CORONAVIRUS | A large facility is being set up at the Tanjong Pagar Terminal to potentially house up to 15,000 Covid-19 patients and foreign workers as the number of coronavirus cases in Singapore continues to rise, The Straits Times reported on Thursday.

Over the last few days, the report said regular visits to the site have shown large marquees being set up with trucks carrying building materials could also be seen entering the terminal which has been vacant since port operations relocated in 2017 as part of plans for a future mega port in Tuas.

As of Wednesday, the report said at least five or six rows of tents have already been set up at the terminal.

It also said that over the last few weeks, the Singapore government has been clearing and preparing various locations to house healthy foreign workers to curb the spread of the virus in worker dormitories or to convert them into community isolation sites.

The community isolation facilities which include the Singapore Expo, Changi Exhibition Centre, and D'Resort NTUC in Pasir Ris, are meant to house recovering Covid-19 patients and those with milder symptoms, the daily reported.

All of the 10,000 foreign workers in essential services living in purpose-built dormitories have been moved into 18 alternative living areas such as military camps, floating hotels, sports halls and vacant Housing Board blocks.

Cruise ships are also being considered to house the workers with one such ship is the SuperStar Gemini, currently berthed at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore near the Tanjong Pagar Terminal site.

As at noon today, Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has preliminarily confirmed 1,037 new cases of COVID-19 infection in the republic, with the vast majority from dorm residents. With the new cases, it brings the tally for the republic to 11,178.

- Bernama