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SINGAPORE – Authorities began distributing TraceTogether tokens on Monday (September 14) as part of efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are some things you need to know about the devices.
Where can I collect the chips?
The distribution of the tokens will begin with the Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar regions, where there is a higher concentration of older residents who may have more challenges using the TraceTogether app and are also more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Residents can visit the TokenGoWhere website for more details on the collection sites and time.
Authorities will progressively roll out the devices across the country and aim to complete the distribution in November.
How do the devices work?
Similar to the TraceTogether smartphone app, which is available for download on Google Play and the App Store, tokens work by exchanging short-distance Bluetooth signals between other participating tokens or nearby app users.
The tokens will encrypt data from nearby devices and information older than 25 days will be automatically deleted.
The devices do not record user locations. Personal data is also not stored in tokens.
If an owner tests positive for COVID-19, authorities will decrypt the collected data for contact tracing.
The tokens are also waterproof and have a battery life of six months.
Why is the government doing this?
Approximately 2.4 million people, or 40 percent of the total resident population, have downloaded the TraceTogether app. But not all users turn it on during the day. Some users may experience problems with the application. And some older residents may not use smartphones.
The minister in charge of the Smart Nation Initiative, Vivian Balakrishnan, said last week: “And therein lies the heart of the challenge, because the more people actively participate in TraceTogether, the protective effect increases exponentially. So even today with 2.4 million downloads, in my opinion that’s still not enough. “
With the tokens, the government expects 70 percent of the total population to use TraceTogether, making contact tracing for COVID-19 more efficient and effective.
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