Singapore has implemented mandatory daily temperature checks for newly arrived migrant workers from West Bengal, activating post-COVID surveillance protocols as India reports a Nipah virus outbreak that has killed at least nine people in the northeastern state.
The Ministry of Manpower announced the screening measures on February 3, requiring dormitory operators to monitor workers who traveled to West Bengal in the past 21 days—the virus's incubation period. Workers showing fever, headache, or respiratory symptoms must seek immediate medical attention.
The directive affects thousands of construction and service workers housed in purpose-built dormitories across the island, facilities that became focal points during the COVID-19 pandemic and have since been upgraded with enhanced health monitoring systems.
Regional surveillance infrastructure tested
The response showcases the health surveillance network ASEAN nations built after COVID-19 exposed gaps in cross-border disease monitoring. Singapore, which hosts approximately 300,000 migrant workers from South Asia, maintains one of the region's most sophisticated early-warning systems.
Infectious disease specialists told Channel NewsAsia the measures demonstrate how regional health infrastructure has improved since the pandemic. "We're seeing real-time coordination between dormitory operators, health authorities, and source countries," according to medical experts familiar with the protocols.
Nipah virus, which spreads through contact with infected bats or contaminated food, carries a mortality rate between 40% and 75% depending on outbreak location. No vaccine exists. The West Bengal outbreak has prompted India to deploy specialized medical teams and establish isolation wards.
Cross-border labor flows under watch
Singapore's economy depends heavily on foreign workers, particularly in construction and marine sectors that employ large numbers of Bangladeshi and Indian nationals. The city-state's approach balances economic needs with public health—screening rather than banning arrivals, a marked departure from its initial COVID-19 response.
The dormitory monitoring system, upgraded after the pandemic saw over 60,000 migrant worker infections, now includes digital health tracking, improved ventilation, and reduced occupancy density. The current Nipah screening adds another layer to protocols already monitoring for dengue, tuberculosis, and COVID-19.
Ten countries, 700 million people, one region—and for the Bangladeshi workers arriving at Changi Airport this week, that integration means their health data flows between countries before they reach their dormitory bed.
