As air quality improves, N95 mask distribution ends in Singapore on Nov 7

On Nov 5, the National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore announced the end of the free N95 mask distribution program, as the country's haze situation improved. The haze had affected the city from Sept 4 to Oct 25, resulting in 33 days of unhealthy air quality and five days of particularly unhealthy conditions. However, since Oct 26, the inter-monsoon conditions and increased rainfall had led to a significant improvement in air quality and a reduction in the number of hotspots.

The NEA stated that the risk of transboundary haze remained low, and the government agencies would cease haze mitigation measures starting Saturday, Nov 7. On this day, the distribution of N95 masks through various channels, including Community Clubs, vending machines, public transport hubs, and haze shelters, would come to an end.

The air-conditioned rooms designated as haze shelters would also close at 6:00 p.m. on the same day. Furthermore, the Ministry of Manpower would withdraw haze-related measures for outdoor workers from Nov 7, allowing employers to resume outdoor work without additional precautions. The Public Health Preparedness Clinic Scheme and the Haze Subsidy Scheme would also be deactivated by the Ministry of Health starting Nov 12.

The NEA advised the public to check the 1-hour PM2.5 concentration readings and personal guidance on their haze microsite or mobile app for information on immediate outdoor activities. Updates on the situation would be available on the NEA website, the MSS website, the myENV app, and the NEA Facebook page. Information on regional hotspots could be found on the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) website.