Travellers to Singapore to wear electronic tracking device

Illustrative image (Source: straitstimes)

Singapore - Starting from August 11, travellers entering Singapore who are serving their stay-home notice (SHN) outside of dedicated facilities will have to wear an electronic monitoring device throughout the 14 days.

This will apply to all travellers including Singaporeans, permanent residents, long-term pass holders, work pass holders and their dependents, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Ministry of Education (MOE) in a press release.

The device will allow them to monitor those serving the SHN more effectively as travel restrictions are progressively lifted, according to the press release.

It is a change from the combination of text messages, voice and video calls and house visits the authorities have been using to make sure the rules are observed.

GPS and 4G or Bluetooth signals are used to determine if a person is within range of their place of residence.

Those wearing the device may receive notifications from it during the stay-home period and should acknowledge these in a timely manner, said the authorities.

Those who tamper with or remove the device during the SHN period can be fined up to 10,000 USD or jailed for up to six months, or face both punishments.

Earlier, the Singaporean Ministry of Health said travellers entering Singapore from selected countries may serve their stay-home notices at home, instead of dedicated facilities, from June 18.

But they will be subject to a compulsory COVID-19 test, for which they must pay, a few days before the end of their SHN.

The new SHN rules apply to travellers who have been in Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, mainland China, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam in the last 14 consecutive days before their entry.

All other travellers entering Singapore will continue to serve their SHN at dedicated facilities like hotels. Those who are not Singaporeans or permanent residents will have to pay for their stay at these facilities.