Singapore Virus Infections Outside of Worker Dorms Drop to Zero

(Bloomberg) -- The number of new daily coronavirus cases in Singapore outside of heavily-affected migrant worker dormitories dropped to zero on June 1, marking the first time there have been no community cases since the city-state imposed a partial lockdown in early April.

There were 408 new infections among workers living in the facilities as of June 1, according to the Ministry of Health.

Coronavirus infections in Singapore's community have gradually fallen since partial lockdown measures started on April 7. The so-called “circuit-breaker,” which will begin a three-phased easing on June 2, saw schools and most workplaces close in tandem with heightened levels of testing and a tough social distancing regime.

An outbreak in the cramped living spaces that the foreign workers share has led to Singapore's total number of infections surging past 35,000, resulting in the tiny island nation having among the most reported cases in Asia.

In a briefing on Monday, the government said it plans to build additional facilities for the foreign workers with better standards, with some located closer to residential areas in the city-state.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.