Plans to relax restrictions on the movements of migrant workers will be implemented progressively, when more of the workers have been vaccinated and infection rates remain under control, reports the Straits Times, citing a statement from multi-ministry task force co-chair Lawrence Wong. He was responding to questions raised at a media conference on why migrant workers were subject to stricter measures than the rest of the population and when they would be allowed to move about more freely. A pilot programme was announced last December to let migrant workers in some dormitories be in the community once a month, starting in the first quarter of this year. This would, however, be subject to their compliance with rostered routine testing, the wearing of contact tracing devices and safe living measures.

The task force did not comment on the timeframe of the pilot programme's roll-out.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had previously said in a BBC broadcast that it is too much of a risk to have migrant workers from dormitories mixing freely with the general population, as Covid-19 is still circulating in Singapore. Wong said that because of this, the government is taking a very cautious approach on this front, though the measures will be progressively eased when the time comes.