Singapore is rapidly building bed space for coronavirus patients in cavernous exhibition halls and other temporary facilities as it faces a surge in cases, mainly among its large community of low-paid migrant workers.
The tiny city-state of 5.7 million people has over 12,000 confirmed infections of the virus that causes COVID-19, one of the most in Asia, due to outbreaks in cramped dormitories housing over 300,000 mainly South Asian workers.
One such facility at Changi Exhibition Centre — home to the Singapore Airshow, Asia's biggest aerospace gathering — could eventually house over 4,000 patients recovering from the disease and those with mild symptoms.