Singaporeans aged 60 and above can collect masks from Oct 23 to guard against haze: Grace Fu

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Oct 22 that those aged 60 and above can collect the set of two masks in this exercise.

ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Published Oct 22, 2026, 02:00 PM

Updated Oct 22, 2026, 02:00 PM

Singapore will start a second N95 mask giveaway for vulnerable Singaporeans on Oct 23, expanding the eligibility list to include those aged 60 and above.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu urged people to collect masks early before air pollution returns.

About 22% of eligible Singaporeans have collected masks so far. The government says masks are still available, and it is helping retailers restock.

SINGAPORE - A second haze mask distribution exercise will begin from Oct 23, with an expanded list of Singaporeans eligible to collect them from community clubs, dedicated vending machines and other venues.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Oct 22 that those aged 60 and above can collect the set of two masks in this exercise. Previously, only those 67 and above were considered eligible.

She said: “ So we have been heeding the feedback from the public. Some of the seniors who are above 60, but not Merdeka Generation or Pioneer Generation cardholders, have reflected that they will also benefit from the masks.”

Pioneer Generation seniors are Singaporeans who were born in 1949 or earlier, while the Merdeka generation refers to citizens who were born here in the 1950s.

Those eligible to collect masks in the second mask distribution exercise include:

Seniors aged 60 and above

CHAS Orange card holder

CHAS Blue card holder

Medical Fee Exemption Card holder

Recipients of ComCare Assistance

Children between seven and 16 years old

People with medical conditions like asthma

Expectant mothers, children and those with medical conditions can collect masks only at PA venues such as CCs.

The masks will be distributed by the People’s Association’s (PA) community clubs. They will also available at mask vending machines at 37 public transport hubs, social service offices and PA venues. Locations can be found at go.gov.sg/hazemask.

The first mask distribution exercise had kicked off on Oct 14, after PM2.5 readings soared on Oct 14, setting this haze season’s high of 288, which occurred at 3pm in the western part of Singapore.

PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter. It is the dominant pollutant during periods of transboundary haze, and small enough that they can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.

Haze masks such as N95 masks can limit the amount of PM2.5 inhaled by a person.

Fu said that those who were eligible in the first round of distribution, but have yet to collect their masks, can collect four masks at any community club.

To date, about 22% of eligible Singaporeans have collected the masks.

Fu was speaking on Oct 22 at Beo Crescent Market in Jalan Besar, where the minister and Jalan Besar GRC MP Wan Rizal gave out bags containing haze-relief items like masks, herbal syrup and coconut masks to stallholders.

Minister Grace Fu meeting hawkers and distributing care packs at Beo Crescent Market on Oct 22. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Minister Grace Fu meeting hawkers and distributing care packs at Beo Crescent Market on Oct 22.

Her comments come amid an improvement in air quality in Singapore, with 1-hour PM2.5 readings – a reflection of current air quality – all in the “normal” range as at 1pm on Oct 22.

The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index, which tracks air quality in Singapore over the preceding day, was mostly in the good to moderate range with readings below 100 at 1pm. Only the 24-hour PSI in western Singapore breached the unhealthy threshold of 101, with a reading of 102 at that time .

However, satellite maps on the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) website showed the persistence of hotspots in Indonesia. Prevailing winds have kept the smoke plumes away from Singapore for now, with denser clouds of pollution observed in areas such as Peninsular Malaysia, Kalimantan, Sumatra, and the western parts of Sarawak.

Said Fu: “(I’d) like to encourage Singaporeans who have not collected their mask to do so in the near future when the weather is good.

“Do it before the next round of air pollution strikes us.”

Fu had earlier warned that reprieve from the poor air quality possibly arriving only around November.

Short-term exposure to high levels of haze particles can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat for healthy people, as well as affect the heart and lungs of those with chronic conditions.

As unhealthy levels of haze blanketed Singapore in the first half of October, there was a spike in demand for N95 masks. This rush for face coverings prompted at least two retailers to limit purchases.

Fu said the government is aware that shelves of some retail stores have been emptied of masks, noting that her ministry and the Health Ministry are working closely to help retailers stock up by drawing on the national stockpile of masks.

These retailers include Sheng Siong, Giant and Cold Storage.

Said Fu: “So no need to panic, there are always masks available. And we just need to give the retailers some time to replenish their shelves.”

Other than N95 masks, KF94, FFP2 and KN95 masks can reduce exposure to haze particles.

Other than N95 masks, KF94, FFP2 and KN95 masks can reduce exposure to haze particles. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Fu encouraged members of the public to look out for the vulnerable, including those who are unable to collect the masks themselves, during the current haze season.

Eligible Singaporeans can hand their NRIC to a family member or friend to collect the masks on their behalf.

Singapore has experienced more than six weeks of haze so far in 2026. Air quality first entered the unhealthy range on Sept 4.

Vulnerable persons such as elderly folk, pregnant women and individuals with chronic heart or lung disease are advised to wear an N95 mask when the air quality forecast is in the very unhealthy range, and if they must be outdoors for several hours.

Apart from protecting residents from the haze, the Singapore government said it has officially issued legal notices to 10 firms in Indonesia , requesting them to stop burning on their land, and to submit plans on how they plan to prevent the fires from recurring.

When asked by The Straits Times if any of the firms had responded to the Singapore government’s move, Fu said they will leave that update for another time.

永续及环境部长傅海燕于10月22日表示，60岁及以上人士可在此次活动中领取两只装口罩。

《海峡时报》摄影：JASON QUAH

发布于2026年10月22日下午2:00

更新于2026年10月22日下午2:00

新加坡将于10月23日启动第二轮N95口罩免费发放活动，面向弱势新加坡人，并将资格范围扩大至60岁及以上人士。

永续及环境部长傅海燕呼吁民众在空气污染再次来袭前尽早领取口罩。

目前约有22%符合资格的新加坡人领取了口罩。政府表示口罩供应仍然充足，并正在协助零售商补货。

新加坡——第二轮防雾霾口罩发放活动将于10月23日开始，届时将扩大符合领取资格的新加坡公民范围，他们可以在民众俱乐部、专用自动售货机和其他场所领取口罩。

永续及环境部长傅海燕于10月22日表示，60岁及以上人士均可在此次活动中领取两只装口罩。此前，只有67岁及以上人士才有资格领取。

她说：“所以我们一直在听取公众的反馈。一些60岁以上的老年人，虽然不是建国一代或先驱一代的持卡人，也表示他们也会从口罩中受益。”

“建国一代”指的是 1949 年或更早出生的新加坡人，而“独立一代”指的是 20 世纪 50 年代出生的公民。

符合第二轮口罩发放活动领取资格的人员包括：

60岁及以上的老年人

CHAS橙色卡持有人

CHAS 蓝色卡持有人

医疗费用豁免卡持有人

ComCare援助的受益人

七岁至十六岁的儿童

患有哮喘等疾病的人

孕妇、儿童和患有疾病的人只能在公共机构场所（如社区中心）领取口罩。

口罩将由人民协会（PA）的民众俱乐部分发。此外，在37个公共交通枢纽、社会服务机构和人民协会场所的口罩自动售货机也可购买到口罩。具体地点可在go.gov.sg/hazemask查询。

10 月 14 日，新加坡西部地区 PM2.5 读数飙升，达到本雾霾季的最高值 288，时间是下午 3 点。随后，新加坡启动了第一次口罩分发活动。

PM2.5是指直径为2.5微米或更小的细颗粒物。它是跨境雾霾期间的主要污染物，颗粒非常小，可以深入肺部和血液。

防雾霾口罩，例如 N95 口罩，可以限制人吸入的 PM2.5 量。

傅先生表示，在第一轮发放口罩时符合资格但尚未领取口罩的人，可以在任何一个社区俱乐部领取四个口罩。

截至目前，约有 22% 的符合资格的新加坡人领取了口罩。

傅海燕于 10 月 22 日在惹兰勿刹的碧瑶新月市场发表讲话，当时他和惹兰勿刹集选区议员万黎刹向摊贩们分发了装有口罩、草药糖浆和椰子面膜等缓解雾霾物品的袋子。

10月22日，傅海燕部长在碧瑶新月街市集会见小贩并分发爱心包。（海峡时报摄影：JASON QUAH）

10月22日，傅海燕部长在碧瑶新月市场会见小贩并分发爱心包。

在她发表这番言论之际，新加坡的空气质量有所改善，截至 10 月 22 日下午 1 点，1 小时 PM2.5 读数（反映当前空气质量）均处于“正常”范围内。

新加坡24小时污染物标准指数（衡量前一天空气质量的指标）大部分地区处于良好至中等水平，下午1点的读数低于100。只有新加坡西部地区的24小时污染物标准指数超过了101的不健康阈值，当时的读数为102。

然而，国家环境局（NEA）网站上的卫星地图显示，印尼境内的热点地区仍然存在。目前，盛行风将烟雾吹离了新加坡，而马来西亚半岛、加里曼丹、苏门答腊和沙捞越西部等地区则观测到了更浓厚的污染云。

傅先生说：“（我）想鼓励还没有领取口罩的新加坡人，在天气好的时候尽快领取口罩。”

“趁着下一轮空气污染还没到来，赶紧行动起来。”

傅先生此前曾警告说，空气质量恶化的状况可能要到11月左右才能缓解。

短期内暴露于高浓度雾霾颗粒中，可能会刺激健康人的眼睛、鼻子和喉咙，还会影响慢性病患者的心脏和肺部。

10月上半月，新加坡雾霾严重，空气质量堪忧，导致N95口罩需求激增。为了抢购口罩，至少有两家零售商不得不采取限购措施。

傅海燕表示，政府已经注意到一些零售商店的口罩货架被抢购一空，并指出她的部门和卫生部正在密切合作，通过动用国家口罩储备来帮助零售商补充库存。

这些零售商包括昇菘超市、巨人超市和冷藏超市。

傅先生说：“所以大家不必恐慌，口罩供应充足。我们只需要给零售商一些时间来补货。”

除了 N95 口罩外，KF94、FFP2 和 KN95 口罩也能减少接触雾霾颗粒。

除了N95口罩外，KF94、FFP2和KN95口罩也能减少吸入雾霾颗粒物。（海峡时报照片：JASON QUAH）

傅海燕鼓励公众在当前的雾霾季节里关照弱势群体，包括那些无法亲自领取口罩的人。

符合资格的新加坡公民可以将身份证交给家人或朋友代为领取口罩。

新加坡2026年至今已连续六周多受到雾霾影响。空气质量于9月4日首次进入不健康范围。

建议老年人、孕妇以及患有慢性心脏病或肺病的弱势群体在空气质量预报处于非常不健康水平时佩戴 N95 口罩，如果他们必须在户外待上几个小时。

除了保护居民免受烟霾影响外，新加坡政府表示已正式向印度尼西亚的 10 家公司发出法律通知，要求它们停止在其土地上焚烧，并提交防止火灾再次发生的计划。

当《海峡时报》询问这些公司是否有任何一家对新加坡政府的举措作出回应时，傅先生表示，他们将把这一最新消息留待以后再公布。