Twenty-one migrant workers have been locked into a room they can only leave with the help of security guards after one tested positive for COVID-19, a group advocating for workers’ rights announced today.

The Transient Workers Count Too said earlier this afternoon that although it had reported the issue to the authorities, the workers remain behind lock and key.

“This is an unacceptable and dangerous way to do things. What if a fire breaks out in the block? How will the 21 men escape?” it wrote online.

The NGO said it received a “distress call” about the situation and two videos from workers. One showed a man trying to open the locked door by the doorknob while another showed the group stuck inside. The NGO did not publish the video but included screenshots of the clips in its post.

The group has reportedly been locked in the room since Friday, when a Chinese national among them tested positive for COVID-19. He has since been removed.

In the comments, the group said the dorm is believed to be operated by a company called Joylicious Management Pte Ltd, which is not among licensed dormitory operators listed by the Ministry of Manpower.

“From a dorm called ‘Joylicious,’ we got a distress call. A Chinese worker was taken away on 17 April with Covid-19. Since then the remaining 21 workers have been locked inside their room. Door is locked from the outside. Workers wanting to go to toilet/shower are asked to call security guards who will come to unlock the door, but the guards can take up to 30 minutes to show up.”

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