All work permit and S pass holders in the construction sector have been placed on a mandatory stay-home notice (SHN), as announced by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in a joint media release on 18 April 2020.
SHN is to ensure that there will be no further interactions between the workers and those outside their residential premises. The notice will take effect for two weeks from 20 April 2020 to 4 May 2020.
“The recent rise in the number of foreign workers infected with COVID-19 has been mostly concentrated in dormitories. However, contact tracing suggests that transmissions at common construction worksites may have contributed to the increase in numbers,” said MOM and BCA.
Employers can seek exemptions from BCA for their employees to carry out essential services such as the vector sector.
To ensure compliance, MOM will conduct regular checks on the workers. Strict enforcement measures will be implemented against employees who do not comply with the SHN requirements, including suspension of work pass privileges and revocation of work passes. This is necessary to protect the health and safety of the larger community.
– Construction+ Online
Source: Building and Construction Authority and Ministry of Manpower
