SINGAPORE - Residents lined up on Monday (Jan 18) to collect their TraceTogether tokens - but this time without the long queues seen in October.

Distribution of the devices - an alternative to the Covid-19 contact tracing app for those who prefer not to use a phone - resumed at 38 community centres and community clubs (CCs), 12 weeks after it was suspended due to overwhelming demand.

Only a few people were queueing at Anchorvale Community Club, Toa Payoh Central Community Club and Kallang Community Club when The Straits Times visited on Monday.

Finance controller Chris Tay, 49, described his experience in Kallang as "smooth and orderly". He said he was turned off by the queues during the previous collection period but this time had managed to collect his token in a few minutes.

Another resident who collected her token at the same community club agreed. "The collection process today was quite fast, not like last time when the queue was very long, it's totally different," said Madam Chun Bee Lin, 57.

Ms Denise Kok, 33, also said there was "not much of a queue" when she collected her token at Toa Payoh Central Community Club.

Some residents said they had been looking forward to collecting their token, saying it was easier to use and more convenient than the TraceTogether app.

"It's just so much easier to scan the token instead of having to open the app all the time," said Ms Kok.

Ms Ashley Wong, 35, said that she checked online every day for updates on token collection, noting that it was out of stock for a long time.

"I work in a school and it's mandatory to use TraceTogether, so my phone battery gets flat very fast," the auditor said while collecting her token at Anchorvale Community Club.

A list of active token distribution venues can be found at this website.