SAF officer's photos take us behind the scenes at the epicentre of Singapore's Covid-19 fight

As we near the end of the circuit breaker and ease into a new semblance of normalcy, it's all too easy to forget the unsung heroes in the frontlines.

Enter Alex Chua, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Singapore Armed Forces who has been pulling back the curtain on the epicentre of Singapore's Covid-19 fight with his daily photos, anecdotes and insights from migrant workers and frontliners.

Since April 13, Chua, who is part of the Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Coordination Centre (RHCC) at the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), has been chronicling life at the purpose-built dormitories housing some 200,000 migrant workers on his Facebook page.

Both a daily dose of inspiration and a sobering reminder that the fight against Covid-19 is far from over, the project even caught the attention of Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, who took to Facebook on Wednesday (May 27) to give Chua a shout-out.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/182928775083239/posts/3096208093755278[/embed]

Some of the most compelling photos reveal how migrant workers have been coping, from their reactions to swab tests, to more lighthearted moments such as being allowed to move from the isolation facilities to a block for recovered patients.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157567179571748&set=p.10157567179571748&type=3&theatre[/embed]

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157542615041748&set=p.10157542615041748&type=3&theatre[/embed]

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157543181171748&set=p.10157543181171748&type=3&theatre[/embed]

Others shine the spotlight on the frontliners holding down the fort and what keeps them going.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157551623486748&set=p.10157551623486748&type=3[/embed]

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157531366446748&set=p.10157531366446748&type=3[/embed]

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157555058196748&set=p.10157555058196748&type=3&theatre[/embed]

With migrant workers in dormitories making up the bulk of Singapore's new Covid-19 cases since April, the government has stepped up its efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Forward assurance support, or FAST teams, consisting of officers from the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Police Force and SAF have been deployed to all purpose-built foreign worker dormitories, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said on April 14.

The Fast teams support dormitory operators by handling food and cleanliness issues, as well as attending to the workers' feedback.

Workers have also been extensively tested for the virus, with about 3,000 tests conducted in dorms every day. 

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com