Public will be granted entry to supermarkets and malls only after scanning NRIC to ensure easy contact tracing process

As Singapore tightens its circuit breaker measures in order to stem the spread of COVID-19, more supermarkets and malls are now requiring shoppers to produce their National Registration Identification Cards (NRICs) to be scanned or asking them to key in their NRIC numbers on an online national visitor registration system. This is done so a more seamless contact tracing process can be conducted, if necessary.
From 27 April onward, a FairPrice spokesperson confirmed that anyone who wishes to visit 148 FairPrice outlets island-wide will have to provide their NRIC numbers first upon entry, Mothership reported.
In addition to NTUC Fairprice, Yahoo News Singapore also stated that a few malls as well as Dairy Farm Group Singapore outlets have added this new requirement of either getting the patrons to scan their NRIC card or asking them to scan a QR code with their mobile phone and sign in with SingPass, or key in the details manually through the government-developed SafeEntry check-in system.
Some of stores that have begun implementing this include NTUC FairPrice outlets at Whitesands, Junction 8, Tanjong Pagar Plaza and Serangoon North Ave 1, Cold Storage stores at Great World City as well as Takashimaya, ION Orchard and NEX.
This new process will be gradually implemented at all FairPrice outlets in the city-state by end of this month and early May.
“FairPrice continues to work closely with the authorities and support various measures such as safe distancing, personal protection, as well as enhanced cleaning schedules to protect the well-being of our staff and customers during this period. The latest initiative to facilitate contact tracing at our stores is in compliance with the latest precautionary measures set by the authorities,” the company spokesperson said to Mothership.
Just a week ago (21 April), the Ministry of Trade and Industry announced that all supermarkets and malls have to conduct temperature screening. Additionally, those who visit a list of 16 malls with supermarkets in them as well as four other non-mall supermarkets with high volume of traffic have to give their particulars for contract tracing.
A spokesperson for Enterprise Singapore told Yahoo News Singapore, “We are glad to see that many malls and supermarkets have since implemented temperature screening and contact tracing, and understand that the rest will do the same in the next few days.”
“We therefore advise customers to bring along their identification card when visiting the malls and supermarkets, so that they will be allowed to enter,” the spokesperson added.
If that’s not all, Gov.sg has also sent a WhatsApp message today (30 April) urging the public to bring along their NRIC card when they visit supermarkets, malls and wet markets.

Enterprise Singapore’s spokesperson also stressed that people should only head to supermarkets and malls to buy essential items like food and groceries, and to do it alone.
On Thursday (30 April), the Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed another 528 new cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore, bringing the total in the country to 16,169.
Six of the new cases are Singaporeans or permanent residents, while the rest are Work Permit holders residing in migrant worker dormitories, according to MOH.