Update (30 Apr, 1.15pm): NTUC clarified that the initiative started on Monday (27 Apr) and hopes to “cover all stores” by this week.
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Just last week, the government announced that shoppers visiting 20 “high traffic” supermarkets would have to provide their particulars for contact tracing.
Now, this measure seems to have been expanded.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Singaporeans visiting 148 FairPrice outlets islandwide now have to provide their NRIC for scanning or furnish their particulars via a government-developed portal.
In the article published on Wednesday (29 Apr), Lianhe Zaobao reported that 2 FairPrice outlets in Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang not on the list of “high traffic” supermarkets have started implementing the measure.
Apart from carrying out temperature checks, shoppers were either required to have their NRICs scanned or provide details on the SafeEntry portal via a QR code.
These measures would apparently allow the authorities to track what time shoppers were at the supermarket.
Lianhe Zaobao also reported that 148 outlets have implemented such control measures, based on a credible source. These outlets include:
In response to MS News queries, a FairPrice spokesperson said the company will support measures during this period to protect the well-being of their employees and consumers.
The spokesperson also shared that the initiative is “in compliance with the latest precautionary measures set by the authorities”.
The new measure seems to have caught some Singaporeans by surprise.
This HardwareZone user did not bring his IC when visiting an NTUC outlet in Queenstown but was lucky as he had other forms of identification with him.
According to Twitter users, the measure apparently started as early as Wednesday (29 Apr).
MS News has reached out to FairPrice to confirm when the measure was implemented and which outlets are affected. We will update this article once more information is available.
Regardless of whether the supermarket you’re visiting is considered “high traffic” or not, it’s wiser to bring along your NRIC when you’re out getting your groceries.
While the measure might bring about inconvenience for Singaporeans, we hope this helps the authorities in their contact-tracing efforts.
During the ‘Circuit Breaker’, remember to only head out for essential products and services. Let’s do all we can to flatten the curve so our lives can resume normalcy ASAP.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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