5 Bangladeshi workers are among 37 Covid-19 patients still in hospitals across Singapore, as of Monday (24 Feb).
Such a high number among a relatively small community here is a worrying statistic, and workers here are apparently feeling the pressure.
The growing fear is perhaps why many are flying home to Bangladesh, according to Reuters.
The busy streets of Little India have been fairly quieter even on weekends, which usually see throngs of migrant workers on their day off.
A stall owner told Reuters that most of the typical crowd have gone back to Bangladesh, ever since the Covid-19 outbreak worsened in Singapore.
Their motivations for doing so are especially valid, after 5 Bangladeshi workers linked to the Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site tested positive for the virus.
1 of the 5 is currently in critical condition and remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
While money is a huge draw for them to work here in the first place, the need to relieve their families’ concerns back home is more important for some.
Reuters quoted the stall owner who said that,
When people think about life or family, they don’t care about money.
For many others, however, money keeps them here as they need to pay back the agency fees that got them to Singapore.
More importantly, since most of them are sole breadwinners, flying home is a bad idea as that means a disruption to their families’ incomes.
For the workers who stay, our effective management of the outbreak and top-notch healthcare facilities assure them that they’re in safe hands here.
They noted regular temperature checks and prompt isolation of suspect cases as two key features of our impressive preventive measures.
With these factors in mind, majority are choosing to stay, unless the situation worsens.
To allay any fears, the Bangladesh High Commission in Singapore has been reaching out to migrant workers here.
They have been persuading workers to stop leaving and visiting their dormitories to raise awareness about the virus, reports Reuters.
There, officials distribute masks, hand sanitisers and leaflets with useful information in Bengali about Covid-19 to educate workers.
Hopefully, with such dedicated effort to address the workers’ concerns, they’ll no longer be afraid of the situation in Singapore.
With our country reporting more recoveries each day, we’re optimistic that we can overcome the virus.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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