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SINGAPORE – TraceTogether tokens will be distributed across the country starting next Monday (September 14), and the Singapore government is aiming to complete the distribution in November.
The multi-ministries COVID-19 task force announced the move at a virtual press conference on Wednesday (September 9), adding that the non-mandatory token is free for all Singapore residents, Singaporeans, and permanent residents alike.
The minister in charge of the Smart Nation Initiative, Vivian Balakrishnan, said 10,000 tokens were first distributed to seniors in late June, ahead of the devices’ wider launch next week.
The distribution of the tokens will begin with the Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar regions, where there is a higher concentration of older people who may have more challenges using the TraceTogether app and are more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Residents can visit the TokenGoWhere website for more details on the collection sites and time.
It will also be progressively rolled out across the country, said Dr. Balakrishnan, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He also noted that about 2.4 million people have downloaded the TraceTogether app, but not all users turn it on during the day.
In the movement to provide tokens, he added, “And therein lies the heart of the challenge, because the more people are actively on TraceTogether, exponentially, the protective effect increases. So even today with 2.4 million downloads, in my opinion that’s still not enough. “
Human Resources Second Minister Tan See Leng said authorities will also test the use of the contact tracing tokens in “a number of suitable bedrooms” and are working to get them up and running early next month.
“This will greatly increase the speed and accuracy of contact tracing. It will also allow for more targeted containment and quarantine, ”said Dr. Tan, who is also Second Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Returning to a new normal with more activities allowed, Dr. Balakrishnan noted: “It requires intensive and recurring testing, in the case of dormitories and the community. It requires intensive and meticulous contact tracing ability. If we can maximize these two variables, it will be possible for us to resume a more normal life and still do so safely. “
The next few months “will be a period of very careful calibration”, and as for digital tools, to make their use “without inconvenience” and “without intrusions,” he emphasized.
TraceTogether-only SafeEntry system in select locations
Authorities will also be testing the implementation of a SafeEntry system that requires the use of the TraceTogether app or the token to register at select locations in October, Dr. Balakrishnan said.
TraceTogether’s “SafeEntry only” system will first be piloted in select locations and expanded over time once the national distribution of tokens is underway.
These include places where there may be larger groups coming together, especially where there is close interaction between attendees; or where masks cannot be worn at all times due to the nature of the activities.
“I need to emphasize that the combination of these two functionalities, which is the place and the proximity, will continue to protect the privacy of the person, but will improve the level of protection for the affected people,” said Dr. Balakrishnan.
The system was tested at the first Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) event that took place at the end of August, and more pilot tests began progressively starting this September.
Self-check and SMS services to alert COVID-19 locations
Starting Thursday, authorities will introduce a new self-check service and SMS service so that people can receive alerts if they have visited the same places at the same time as COVID-19 cases, according to their own SafeEntry records, it said. Dr. Balakrishnan.
The self-test service will be available in the TraceTogether app. Individuals can also access the Self-Check service through SingPass Mobile or wereyouthere.safeentry.gov.sg.
Additionally, SMS alerts will be sent to a smaller group of people who were in locations assessed as being at higher risk of transmission at the same time as COVID-19 cases. These include eating places and gyms where people do not wear masks for long periods.
