Singapore's migrant dormitories emerge as hotbed for coronavirus

Pandemic reveals plight of residents for whom social distancing is 'impossible'

Singapore has about 1.4 million foreign workers, many of whom live with thousands of others in cramped dormitories that offer little personal space. (Courtesy of Singapore's Ministry of Manpower)

KENTARO IWAMOTO, Nikkei staff writer

April 10, 2020 19:00 JST

SINGAPORE -- Explosive coronavirus clusters are emerging in densely packed dormitories for the migrant workers who keep Singapore's economy going, despite the city-state's strong outbreak containment measures.

On Thursday, the country reported 287 new cases, its biggest daily jump. The majority of the new patients are Indian and Bangladeshi nationals who had come to Singapore to work on construction sites and at shipyards. They live in dormitories, each of which houses thousands of workers.