Starting from June 1, use of the TraceTogether app or token will be the sole means of digital check-in for the purpose of contact tracing at places with higher footfall or where people are likely to be close to one another.

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

Mandatory use of TraceTogether comes as more than 90 per cent of the population have either downloaded the app or collected the token, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a joint statement yesterday.

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

The existing requirement for SafeEntry check-ins atsupermarkets and large retail outlets with operating hours similar to the malls and buildings in which they are located will also be removed when TraceTogether is used 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," SNDGO and MOH said.

Locations which are not venues where TT-only SE must be rolled out but have voluntarily implemented SafeEntry should remove their existing set-up to increase convenience for patrons. These places include small retail stores like pharmacies, convenience stores and heartland provision shops.

The TraceTogether token and mobile app work by exchanging short-distance Bluetooth signals with nearby users of the token or app to track people exposed to confirmed Covid-19 cases.

The technology has helped identify 75 people who had to be placed under quarantine but would likely have been missed with a manual contact tracing process, according to the joint statement.

SNDGO and MOH urge app users to download the latest version and turn on the Bluetooth setting for effective digital contact tracing.

Token users should ensure the device's battery does not run out. They are advised to replace the device if there is a blinking red light or if the token does not emit light. They can do so at any community club or centre, or at token replacement booths set up at selected malls.

Those who have not collected their tokens can still do so at any community club or centre islandwide. More information can be found at token.gowhere.gov.sg

Yesterday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said students will not be denied entry to school after TT-only SE is made mandatory from June 1, should they misplace or forget to bring along their token or mobile phone with the app.

Schools will continue to use their internal system for attendance taking, and students will not be required to scan their token or app to enter schools. MOE also encourages students to write their name and class on the token to avoid losing the device.