Singapore, May 1 (IANS): Singapore authorities announced on Friday the stay-home notice issued for the 180,000 foreign workers in the construction sector and their dependants will be extended by another 14 days as a precautionary measure to stem the spread of the COVID-19.

The workers will now serve the notice, initially slated to end on May 4, until May 18, 11.59 p.m., reports The Straits Times

In a joint statement, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said that the number of infected construction work pass holders who are living in premises that are not purpose-built dormitories has continued to rise.

"Based on the public health assessment by the Ministry of Health,an extension of the SHN by a further 14 days to cover another incubation cycle will help to break the cycle of transmission," it said.

The 180,000 workers and their dependants were now staying in factory-converted dormitories, temporary quarters on construction sites and private residential premises such as shophouses.

The 180,000 also include a "small percentage" of at least 7,000 healthy workers who have been moved to alternative living areas such as military camps, floating hotels and sports halls, the MOM had said previously.

The MOH announced on Thursday that there were 528 new COVID-19 cases, the seventh day in a row where the new daily infections fell below 1,000. The bulk of the new patients were foreign workers living in dormitories, The Straits times reported.

This brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Singapore to 16,169.

Of the new cases, 85 per cent were linked to known clusters.

The rest are pending contact tracing.

Singapore's death toll currently stands at 54.