Free haze mask distribution ends with no queues at collection points

The government’s free distribution of haze masks has officially ended. With the haze easing and some eligible residents having already collected their masks, there were no queues at collection points on Saturday, with only a handful of residents turning up on the final day.

When Lianhe Zaobao (LHZB) reporters visited community clubs and bus interchanges in Yishun and Tampines on Saturday (7 November) morning, they found that demand for masks had eased since the start of the distribution, with no queues in sight.

With air quality improving and the risk of transboundary haze declining, government agencies began progressively lifting their haze response measures on Saturday. Mask vending machines at community clubs islandwide and at designated public transport hubs, Social Service Offices and other locations stopped dispensing masks at 6pm on Saturday.

The government distributed free N95 masks, or masks offering equivalent protection, to eligible citizens in two rounds last month. The first round began on 14 October, prioritising groups more vulnerable to haze, including seniors, pregnant women, children, people with certain medical conditions, and holders of blue or orange Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) cards.

The second round began on 23 October. The authorities further broadened eligibility by lowering the age threshold for seniors from 67 to 60, allowing more people to collect masks.

A spokesperson for the Inter-Agency Haze Task Force said that as of 6pm on Saturday, when mask distribution ended, 30% of eligible Singaporeans had collected their N95 masks or masks offering equivalent protection.

Yishun resident Iu Ai Choo, 63, collected masks from a vending machine at Yishun Bus Interchange on her way home after seeing a doctor at a general practice clinic on Saturday. She was feeling unwell and told reporters: “I wear a mask whenever I go out now, to protect myself and others.”

Administrative worker Humairah, 34, learnt from her aunt that Saturday was the last day to collect masks. She made a special trip to a vending machine with her 61-year-old mother’s identity card to collect masks for her.

While out for breakfast with his wife, Chen Guorong, 55, also tried to collect masks on behalf of his mother, a Pioneer Generation member in her 80s. For reasons unclear to him, the machine would not dispense the masks. Staff suggested that the couple try a nearby community club, but after discussing it, they decided not to proceed.

Chen said: “The haze has cleared now, and my mother doesn’t go out often, so it’s all right if we don’t get the N95 masks.”

Ng Sock Fong, a 46-year-old executive with two children, one in primary school and the other in secondary school, had no plans to collect masks. She said the family kept regular masks at home. As N95 masks were thicker and her children were not used to wearing them, she feared they would go to waste if she collected them.

According to a National Environment Agency statement, Singapore’s 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) is forecast to range from 40 to 60 on Sunday (8 November), in the good to moderate range.

Showers fell over central and western Singapore on Saturday. As of 7pm, one-hour PM2.5 concentrations across the island were within the normal range, at between 6 and 18 micrograms per cubic metre. The 24-hour PSI ranged from 50 to 55, in the good to moderate range.

The statement said moderate to dense smoke plumes remain confined to southern Kalimantan. With favourable winds and showers expected over Singapore and the surrounding region over the next few days, the haze situation is likely to remain suppressed.

As government agencies progressively lift their haze response measures, the National Environment Agency will also stop issuing daily haze updates from Sunday. However, the public can still check the latest air quality information on the haze website, the Meteorological Service Singapore website or the myENV app.

The Public Health Preparedness Clinic (PHPC) Scheme and Haze Subsidy Scheme (HSS), which subsidise treatment for Singapore citizens seeking care for haze-related health problems, will remain in effect until next Wednesday (11 November). The Ministry of Health will deactivate both schemes from next Thursday (12 November).