Singapore, 13 October 2020 – Over the past few months, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) have been steadily scaling up swab testing operations and capacity to support Rostered Routine Testing (RRT) for migrant workers.
To make the process more convenient and accessible for employers and workers, HPB has increased the number of regional screening centres across Singapore. MOM and HPB have also introduced more RRT facilities within dormitories to allow workers to undergo RRT at their residence.
There are currently 24 operational in-dormitory RRT facilities, with nine more to be set up by end-October. Some of these facilities will also offer night swabs for the workers to accommodate their work cycles. Over 35,000 migrant workers will benefit from the new initiative.
A total of 20 regional screening centres have also been set up, with over 2,600 swab testing staff on the ground daily. There are 14 centres that are facilitating the RRT for migrant workers living in dormitories and workers from the construction, marine and process sectors. More centres are in the pipeline to ensure that swab testing needs continue to be met. The plan is to have 25 to 30 centres progressively in operation by the end of the year, where about two-thirds of these sites will be conducting RRT.
Through the use of the Swab Registration System, employers can conveniently select preferred swab locations and testing dates to schedule their workers for testing at the various Regional Screening Centres and in-dormitory RRT facilities. Once workers attend their first RRT appointment, they will automatically be scheduled by the system for successive RRT appointments.
Since its roll out in August 2020, continuous enhancements have been made to the Swab Registration System to ease navigation, with helplines also available to employers to offer scheduling assistance.
– Construction+ Online
Source: MOM
