We thank Mr Cheang Peng Wah for his feedback (Use higher-tech enforcement, March 27).

The fight against Covid-19 is a nationwide effort. It is a test of our healthcare system, the effectiveness of our public governance, and Singaporeans' level of social trust and responsibility.

Mr Cheang is right that electronic tagging is a readily available solution. We have decided not to electronically tag people under leave of absence and stay-home notice.

By and large, most individuals do comply out of a sense of social responsibility. We have, however, rolled out solutions to help such individuals quickly and easily report their locations to the authorities.

The TraceTogether app is built for a different purpose: To support and supplement contact tracing efforts by the Ministry of Health.

TraceTogether works by exchanging short-distance Bluetooth signals between phones to detect other TraceTogether users in close proximity.

This enables contact tracers to inform TraceTogether users who have been in close contact with Covid-19 cases more quickly. The app does not collect location data, as such data is not needed for its purpose, and uses only Bluetooth signal strength and time information to determine proximity.

We will continue to develop tech solutions to help Singapore in the fight against Covid-19, and help Singaporeans cope with the changing situation.

Huang Weixian

Director

Adoption and Engagement,

Smart Nation and Digital

Government Office

Prime Minister's Office