker lining up with a plastic bag over his head is making rounds on social media, garnering sympathy from the public who can only imagine what the man has gone through the past few months.
Facebook page All Singapore Stuff uploaded an 11-second video on Wednesday (August 19) of a foreign worker residing in a dormitory queuing with his colleagues while practising safe distancing measures by standing a metre apart.
While it is unclear from which dormitory this man came from, the video, which has over 52,000 views, received much sympathy from the online community. Many could not begin to comprehend the situation the man was in, when “to get sick meant no money and food for family.” Facebook user Zack Red Red commented, “Can’t blame him. He came to Singapore to work, leaving his loved ones and family…nothing must happen to him.”
For those who needed more explaining, Facebook user Nisha Charanjit Singh noted that what foreign workers were going through is scary. “They have no choice but to live in the dorms with so many people, so it is a good thing that they want to protect themselves,” she added. Netizens agreed that there was nothing wrong with the video of the man merely protecting himself. They backed him up from those who laughed at the sight.
Others called for empathy and said it was better to be safe than sorry in this context. “Look at the way he moves, so dispirited,” observed Facebook user Jessie Lau who was one of the individuals urging for more sympathy towards their plight.
As of Wednesday (August 19), all foreign worker dormitories have been cleared of Covid-19, including standalone blocks in purpose-built dormitories that were used as isolation or quarantine facilities, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Approximately 333,000 foreign workers in the construction, marine and process sectors, or 86 per cent of the total number of workers, have been permitted to go back to work, reported straitstimes.com. Cleared workers were given the Green AccessCode, which serves as their pass to resume to work. MOM expects another 20,000 workers from recently cleared dormitories to receive their Green AccessCodes soon after the dorms complete necessary preparations.
According to MOM, there will always be several workers with Red AccessCodes, which prohibits them from working due to reasons such as testing positive for Covid-19 or staying in close contact with a confirmed case. The new confirmed cases from cleared dormitories and temporary holding sites serve as a reminder to everyone to be cautious and remain vigilant. However, MOM added that it would work to prevent and curb new reinfections through early detections, prompt containment and effective isolation.
https://www.facebook.com/allsgstuff/videos/755177718579215/?t=1&v=755177718579215
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