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

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.