Singapore has rolled out a new digital check-in system to boost its contact tracing efforts and stem the spread of COVID-19, making it mandatory at certain locations across the island. The move comes weeks after the launch of a contact tracing app that has since garnered more than 1.4 million downloads, but well below the government's hope to reach three quarters of the local population.
Called SafeEntry[1], the digital check-in system collects data that can be used to facilitate contact tracing should an individual who visited the location be tested for COVID-19. QR codes are displayed at the entry and exit points of a venue, which visitors must scan and input their name, national identification number, and mobile number. Alternatively, they can use any identification card that carries a barcode such as their driver's licence, work permit, or student pass, which then is scanned by staff stationed at the venue's entry point.
To date, the check-in system already has been deployed at more than 16,000 sites island-wide.
Developed by Government Technology Agency (GovTech), SafeEntry must be deployed at selected locations from May 12 -- a move the Singapore government deemed necessary to track individuals at places where they were likely to be in close proximity for prolonged periods, in enclosed spaces, or where there was high human traffic.
The list of places where SafeEntry is mandatory currently includes all workplaces, shopping malls, hotels, schools and educational institutes, healthcare facilities, supermarkets, and hairdressers. The digital check-in system also will be extended to include taxis.
And while food and beverage outlets, for now, are not required to deploy SafeEntry for customers since they are open only delivery and takeaway, these premises still must implement SafeEntry for employees as is required of all workplaces.
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