Travelling to this Asian country? Get ready to wear an electronic monitoring device

Singapore will make incoming travellers wear an electronic monitoring device to ensure that they comply with coronavirus quarantine, even as it reopens its borders. From August 11, the devices will be given to incoming travellers, including citizens and residents, from a select group of countries, Reuters has reported.

Travellers to Singapore are required to activate the device, which uses GPS and Bluetooth signals, upon reaching home. They will receive notifications on the device which they must acknowledge. Any attempt to leave home or tamper with the device will trigger an alert to the authorities.

Singapore, which has not given details on what the device will look like, said in a statement that it will not store any personal data on it. It also will not have any voice or recording function, the Reuters report said.

Those aged 12 and below will not have to wear the device.

In March, Hong Kong had introduced a scheme for incoming travellers by which they had to use a slim electronic wristband, to enforce quarantine for arriving passengers. South Korea has also used such wristbands connected to smartphone apps to track those who violate quarantine.