The decision to require electronic monitoring devices comes as the city starts to reopen its borders. The devices will be provided to incoming travelers starting on August 11 and will be given to travelers allowed to quarantine at home.
According to Reuters, travelers will be required to wear the devices, which use GPS and Bluetooth signals, for 14 days.
If travelers leave their homes or tamper with the devices, an alert will be sent to authorities. Singaporean officials have stated that the devices will not hold any personal data and don’t have voice or video recording functions. People under the age of 12 will not be required to wear the devices.
"On arrival in Singapore, travelers serving their stay-home notice at their place of residence will be issued with an electronic monitoring device at the checkpoints, after immigration clearance," the city-state’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Education said in a joint news release on Monday. "They will need to activate the electronic monitoring device upon reaching their place of residence."
Under the city-state’s Infectious Disease Act, those who break quarantine and social distancing rules may be forced to pay fines of up to $7,272 or face a six-month prison sentence. Foreigners who break the rules could potentially have their permits to remain or work in Singapore revoked.
Singapore has also used a COVID-19 tracing app in combination with a bracelet to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The TraceTogether Token bracelet has been used by authorities to determine who might be infected by the virus.
The latest data by Worldometer shows that there have been 53,051 cases of COVID-19 reported in Singapore and 27 total deaths as a result.
Hong Kong in March established similar rules to enforce quarantine measures, requiring travelers entering the city to wear electronic monitoring wristbands.