Singapore has a plan for the world’s empty cruise ships

With cruise ships around the world being idled after hundreds of infections occurred during their voyages, they might have found a new purpose in Singapore.

The city-state is studying using cruise ships to temporarily house foreign workers who have recovered from the coronavirus and tested negative, as it tries to limit the spread after cases soared, according to Fortune.

The potential measure could complement other interim facilities such as military camps and vacant public housing, the tourism board said in a statement. The move comes as the country grapples with a surge in infections among foreign workers who live in often-cramped dormitories and facilities.

Singapore had its worst day in the outbreak last Thursday as it posted 728 new cases of the virus, a single-day record that contributed to a doubling of its infection count over the past week. The majority of cases occurred at migrant dormitories, where more than 200,000 workers live.

The move to contemplate housing foreign workers in cruise ships comes with a fair bit of irony. The government in March stopped port calls for all cruise vessels, where hundreds of infections had occurred during voyages elsewhere.

Cruise ships are being looked at as they have “readily available rooms and en-suite toilets to minimize person-to-person contact,” the tourism board said. The two ships being assessed for this purpose — Genting Cruise Lines’ SuperStar Gemini and SuperStar Aquarius — can hold up to 2,000 foreign workers, and will allow health measures to be implemented more effectively in existing dormitories by lowering the number of workers there.

With about 10 people sharing a single room, according to Singapore charities that support migrant workers, the crowded conditions at dormitories have emerged as one of Singapore’s biggest challenges in its fight to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Genting’s SuperStar Gemini, which arrived April 17 from Hong Kong, is currently berthed at Marina Bay Cruise Centre where it will undergo an assessment to determine its suitability for temporary housing, according to Singapore’s tourism board.

The assessment will consider, among other areas, the ship’s ventilation systems, security protocols and infection control measures, and will only be used to house foreign workers if it passes the assessment. SuperStar Aquarius may be activated for assessment at a later date.

Should the cruise ship proposal by Singapore go ahead, the low-wage workers will be allowed scheduled outdoor time and provided mobile phone connectivity and wireless Internet surfing, according to Fortune.