Lines form for N95 masks as haze situation persists, but haze centres see few people

NEA had said on Oct 14 that residents can contact their nearest CCs to find out the operating hours and locations of haze shelters.

ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Published Oct 15, 2026, 05:30 PM

Updated Oct 15, 2026, 05:30 PM

Singapore’s haze worsened, with PM2.5 in the very high range and the west PSI reaching 211, prompting the National Environment Agency to start N95 mask distribution.

Residents flocked to community clubs to collect free masks, with many seniors, parents and workers saying they were worried about coughs, headaches and sore throats.

Community haze shelters were less used than mask points, and some were empty or locked, showing uneven demand for indoor relief during the pollution spike.

SINGAPORE – People across Singapore flocked to community clubs to collect N95 masks on Oct 15, as the early morning rain across much of the island provided little respite from the haze.

By contrast, air-conditioned haze shelters in community clubs (CCs), and residents’ committee and residents’ network (RN) centres appeared to be less popular.

The People’s Association had announced both the distribution of masks to eligible Singaporeans and the opening of haze shelters on Oct 14, when the dominant haze pollutant, PM2.5, spiked to above 200 in many parts of the country.

As at 5pm on Oct 15, PSI levels across Singapore was in the unhealthy range, hitting 188 in the west and 186 in the central region.

The PM 2.5 level was in the high range (151 to 250) across the entire island – 205 in central region, 155 in the west, 161 in the east and 157 in the south.

At Punggol 21 CC, mask distribution began at 10am in the multi-purpose hall. About 20 people were queueing up to collect their masks. Those who are eligible for the masks – including seniors, pregnant women, younger children and those with medical conditions – may collect two masks each.

A 73-year-old coffee shop stall assistant, who gave his name only as Tan, told The Straits Times that he collected the masks to be on the safe side, even though he had not encountered any health problems so far as a result of the haze.

“I’m spending less time outdoors because of the haze. After work, I just go straight home,” he said, adding that the distribution of the masks was efficient.

At Jurong Spring CC, about 15 people were in the line to collect their masks at 10.20am.

They included Elien Chan, who was wearing a surgical mask while she was queueing.

Chan, who is in her 50s, said she experienced nose sensitivity and headache when the PM2.5 spiked in the west on Oct 14.

While she appreciated the free pair of masks, she expressed concerned over whether the two masks are sufficient, since one mask only lasts three days.

“Two pieces are not enough, they cannot be washed,” said Chan, who works at a salon.

She added that she would be going with her husband to buy an air purifier after collecting their masks.

At One Punggol CC around 11am, retired aviation officer K.C. Tan was among a handful of people collecting their masks.

“I visited several pharmacies recently, but all were sold out of N95 masks,” said the 68-year-old.

The Punggol resident of seven years said he had a sore throat and had been unable to perform his usual morning workout for several days because of the haze.

At home, he had been using air purifiers and air-conditioning more regularly.

Small crowds were also spotted at other N95 mask distribution points, including Kallang CC and Sengkang CC.

Small crowds were also spotted at other N95 mask distribution points, including Kallang CC. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Small crowds were also spotted at other N95 mask distribution points, including Kallang CC.

ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

The National Environment Agency (NEA) on Oct 14 that the authorities would begin distributing masks, given that PM2.5 levels had entered the very high range (more than 250) in some parts of the country.

That night, shortly after 8pm, several residents – mostly seniors – went to Yuhua CC in Jurong East to collect their masks.

They included real estate consultant Joel Tan, who collected masks for his primary school children as a precautionary measure.

“There isn’t much stock of masks in the market,” said the 40-year-old, adding that the air purifier and air-conditioning have been helping his family cope at home.

His 11-year-old daughter Chloe, who was developing a cough, noted that recess meals at Clementi Primary School would be taken in classrooms, with the children’s own containers.

After collecting masks for herself and her husband, retiree Chew Lai Fong offered to collect them for her neighbours and friends, especially those who were staying alone.

Haze shelters less popular

Unlike masks, community haze shelters – located at selected CCs and Residents’ Committee centres, among others – appeared to be less popular with Singapore residents.

These air-conditioned areas seek to provide residents with a comfortable indoor environment to seek respite from the haze. At Yuhua CC, for example, an air-conditioned room was stocked with drinks, water and snacks for residents needing an escape from the pollution.

The community haze shelter at One Punggol CC. ST PHOTO: ZHAKI ABDULLAH

The community haze shelter at One Punggol CC.

ST PHOTO: ZHAKI ABDULLAH

At One Punggol CC’s haze shelter, there was only one person when ST visited at about 11am on Oct 15 – a retired ship captain.

Sarun, who goes by only one name, said he was waiting to pick up his granddaughter from childcare. As a result of the haze, the 62-year-old said he had been experiencing ailments such as sore throat and itchy eyes.

Financial consultant Florence Ong, 40, and her mother were using the haze shelter in a small pre-function room at Kreta Ayer CC at 12.50pm.

She went to the shelter to work, as she tries not to turn on the air-conditioning at home during the day, and her home does not have an air purifier.

The resident of a three-room flat in Sago Lane first went to an RC at Block 333 Kreta Ayer Road, where another shelter is located, but found it closed.

While the main office at Jurong Green CC also serves as a haze shelter, those spotted there shortly before noon on Oct 15 were there just to collect their masks and did not stick around.

Other designated community haze shelters ST visited appeared to be locked, including those at the Jurong Spring Zone B and Punggol Bayvue Residents’ Networks.

Staff at Jurong Green CC, located across from the Jurong Spring Zone B RN, told ST the RN would only be opened if there was demand, with residents able to reach grassroots members or PA staff via a hotline.

Zhaki Abdullah is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, in addition to occasionally covering science, environmental, tech and Muslim affairs issues.

Shabana Begum is a correspondent, with a focus on environment and science, at The Straits Times.

National Environment Agency

国家环境局 (NEA) 于 10 月 14 日表示，居民可以联系附近的民众俱乐部 (CC) 查询雾霾避难所的开放时间和地点。

《海峡时报》照片：张马克

发布于2026年10月15日下午5:30

更新于2026年10月15日下午5:30

新加坡的雾霾加剧，PM2.5 浓度处于极高水平，西部 PSI 指数达到 211，促使国家环境局开始分发 N95 口罩。

居民们纷纷涌向社区俱乐部领取免费口罩，许多老年人、家长和工人表示，他们担心咳嗽、头痛和喉咙痛。

社区雾霾避难所的使用率低于口罩发放点，有些避难所甚至空无一人或上锁，这表明在污染高峰期，人们对室内避难场所的需求并不均衡。

新加坡——10月15日，新加坡各地民众纷纷涌向民众俱乐部领取N95口罩，因为清晨席卷全岛大部分地区的降雨并没有缓解雾霾。

相比之下，社区俱乐部、居民委员会和居民网络中心的空调雾霾避难所似乎不太受欢迎。

10月14日，新加坡主要雾霾污染物PM2.5在该国许多地区飙升至200以上，人民协会宣布向符合条件的新加坡人分发口罩并开放雾霾避难所。

截至 10 月 15 日下午 5 点，新加坡各地的空气污染指数 (PSI) 均处于不健康范围，西部地区达到 188，中部地区达到 186。

全岛 PM2.5 浓度处于较高水平（151 至 250），中部地区为 205，西部为 155，东部为 161，南部为 157。

榜鹅21民众俱乐部于上午10点在多功能厅开始发放口罩。约有20人排队领取口罩。符合领取资格的人士——包括老年人、孕妇、幼儿和有健康问题的人——每人可领取两个口罩。

一位名叫谭的73岁咖啡店摊位店员告诉《海峡时报》，他收集口罩是为了以防万一，尽管到目前为止他还没有因为雾霾而出现任何健康问题。

“因为雾霾，我待在户外的时间减少了。下班后，我就直接回家，”他说，并补充说口罩的分发效率很高。

上午 10 点 20 分，裕廊春民众俱乐部约有 15 人排队领取口罩。

其中包括艾琳·陈，她在排队时戴着医用口罩。

50多岁的陈女士表示，10月14日西部PM2.5浓度飙升时，她出现了鼻子敏感和头痛的症状。

虽然她很感谢赠送的口罩，但她也担心这两个口罩是否足够，因为一个口罩只能用三天。

“两件不够，它们不能洗，”在一家美发沙龙工作的陈女士说。

她还说，领完口罩后，她会和丈夫一起去买一台空气净化器。

上午 11 点左右，在榜鹅民众俱乐部，退休航空军官 KC Tan 是少数几个领取口罩的人之一。

这位68岁的老人说：“我最近去了好几家药店，但N95口罩都卖光了。”

这位在榜鹅居住了七年的居民表示，由于雾霾，他喉咙痛，已经好几天无法进行日常的晨练了。

在家时，他更频繁地使用空气净化器和空调。

在其他 N95 口罩发放点，包括加冷民众俱乐部和盛港民众俱乐部，也出现了小规模人群聚集的情况。

其他N95口罩发放点，包括加冷民众俱乐部，也出现了小规模人群聚集。海峡时报摄影：JASON QUAH

在其他 N95 口罩发放点，包括加冷民众俱乐部，也出现了小规模人群聚集的情况。

《海峡时报》摄影：JASON QUAH

国家环境局 (NEA) 于 10 月 14 日表示，鉴于该国部分地区的 PM2.5 水平已达到非常高的水平（超过 250），当局将开始分发口罩。

当晚8点刚过，几位居民（大多是老年人）前往裕廊东的裕华民众俱乐部领取口罩。

其中包括房地产顾问乔尔·谭，他为自己的小学子女收集口罩作为预防措施。

这位40岁的男子说：“市场上口罩库存不多。”他还补充说，空气净化器和空调帮助他的家人在家中度过了难关。

他 11 岁的女儿 Chloe 开始咳嗽，她注意到金文泰小学课间休息时的餐食将在教室里食用，孩子们要用自己的容器盛装。

退休人士周丽芳为自己和丈夫收集了口罩后，主动提出为邻居和朋友收集口罩，特别是那些独居的人。

雾霾庇护所不太受欢迎

与口罩不同，位于部分民众俱乐部和居民委员会中心等地的社区雾霾避难所似乎不太受新加坡居民的欢迎。

这些空调区域旨在为居民提供舒适的室内环境，让他们能够暂时摆脱雾霾的困扰。例如，在裕华社区中心，一间配备空调的房间备有饮料、水和小吃，供需要逃离污染的居民使用。

榜鹅民众俱乐部的社区雾霾避难所。海峡时报照片：扎基·阿卜杜拉

榜鹅民众俱乐部的社区雾霾避难所。

照片：扎基·阿卜杜拉

10 月 15 日上午 11 点左右，《海峡时报》记者到访榜鹅民众俱乐部的烟雾避难所时，发现里面只有一个人——一位退休船长。

萨伦（他只有这一个名字）说，他正在等托儿所接孙女。这位62岁的老人说，由于雾霾的影响，他出现了喉咙痛、眼睛发痒等不适症状。

40岁的财务顾问Florence Ong和她的母亲于下午12点50分在克雷塔亚民众俱乐部（Kreta Ayer CC）一个小型活动室的烟雾避难所内避难。

她去收容所工作，因为她白天尽量不在家开空调，而且她家也没有空气净化器。

住在沙莪巷三房式组屋的居民首先前往克雷塔亚路第 333 座的居民委员会，那里还有另一个庇护所，但发现它已经关闭了。

虽然裕廊绿民众俱乐部的主办公室也兼作雾霾避难所，但 10 月 15 日中午前不久在那里被发现的人只是去领取口罩，并没有停留太久。

《海峡时报》走访的其他指定社区雾霾避难所似乎都已上锁，包括裕廊泉B区和榜鹅湾景居民网络的避难所。

位于裕廊春 B 区居民网络对面的裕廊绿民众俱乐部的工作人员告诉《海峡时报》，只有在有需求的情况下，居民网络才会开放，居民可以通过热线联系基层成员或人民协会工作人员。

扎基·阿卜杜拉是《海峡时报》的记者。他主要负责健康新闻报道，偶尔也报道科学、环境、科技和穆斯林事务等议题。

沙巴娜·贝古姆是《海峡时报》的记者，主要关注环境和科学领域。

国家环境局