Singapore reports record jump in coronavirus infections

Singapore late Thursday stated a record jump in coronavirus cases, most of them connected to packed dormitories housing foreign workers because it battled the next wave of infections.

The prosperous city-state had initially been held as a gold standard within the global fight against the COVID-19 disease, but a surge within the number of cases has left the govt struggling to contain the spread.

The Ministry of Health recorded 728 new cases as of midday Thursday -- the foremost significant rise in a  day -- bringing the complete number of infections to 4,427, including ten deaths.

“The number of recent cases amongst work permit holders residing in rooms has increased significantly, in line with our proceeded efforts to check and isolate the infected workers actively,” the ministry said during a statement.

It said 654, or around 90 per cent, of the new cases, were connected to the dorms and another 26 were foreign workers living outside the facilities.

Around 200,000 workers, mostly from South Asia, live in 43 dorms across the island, making a necessary part of the country’s workforce.

Many of them are construction workers typically working for long hours, earning within the region of $400 to $500 a month building the city-state’s glittering skyscrapers and shopping malls.

Following a review of poor living conditions within the dorms, the govt swung into action, moving thousands of them to other accommodation -- including a floating complex -- to decongest the facilities and lessen the possibilities of infection.

The government is additionally providing meals and ramped-up cleaning services at quarantined dorms and helps run the facilities, which are usually privately operated.

Writing on Facebook this month, veteran Singapore diplomat Tommy Koh slammed “the disgraceful way” within which the foreign workers were being employed.

He said it should be a “wake-up call to treat our indispensable foreign workers sort of a first world country should”.