The war against the coronavirus is not cheap.
Countries across the globe have had to invest billions to ramp up testing, develop vaccines, purchase protective wear, and offer financial assistance to those who lost their jobs.
But another equally extortionate yet often overlooked expense during the Covid-19 is contact tracing.
Numerous countries have launched contact tracing apps in a bid to facilitate contact tracing efforts, and Singapore is no different.
Now, it’s been revealed that this was way more costly than we thought.
S’pore has Spent $13.8 Million on SafeEntry & TraceTogether
The development and procurement of the SafeEntry check-in system and TraceTogether app and tokens have cost a total of $13.8 million.
These include $2.4 million to develop the TraceTogether app, $6.2 million for developing and acquiring the TraceTogether tokens, and $5.2 million for the development of the SafeEntry system.
For those who’ve not left their house since the circuit breaker, SafeEntry is a national digital check-in system that logs the NRIC/FINs and mobile numbers of individuals visiting public venues, schools, and workplaces.
This makes it easier for the authorities to track close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases, as they know where residents have been, and at what time.
Similarly, the TraceTogether app supports contact tracing efforts by notifying the authorities if a user has been in close contact with a Covid-19 case.
It works by exchanging short-distance Bluetooth signals between phones to detect other participating TraceTogether users in close proximity.
You can watch this video (remember to watch to the end) on how it works:
The tokens, which work in the same way, were introduced as many children and elderly residents do not possess smartphones to download the app.
But do these tracing devices really work?
In a word, yes.
About 25K Close Contacts Found with TraceTogether
Since its release in March, TraceTogether has helped to identify about 25,000 close contacts of Covid-19 cases, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.
160 of these close contacts ended up testing positive for the virus.
That may not sound like a lot, but the key to containing the coronavirus is to detect infections early on, as the contagious virus can easily spread and form a large cluster.
Thanks to TraceTogether, contact tracing has become a lot easier.
“It has enabled the early identification and isolation of cases, faster than would have been possible with manual tracing,” Minister Gan said.
In order for it to be effective, however, more residents need to either download the app or collect a token.
And this is something they may have to do sooner rather than later.
TraceTogether-Only SafeEntry
By the end of 2020, you’ll either need the TraceTogether app or token to enter some public venues in Singapore, including restaurants, workplaces, schools, and shopping malls.
This means you’ll no longer be able to check in at a public venue by scanning a QR code or their NRIC, or by using the SingPass app.
Instead, you can either use the TraceTogether app to scan a SafeEntry QR code, or scan a QR code that comes with each TraceTogether token.
Cinemas were the first to implement this system, and some residents who have already used this new check-in method claim it is quicker and more convenient.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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