𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃-𝟏𝟗 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃-𝟏𝟗 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬.

Prof Dale Fisher describes the taskforce's approach to the COVID-19 infections in the dormitories as 'novel'.

The focus was on preventing deaths, rather than transmission. Such a strategy in taking care of the migrant workers was "very novel", he said.

By isolating those most at risk - including the older ones and those with conditions - it helped keep deaths low, despite the high living density in the dormitories.

This was despite there being no capacity to isolate all the migrant workers as was done for the community cases, said Professor Fisher, a senior infectious diseases consultant at the National University Hospital.

"Part of this is why we've seen over 48,000 cases now and 27 deaths. The (low mortality) is absolutely staggering. The rest of the world is going, 'How did you do that?'"