Haze may reach hazardous levels, says Grace Fu, as mask vending machines to be fully deployed by Oct 16

SINGAPORE: Air quality in Singapore could reach hazardous levels depending on the weather, and the haze may last for some time, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Friday (Oct 16).Mask vending machines will be fully deployed by Friday night, she said, adding that about 10 per cent of eligible residents have collected their masks.The distribution exercise began on Wednesday, with N95 masks progressively made available at designated collection points across Singapore. Some locations saw long queues and confusion, while others faced temporary stock shortages.“I want to assure everyone that there are sufficient stocks of masks available,” Ms Fu said during a press conference.“We understand that sometimes, masks may be temporarily unavailable at some retail outlets because of increased demand, but we want to assure Singaporeans that there are sufficient stocks of masks in their retailers' warehouse and in the government stockpiles.” Retailers are continuously replenishing their shelves in stores, and the haze task force is working with them to keep masks available to the public, she said. Singapore should be prepared for the haze to last for some time, said Ms Fu, stressing that the situation is fluid. “Depending on the weather, we can expect air quality to fluctuate, including the possibility of reaching hazardous levels,” she added.Towards the inter-monsoon period at the end of October or early November, or in about three to four weeks, the government expects the situation to improve, said Ms Fu. Lighter winds around Singapore would then be less likely to bring haze from Sumatra or Kalimantan. When the northeast monsoon brings wind from the north to northeast around early December, the haze will go in a direction away from Singapore, she said. CHECK BOTH PSI AND PM2.5 READINGSMs Fu also urged people to check both the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) and 1-hour PM2.5 readings when planning outdoor activities, as the two indicators serve different purposes.The 24-hour PSI provides a picture of air quality over a longer period and is useful for assessing sustained exposure, while the 1-hour PM2.5 reading reflects more immediate conditions, which can change quickly.A low 24-hour PSI reading coupled with a high one-hour PM2.5 reading could indicate that air quality has recently worsened, even though the longer-term average has yet to rise, she explained.This was what happened on Oct 14, when 1-hour PM2.5 readings spiked, particularly in western Singapore.Ms Fu advised Singaporeans to refer to the 24-hour PSI forecast when planning activities for the following day, before checking the latest 1-hour PM2.5 readings in their area just before proceeding.Citing the example of a group run, she said participants could go ahead with their plans if the forecast allowed for strenuous outdoor activity, but should check the 1-hour PM2.5 reading before setting off.If air quality has deteriorated and PM2.5 readings have risen into a higher band, they should cancel the run, she said.Ms Fu added that she has asked the National Environment Agency (NEA) to make the information clearer on its website and app to help Singaporeans plan their activities.She also urged the public to consider the nature and duration of their activities, prevailing air quality and their own health conditions when deciding whether to proceed.Air quality worsened across Singapore overnight, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings reaching the very unhealthy range in three regions on Friday.Central Singapore was the first to cross into the very unhealthy band at midnight, with its 24-hour PSI climbing to 227 at 9am – the highest reading recorded this year – before easing slightly to 226 at 1pm.National sports agency Sport Singapore said on Friday afternoon that outdoor and non-air-conditioned facilities at all ActiveSG sport centres had been temporarily closed amid the haze.At the press conference with Ms Fu were Education Minister Desmond Lee and Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau. Member agencies of the government’s Haze Task Force were also present.The Haze Task Force was convened last week. It is led by the National Environment Agency and comprises 28 government agencies.