SINGAPORE - In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, a 34-year-old woman who allegedly used her niece's TraceTogether token to gain entry into several locations was charged in court on Friday (Nov 12).

Priscilla Tan Siew Sin allegedly ignored her company's orders to self-isolate at home while awaiting her polymerase chain reaction test result after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 patient, said the police in a statement on Thursday.

On Friday, Tan was charged with three counts of cheating by personation and can be jailed for up to five years and given a fine if found guilty.

According to court documents, Tan is said to have used her niece's TraceTogether token to enter The Poiz Centre, a shopping mall in Upper Serangoon Road, by cheating the SafeEntry system on the evening of April 30.

She allegedly did so again on the evening of May 2, when she used the token to enter the library at the Esplanade and then Marina Square around half an hour later.

Court documents did not indicate how she was caught.
Tan is due to return to court on Dec 2 and was offered bail of $3,000.

The police reminded the public to be socially responsible and to take Covid-19 safe management measures seriously.

"Everyone needs to play their part by being socially responsible, and members of the public are advised to take the prevailing safe management measures seriously," said the police.

The TraceTogether token is a device used for contact tracing by using Bluetooth signals to record other devices nearby.

Members of the public can use the token, or the TraceTogether app on their phones, to enter locations with SafeEntry gantries.

On Thursday, the Government Technology Agency updated the app with an animated otter against a green background on its SafeEntry check-in pass to show that a user has cleared vaccination and test status checks.

The agency said it is to allow staff to see the pass from a distance and clear queues quickly.

The animated otter will allow venue staff to easily ensure that the person checking in is not using a screenshot.