SINGAPORE - The distribution of TraceTogether tokens will be progressively expanded to about 100 locations islandwide such as in malls and community centres.
More than 100,000 tokens have been collected since distribution kicked off on Sept 14 at 20 community centres and clubs in the Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar regions, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group said on Sunday (Oct 4).
Collection points were rolled out at a further 18 community centres on Friday, while TraceTogether mobile booths will be deployed at various malls over the coming weeks.
The full deployment schedule and list of locations can be found on the TokenGoWhere website.
Members of the public can go to any active distribution point to collect their tokens if they wish.
The locally developed TraceTogether programme helps with contact tracing efforts by identifying nearby tokens or phones with the app installed, enabling the authorities to identify a person's close contacts if needed.
Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Janil Puthucheary reiterated on Sunday the Government's target of getting at least 70 per cent of the population onto TraceTogether, without specifying how many tokens the Government is aiming to distribute.
"If we have more than 75 per cent of our population on the programme, the confidence that we have for using this tool for rapid and effective contact tracing is transformative," said Dr Janil, who was visiting the TraceTogether booth at Bedok Mall on Sunday.
He noted that the TraceTogether app has been downloaded about 2.4 million times to date, which would represent around 40 per cent of Singapore's population, adding that the Government is making the use of the app or token compulsory for large gatherings and higher-risk activities as Singapore opens up.
Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative Vivian Balakrishnan had previously said a pilot scheme requiring people to use either the TraceTogether token or the mobile app to check in at certain venues will start this month.
Dr Janil said: "Many of the seniors I met today in the queue actually had looked (the collection) up on the TokenGoWhere website... but we hope that the booths will also reach out to people who would not naturally look it up online.
"And that's the key issue. It's to make sure we have access to as many segments of our Singapore population as possible."
The app already allows users to scan SafeEntry QR codes, while the token comes with its own QR code that can be scanned for entry, similar to how the process works with the bar code on identity cards.
Retiree Yow Chun Wah, 69, was at Bedok Mall to collect his TraceTogether token on Sunday.
"I don't think bringing the token along will be a hassle for me when going out," he said in Mandarin.
"There's not much difference for seniors like myself because I will just hang it around my neck like I already do with my NRIC."
