Residents of Ang Mo Kio seen queuing patiently for N95 masks
On Thursday (15 Oct), a Redditor posted a video on singaporespeaks subreddit showing a long queue at the N95 mask vending machine in Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange.
The queue appeared to be slow-moving and consisted mostly of the elderly.
Workers were also shown assisting a few seniors with the mask collection at the machine.
Source: @gongyuanmama on Reddit
Government rolls out mask collection early amid worsening conditions
On 16 Oct, the National Environment Agency (NEA) revealed that the 24-hour Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) reached 229 in the Central Region at 3pm, marking a record high for Singapore’s haze season.
This reading falls into the ‘Very Unhealthy’ range.
All five regions indicated high or elevated hourly PM2.5 readings.
According to an advisory from the Ministry of Health (MOH), when the PSI is classified as ‘Very Unhealthy’, healthy individuals should avoid prolonged and strenuous outdoor exertion for the next hour.
Vulnerable persons, including children, pregnant women and the elderly, should keep outdoor activity to a minimum and wear masks to reduce exposure.
Persons with chronic respiratory diseases should avoid going outside altogether.
Source: Barbara Lina Lei on Facebook
In a press release on 10 Oct, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said that the government would distribute N95 masks to vulnerable individuals or those with limited means of obtaining masks when the 24-hour PSI exceeds 200, breaching the Very Unhealthy range.
However, with the 24-hour PSI forecast at risk of entering the Very Unhealthy range, the government began their phased rollout of N95 masks on 14 Oct.
Members of the People’s Association (PA) grassroots organisations aided in distributing N95 masks to eligible Singaporeans.
In addition, 24-hour mask vending machines were stationed at selected public transport hubs, social services offices and PA venues.
They would be progressively rolled out across more locations at a later time.
Who is eligible?
Those eligible for free mask collection include pregnant women, children aged seven to 16 years old, and individuals with medical conditions such as asthma.
Each person is entitled to one pack, which contains two pieces.
Members of the general public can visit the HazeMaskGoWhere website for more information on the eligibility criteria, collection locations and live updates on mask availability at the vending machines.
They are encouraged to check ahead of time for availability of stock before going to their local collection point.
Source: HazeMaskGoWhere
‘Exposing yourself to toxic air’: Netizens express concern over long queues
It is unclear what contributed to the long queue in Ang Mo Kio and whether the sighting was an anomaly.
MS News has reached out to the OP (Original Poster) for further details.
In response to the video, Redditors commented that waiting in line to collect a mask would, in fact, further expose vulnerable individuals to the haze.
Source: Reddit
Some suggested mailing as an alternative means of distributing N95 masks across the country, but others vetoed it for practicality.
Source: Reddit
At the time of writing, air quality in Singapore has improved, with the 24-hour PSI in the Central Region dropping to 105.
Netizens have also reported sightings of clearer skies.
Also read: Grace Fu says S’pore made open offer of assistance regarding haze, no update from Indonesia yet
Grace Fu says S’pore made open offer of assistance regarding haze, no update from Indonesia yet
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Featured image adapted from gongyuanmama on Reddit and Fuehit on Reddit.