Mandatory use of TraceTogether at malls, workplaces, schools to start on June 1

[SINGAPORE] From June 1, digital check-ins for contact tracing at places with higher footfall or where people are likely to be in close proximity can only be done using the TraceTogether app or token.

These places include shopping malls, workplaces, places of worship, schools, educational institutions, dine-in food and beverage outlets and gyms - where the national digital check-in tool SafeEntry has already been implemented.

The mandatory use of TraceTogether comes as more than 90 per cent of the population have either downloaded the TraceTogether app or collected the TraceTogether token, said the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office and the Ministry of Health in a joint statement on Thursday.

The existing requirement for SafeEntry check-ins at individual retail outlets such as supermakets inside large malls will also be removed with the mandatory use of TraceTogether for registering check-ins.

This set-up is known as TraceTogether-only SafeEntry (TT-only SE).

"This is because all visitors would have already performed TT-only SE check-in at the mall entrances, and the interactions at these venues within the malls are generally more transient," the statement said.

Small retail stores - including pharmacies and convenience stores - that were not required to implement SafeEntry for customers but have voluntarily done should also remove their check-ins to increase convenience for their patrons.

Other modes of SafeEntry check-in such as scanning a venue's SafeEntry QR code with a phone camera or the Singpass app will also be discontinued from June 1.

THE STRAITS TIMES