Singapore Will Issue New Arrivals With Electronic Tags

Singapore says some visitors and returning residents can now quarantine at their residence instead of in dedicated facilities—but they will be issued with electronic monitoring devices and face up to 6 months in prison if they remove them or tamper with them. Authorities say the devices, which use GPS and Bluetooth signals, will be given to arrivals from as-yet unspecified countries starting Aug. 11, reports Reuters. The devices will track people's movement and alert authorities if they leave their homes during the 14-day quarantine period. Authorities have promised that personal data collected by the devices will be tightly controlled, the Straits Times reports. Hong Kong and South Korea have also used electronic wristbands to monitor incoming travelers during the pandemic. (More Singapore stories.)