Haze and F1 Singapore: 'No changes planned' for outdoor entertainment activities, says Grace Fu

The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix weekend (Oct 9 to 11) is here, so is worsening air quality, with 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) inching towards very unhealthy range .

Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu said in an Instagram post on Friday afternoon that the Government and race promoter Singapore GP are keeping a close watch on the situation.

Fu, who is also Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, explained that the worsened haze situation is due to an increase in hotspots in the region and unfavourable wind conditions.

She added that the Singapore Tourism Board and other Government agencies are working with Singapore GP to safeguard the health and safety of those involved, while ensuring the smooth delivery of race and entertainment experiences.

"We have contingency plans to be taken across various PSI and PM2.5 levels, including keeping those in the circuit informed of latest haze developments, and making medical assistance and N95 masks accessible on-site where required," the minister said.

Fu also said that Singapore GP has assessed that there are currently no changes for outdoor entertainment activities over the weekend.

Meanwhile, in its daily haze situation update on Friday (Oct 9) evening, when the practice session took place, the National Environment Agency (NEA) forecast the 24-hour PSI to be up to the very unhealthy range.

The Haze Task Force, comprising NEA and 28 Government agencies also set out its next tier of action plans , should the scenario happen.

Singapore GP told AsiaOne on Oct 7 that the possibility of haze is just one of the many potential issues that are covered in the race's overall contingency plans.

"There is absolutely no risk to the event and the conditions where the event is taking place are not at any level of concern," an F1 spokesperson told AsiaOne.

Meanwhile, Fu urged those who are out and about for the F1 festivities to exercise personal responsibility, especially those who are elderly, pregnant, young children, or persons with heart and lung ailments.

"Do avoid prolonged exposure to unhealthy haze outdoors," Fu said, adding that those who feel unwell or are very sensitive to the haze should avoid attending outdoor activities.

一级方程式新加坡大奖赛周末（10 月 9 日至 11 日）到来，空气质量也随之恶化，24 小时污染物标准指数 (PSI) 正逼近非常不健康的范围。

主管贸易关系的部长傅海燕周五下午在Instagram上发帖称，政府和赛事推广方新加坡大奖赛正在密切关注事态发展。

傅海燕同时也是永续发展及环境部长，他解释说，雾霾情况恶化是由于该地区热点增多和不利的风况造成的。

她补充说，新加坡旅游局和其他政府机构正在与新加坡大奖赛合作，以保障参与人员的健康和安全，同时确保比赛和娱乐体验的顺利进行。

部长表示：“我们针对不同的 PSI 和 PM2.5 水平制定了应急计划，包括让相关人员了解最新的雾霾情况，并在需要时提供现场医疗援助和 N95 口罩。”

傅家俊还表示，新加坡大奖赛方面评估认为，周末的户外娱乐活动目前不会有任何变化。

与此同时，在周五（10 月 9 日）晚间（演习当天）发布的每日雾霾情况更新中，国家环境局 (NEA) 预测 24 小时 PSI 将达到非常不健康的范围。

由国家环境局和 28 个政府机构组成的雾霾工作组也制定了下一阶段的行动计划，以应对这种情况的发生。

新加坡大奖赛组委会于 10 月 7 日告诉 AsiaOne，雾霾的可能性只是比赛整体应急计划中涵盖的众多潜在问题之一。

一位F1发言人告诉AsiaOne：“这项赛事绝对没有任何风险，赛事举办地的条件也完全不令人担忧。”

与此同时，傅家俊敦促外出参加F1赛事的人们要承担起个人责任，尤其是老年人、孕妇、幼儿以及患有心脏和肺部疾病的人。

傅女士说：“请避免长时间暴露在户外有害的雾霾中。”她还补充说，感到身体不适或对雾霾非常敏感的人应该避免参加户外活动。