Compulsory use of TraceTogether app or token at cinemas from Nov 16

SINGAPORE — Starting Nov 16, it will be compulsory for moviegoers to use either the TraceTogether app or token to enter cinemas. 

This will be rolled out next Monday (Oct 26) with a three week grace period for patrons to adjust to the new requirement. 

After the grace period, the public will not be able to enter cinemas using SafeEntry QR codes, the Singpass mobile app or their identification cards. 

Independent cinema The Projector first announced the move by the authorities on its social media platforms on Monday. 

It said that once the measures are implemented, the Cinema’s SafeEntry QR codes will no longer be compatible with Singpass, QR code scanner or camera apps and patrons must use TraceTogether instead. 

Responding to queries from TODAY, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGO) said that with the Ministry of Health (MOH), it had implemented the grace period to allow patrons “time to adjust to the new requirement”. 

Operators will not need to acquire new equipment and will only need to install the SafeEntry scanning app on any smartphone in order to scan the QR code on the token, SNDGO added.

For TraceTogether app users, they will need to scan a SafeEntry QR code put up at the premises.

The authorities had announced earlier this month that the use of TraceTogether will be made compulsory for people attending large gatherings and high-risk activities amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 

This is one of the ways the Government hopes to encourage the adoption of TraceTogether, which was designed to support contact tracing efforts, authorities added.

Authorities had then said that more than 100,000 tokens have been distributed and that there are about 100 locations in total where the public may collect the tokens. 

Both the TraceTogether app and token work by exchanging Bluetooth signals between nearby mobile phones and tokens that have the app installed, estimating the distance between users and how much time they spent in contact.

This information will be stored locally in users’ mobile phones or token. During contact tracing, they can consent to send the data to MOH.