Associate Professor Goh Yang Miang of the National University of Singapore's Department of Building said these stopgap measures were necessary in the short run.

He said that the current crisis might provide the necessary disruption to motivate the industry to adopt a more productive way of building. "Over the years, the industry and Government had increased investment in prefabrication, machinery, IT and other technology to reduce reliance on migrant workers, but more needs to be done," he said.