Singapore will give residents wearable 'tokens' that track the people they interact with in a new effort to contain COVID-19

• The Singapore government will start giving out wearable devices that use Bluetooth to track people's interactions and slow the spread of COVID-19.
• The devices build on Singapore's contact tracing smartphone app, TraceTogether, which also relied on Bluetooth data but encountered technical problems running on iPhones.
• The wearable devices are called "tokens" and rely solely on Bluetooth data to detect other people's devices nearby. They do not track GPS location or connect to the internet.
• When someone tests positive for COVID-19, they can hand over their token to medical authorities, who extract the data and contact people who might have been exposed.
• Experts say contact tracing devices need to be used by more than half a country's population to work. The TraceTogether app has only been adopted by 25% of Singapore's population, but government officials hope wearable tokens will be adopted by 75% of people.

Singapore, one of the first countries in the world to roll out a COVID-19 contact tracing smartphone app, is now trying out new technology to fight the virus.

The Singapore government will distribute wearable tracking "tokens" to citizens that rely on Bluetooth signals without connecting to the internet, health officials said in a press conference Monday. The tokens will use the same technology as Singapore's TraceTogether smartphone app, which experienced some technical difficulties on iPhones given Apple's default Bluetooth permissions.

Like most contact tracing smartphone apps, the wearable devices keep a log of other people's devices that have come in close contact using Bluetooth. When someone tests positive for COVID-19, they can hand over their device to medical authorities, who extract the data and contact people who might have been exposed.

The devices are meant to be easier to use and more reliable than the smartphone app, which may help address one of the biggest challenges faced by Singapore health officials: getting people to use them.

Epidemiologists estimate that 60% of a country's population needs to be using contact tracing tech for the system to work. By contrast, only 25% of Singaporeans downloaded TraceTogether — while the app drew praise for its early rollout in March, it wasn't able to prevent a spike in COVID-19 cases across the country in April.

Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister-in-charge of Singapore's Smart Nation initiative, said the devices will be given away for free, and that he hopes up to 75% of people will use them "voluntarily." The Singapore government has not announced any plans to require people to use the wearable devices.

"Ultimately, the real test of the pudding is whether we can shorten the time from identification of a patient or close contact to isolation ... and also reassure people that we are getting the balance right between protecting public health and protecting personal privacy," Balakrishnan told reporters. "I believe it is possible to protect both, and we're going to do so in a manner which is open and transparent."