Singapore rolls out haze subsidies as Malaysia extends school closures

Singapore has introduced subsidies for haze-related medical treatment and closed schools in parts of the country as it continues to deal with unhealthy air quality caused by fires in nearby Indonesia. The country's health ministry announced the subsidies, which cover conditions such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, bronchitis, conjunctivitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and upper respiratory tract infections.

These measures come as Singapore was ranked the world's most polluted city by Swiss-based air quality monitor IQAir, due to the intense haze from fires on Borneo and Sumatra islands. In Malaysia, schools have reopened in most areas as air quality improved, but remain closed in southern Johor and parts of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

The transboundary haze from Indonesian wildfires has disrupted regional travel, with low-cost carrier Firefly cancelling flights between Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport and Singapore's Seletar Airport due to safety concerns.

Brief written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.