Haze shelters to open, N95 masks to be distributed amid worsening haze in Singapore

[SINGAPORE] Amid the worsening haze situation in Singapore, masks will be distributed to vulnerable Singaporeans from Oct 14, and air-conditioned rooms in community clubs and some Residents’ Committee centres will open for residents to seek respite in.

The People’s Association (PA) grassroots organisations will start distributing N95 masks to eligible Singaporeans, including seniors, pregnant women, children and teenagers, and people with medical conditions such as asthma.

To complement PA’s distribution, mask vending machines will also be made available at 37 public transport hubs and social services’ offices.

These measures were activated after air quality worsened, with a spike in the dominant haze pollutant, PM2.5, in the afternoon of Oct 14. The PM2.5 reading soared to the very high range of 284 in the west, with the central, east and south in the high range.

“Given that PM2.5 levels have reached the very high range and taking into consideration the possibility that the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) may enter the very unhealthy range, the Government has commenced the distribution of masks,” said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in a statement on Oct 14.

As at 5 pm on Oct 14, the PSI was unhealthy across all regions, ranging from 118 to 160.

Each eligible person can receive a pair of masks after showing their NRICs. They may also ask a family member or friend to collect the masks on their behalf using the eligible person’s NRIC.

Those eligible to collect the masks include:

• Pioneer Generation
• Merdeka Generation
• CHAS Orange card holder
• CHAS Blue card holder
• Medical Fee Exemption Card holder
• Recipients of ComCare Assistance
• Pregnant women
• Children between seven and 16 years old
• People with medical conditions like asthma

Expectant mothers, children and those with medical conditions may collect masks only at PA venues such as community clubs.

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The PA offices and vending machine locations are found at go.gov.sg/hazemask, and residents can find their nearest haze shelter at www.pa.gov.sg/our-network/community-clubs/shelters/

“N95 masks will be made available progressively at the designated collection points and may not be immediately available at all locations,” said NEA.

“The vending machines are being progressively deployed across the island from this evening and stocks at all collection points will be replenished progressively and regularly.”

Vulnerable persons such as the elderly, pregnant women and individuals with chronic heart or lung disease are advised to wear an N95 mask when the air quality forecast is in the very unhealthy range, and if they must be outdoors for several hours.

However, those with severe lung or heart problems who have difficulty breathing should consult their doctor before using an N95 mask, added NEA.

Air-conditioned rooms in more than 300 CCs, and Residents’ Committee and Residents’ Network Centres, have also been set up as haze shelters for the public to seek respite in. Residents may contact their nearest CCs regarding their operating hours and location of the haze shelters.

If the 24-hour PSI enters the hazardous range of above 300, the haze shelter opening hours will be extended to 10pm.

Dense smoke haze from fires in Kalimantan was observed to drift towards Singapore, and smoke haze was also observed over Sumatra, said NEA.

“The dense smoke haze is expected to continue drifting towards Singapore overnight and tomorrow,” the agency added.

The 24-hour PSI for Singapore is forecast to be in the unhealthy to the very unhealthy range of above 200 on Oct 15.

NEA said that while N95 masks may be temporarily unavailable at some retail outlets due to increased demand, there are sufficient stocks of N95 masks in retailers’ warehouses and government stockpiles.

“As part of ongoing haze preparedness efforts, the Haze Task Force is working closely with retailers to replenish stocks and ensure the availability of N95 masks to the public,” it added.

Outdoor sports facilities closed

Various outdoor facilities and activities around Singapore were suspended on Oct 14 amid the deteriorating haze situation.

ActiveSG temporarily closed various outdoor facilities, as well as those without air-conditioning, in the east, central and west regions of the island.

These include the stadiums in Bedok, Choa Chu Kang and Bishan, swimming complexes in Choa Chu Kang, Jurong West and Katong, as well as the Sport Village @ Jurong Town and the Kallang Sport Centre.

The closures are effective from Oct 14 until further notice. Facility bookings and swim passes affected by the closures will be cancelled and refunded.

Meanwhile, SAFRA clubs in Toa Payoh, Choa Chu Kang and Jurong also announced that they had suspended outdoor activities, with SAFRA Toa Payoh noting its swimming pool will be closed until further notice.

Some schools also took action. Among them, Maris Stella High School cancelled outdoor sports activities, and CHIJ (Kellock) informed parents that all outdoor activities would be suspended.

Various MPs, including David Hoe and Goh Pei Ming, said on their social media accounts that they would be cancelling scheduled house visits.

Budget airline Firefly extended its suspension of flights between Seletar Airport and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang until Oct 16.

Firefly said on its website that affected passengers will be reallocated to Malaysia Airlines flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, where possible. THE STRAITS TIMES