NEW DELHI — Chiles and dried mango powder have helped Govind Jogi swallow handfuls of plain boiled rice — the only food on which he and his wife have survived these past two months. Jogi, 21, usually works as a seller of idlis, a savory rice cake, at a roadside […]
migrant
Malaysia reopens as virus rips through migrant detention centers
KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s movement restrictions expire on Tuesday, allowing a full-fledged economic restart after a nearly three-month hiatus due to the coronavirus. But while Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has declared the outbreak “under control,” the government has urgent unfinished business: stopping the spread of COVID-19 in detention centers for […]
Coronavirus wrecks South Asian migrant livelihoods in Middle East
NEW DELHI/KATHMANDU/DHAKA — “We might soon be homeless, because I cannot pay the 90 Kuwaiti dinars ($290) rent,” said Lok Bahadur Rai, 36, a Nepalese chef who lives in Kuwait with his wife. Rai’s ordeal began when he returned to Kuwait a month and half ago following a trip home. […]
Coronavirus latest: India deploys food aid for 80m migrant workers
The Nikkei Asian Review is tracking the spread of the new coronavirus that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Global cases have reached 4,248,389, according to the World Health Organization. The worldwide death toll has hit 294,046. To see how the disease has spread, view our virus tracker […]
Singapore revamps notorious migrant dorms with more social distance
SINGAPORE — Shamin Khan, a 35-year-old migrant worker from Bangladesh, is quite satisfied with his new living quarters. “We are very happy and safe here,” said Khan, who had moved from a crowded migrant dormitory. “It is more spacious, and we have free Wi-Fi so we can video chat with […]
Singapore’s new migrant dorms offer more distance and free WiFi
SINGAPORE — Shamin Khan, a 35-year-old migrant worker from Bangladesh, is quite satisfied with his new living quarters. “We are very happy and safe here,” said Khan, who had moved from a crowded migrant dormitory. “It is more spacious, and we have free Wi-Fi so we can video chat with […]
Singapore gets serious about social distancing migrant workers
SINGAPORE — Shamin Khan, a 35-year-old migrant worker from Bangladesh, is quite satisfied with his new living quarters. “We are very happy and safe here,” said Khan, who had moved from a crowded migrant dormitory. “It is more spacious, and we have free Wi-Fi so we can video chat with […]
Coronavirus latest: Singapore to test over 300,000 migrant workers
The Nikkei Asian Review is tracking the spread of the new coronavirus that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Global cases have reached 4,088,848, according to the World Health Organization. The worldwide death toll has hit 283,153. To see how the disease has spread, view our virus tracker […]
Virus clusters push Singapore to test thousands of migrant workers
SINGAPORE — Coronavirus clusters in Singapore’s migrant worker dormitories have turned into the biggest wave of infections the city-state has seen yet, testing its widely praised containment tactics. As of Tuesday, Singapore’s total cases reached 3,252, doubling from a week earlier. Most of the latest cases are residents from low-income […]
Singapore’s migrant dormitories emerge as hotbed for coronavirus
SINGAPORE — Explosive coronavirus clusters are emerging in densely packed dormitories for the migrant workers who keep Singapore’s economy going, despite the city-state’s strong outbreak containment measures. On Thursday, the country reported 287 new cases, its biggest daily jump. The majority of the new patients are Indian and Bangladeshi nationals […]