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SINGAPORE – There is no need for Singaporeans to rush to collect TraceTogether tokens, the Minister in Charge of the Smart Nation Initiative Vivian Balakrishnan said on Sunday (October 25).
Contact tracing devices can currently be collected at 38 community centers, but will be available at all 108 community centers by the end of next month.
Dr Balakrishnan said that as of Monday, Singaporeans are encouraged to collect their tokens from their own community clubs and use the Token Go Where website to see when the distribution schedule would start in their areas.
This is to avoid long queues accumulating at distribution points.
He was speaking to the media at Buona Vista Community Club Sunday night, following reports of long lines at some of the collection points during the first weekend since the government announced to register with the TraceTogether app or the token would be mandatory by the end of December. in all public places, including restaurants, workplaces, schools and shopping centers.
He also ensured that there would be more than enough chips.
“We will adjust the figures supplied to meet demand, obviously, and our contracts allow us to make the necessary adjustments,” he said.
The current target number of tokens to be produced is about 2.7 million, but this number can be adjusted according to demand, said Dr. Balakrishnan, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs.
When the tokens were first launched, the priority was to distribute them to the elderly and those who may not have access to a smartphone.
But people’s preferences will also be taken into account, as some Singaporeans have given their opinion that they prefer to use the token in the app, said Dr. Balakrishnan.
“I want to give people that option, because the key is participation, general participation in the TraceTogether program,” he said.
Although the current number of locally transmitted cases is very low, it is not a time to be complacent and contact tracing remains critical, he said.
Currently, more than 50 percent of the population, more than 2.5 million people, have downloaded the TraceTogether app and more than 400,000 tokens have been distributed, he added.
Dr. Balakrishnan said: “I would also like to ensure that the implementation of the TraceTogether-only Secure Entry program will not continue until we ensure that everyone has access to a token or the application and is comfortable using it.”
He also said that in the coming months, if the world situation improves and borders can be opened more, foreigners will also have to participate in the TraceTogether program, either through the app or some kind of token.
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