Singapore to gradually lift some restrictions targeting migrant workers from June

Singapore will gradually lift some of the measures targeting the migrant workers to prevent the spread of the coronavirus from June, as a senior minister asked the public not to be "overly alarmed" by the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Singapore reported 752 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Thursday, taking the total number of infections in the country to 26,098.

The vast majority of the cases are work permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories, said the Health Ministry in its preliminary daily update.

Two cases are Singaporeans or permanent residents (foreigners).

The Manpower Minister Josephine Teo has urged the public not to be "overly alarmed" even as the number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore remained elevated.

Teo explained that a large number of reported cases among migrant workers (foreigners) reflected the current approach of aggressive testing.

Few countries have tested their migrant populations extensively; far fewer have undertaken to test all their migrant workers, as Singapore has," the Channel News Asia quoted the minister as saying.

Teo made the appeal in a Facebook post, outlining some of the measures targeting the migrant workers as "circuit breaker" are gradually lifted from June.

So far, the vast majority of COVID-19 cases in Singapore have been among foreign workers living in the crammed dormitories where medical testing is underway to control the rampant spread of the deadly disease.

All 323,000 foreign workers staying in these dorms will be tested to ensure they are virus-free before resuming work, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong had previously announced on Tuesday.