Singapore: 13k foreigners barred from work for missing Covid test deadline

Around 13,000 foreign workers in Singapore were not allowed to resume work after they missed the deadline to undergo the mandatory fortnightly COVID-19 testing, officials said on Tuesday.

The AccessCode Status for these 13,000 foreign workers will remain "red" and they cannot return to work, said the Ministry of Health.

This is to protect the health and safety of the other workers, it added.

The workers missed the September 5 deadline to undergo the fortnightly Rostered Routine Testing (RRT).

Once these workers have undergone their RRT, their AccessCode will be restored to "green" and they will be allowed to return to work.

As part of the safeguards to ensure the safe restart of work, workers, many of them from India, staying in dormitories, are required to undergo rostered routine testing every 14 days.

The Ministry of Manpower, Economic Development Board, Building and Construction Authority, and Health Promotion Board have been engaging the employers since August and reminding them to schedule their workers for RRT before September 5 deadline.

Meanwhile, Singapore on Tuesday reported 47 new coronavirus cases, taking the country's tally to 57,091.

There was an imported case who had been placed on stay-home notice upon arrival in Singapore. The rest were migrant workers here.