As the pandemic outbreak ravages on a global scale, the Government has arranged the implementation of certain measures to curb the progress of the virus in our society:
By now, I’m sure each and every one of you’ll be more than familiar with the Circuit Breaker, a near-isolation implementation that is now slowly being phased out.
And though the case of foreign workers has made things slightly more complicated, the Circuit Breaker can still, for the most part, qualify as a success, with minimal Singaporean or PR affiliation cases.
The TraceTogether app, however, is not quite so straightforward, though its function suggests otherwise.
The application works via the emission of Bluetooth signals to each other when in close proximity, making it substantially easier for authorities to “conduct contact tracing when a user tests positive for COVID-19”.
However, as the app works in subjective levels across different smartphone operating systems, the Government decided not to make it a compulsory measure, which certainly limits its efficiency.
And though a whopping total of 1.5 million users have downloaded it despite it being voluntary, around four-fifth of Singapore’s population remains without the app.
Which is not ideal, considering the virus’ potent infectious rate.
And as life returns to normal, such a scenario does not bode well for contact tracing in the near future, what with the sheer population of the nation.
But it seems that the Government has finally arrived at a solution. An improved version of the TraceTogether application, so to speak. Yes, folks, it’s what you’ve read in the topic headline:
A wearable contact tracing device, which achieves the same objectives as the TraceTogether app without the need for a smartphone.
Whether it looks as cool as an airpod, however, is still an ‘issue’ up in the air.
Everyone in S’pore Will Soon Receive a Wearable Contact Tracing Device
According to Channel News Asia, the Government is currently developing a portable and wearable contact tracing device which will “achieve the same objectives” as TraceTogether, but without the need for a smartphone.
Yes to those who didn’t switch on their TraceTogether because they’re afraid of their batteries dying.
Should the device be a success, the roll-out will commence to everyone in Singapore.
“If this portable device works, we may then distribute it to everyone in Singapore,” said Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation initiative.
“And I believe this will be more inclusive, and it will ensure that all of us will be protected.”
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The response was conveyed in Parliament in answer to a question by Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC Vikram Nair, who had asked if there were plans to make the TraceTogether contact tracing app a mandatory download.
Due to a difference in platform operating systems, the contact tracing app was ultimately deemed to be a non-voluntary download. Apple’s iOS, for instance, suspends the Bluetooth scanning function when the app is minimised, which means that users have to leave it in the foreground in order for it to work. This is a non-viable option, in both the short term and the long term.
“We’ve had repeated discussions at both the technical and policy level with Apple, but we have not yet been able to find a satisfactory solution,” Dr Balakrishnan said.
Migrant workers living in dorms, however, are required to download the app. And though it remains voluntary, Dr Balakrishnan has urged more people to do the same.
“Notwithstanding the limitations of coverage today, the data from TraceTogether has already been a helpful, additional tool for our contact tracers, especially when it is used in combination with other data sources,” he said.
Additional Features And Encryption
According to him, the app has been recently updated with an identity feature, which registers the user’s NRIC or FIN number. This would allow authorities to ascertain the identity of close contacts in a faster manner.
There are also measures in place to ensure the safety of information stored on the user’s mobile phone.
“There are safeguards including encryption in place to protect this from malicious hackers and the data that’s older than 25 days will be automatically deleted from your phone,” he added.
“If the close contact data is required for contact tracing, only a small group of authorised officers in MOH will have access to it.”
Dr Balakrishnan has since called efficient contact tracing a necessity, especially now that the Circuit Breaker is due to end.
He also stressed the fact that contact tracing ultimately lies on human judgement; technology simply serves as an enabler.
“If everyone is at home, in fact, the need for contact tracing is minimal,” he said. “But now that we have more people moving about, going to work, there will be more occasions when more people will have more close interactions with each other.
“If we can reduce the incidence of clusters by better and faster contact tracing, then we can avoid having to reintroduce restrictive circuit breaker measures in the future.
“I hope that all members of the public will work with us to achieve this.”
You can view the video clip of the Parliament session down below:
And with that said, let’s hope that the wearable contact tracing device will prove successful in its developmental stage and that Singapore’s ongoing fight against the pandemic outbreak will only continue scaling in heights.
Together… we can overcome this crisis.
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