SINGAPORE - Two titans of Indian cinema and sport, actor Rajinikanth and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, have shared messages of encouragement to their fans, especially foreign workers here, at the request of Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran.
In a video released on Thursday (April 16), legendary batsman Tendulkar said: "Being safe lies in our hands - yours and mine. Please follow the advice of the Government on the correct safety norms. Always observe safe distancing practices."
He added: "Stay at home, stay healthy. Let us all work together to overcome this challenge."
Earlier in the week on Tuesday, actor Rajinikanth offered his Tamil New Year well wishes to fellow Indians living and working abroad.
Speaking in Tamil, he noted that "the entire world has been affected by the Coronavirus" and "your family and relatives who are living apart from you, are only thinking of you".
"No matter which country you are living in, you should abide by the rules of that Government and look after yourselves. This is the biggest gift you can give your family and relatives this year."
He added: "Live well and don't worry, this too shall pass."
Foreign workers in Singapore, many of whom are Indian nationals, are among the worst hit by the coronavirus outbreak, with foreign worker dormitories put under isolation as cases continue to rise.
So far, 2,689 foreign workers linked to dormitories have tested positive for Covid-19 - making up about 60 per cent of all Singapore's cases. As of Friday morning, there are 12 dormitories declared as isolation areas where workers at these lodgings must be quarantined in their rooms for 14 days.
In a caption accompanying Tendulkar's video on his Facebook page, Mr Iswaran wrote: "It will mean a lot to all fans of the sport, especially our foreign workers, to hear from their cricket idol."
" We are doing our utmost to take care of their health, livelihood and welfare. Meanwhile, I hope this message from Sachin will help to lift their morale and spirits in this circuit breaker period."
