Singapore Free N95 Masks: Who Can Collect and Where
Singapore has been handing out free N95 masks since Oct. 14 to eligible Singaporeans, including Pioneer and Merdeka Generation seniors, pregnant women, children aged 7 to 16 and people with medical conditions such as asthma. Take your NRIC to a People's Association (PA) community club or, for some groups, to a haze-mask vending machine at selected public transport hubs, and check go.gov.sg/hazemask for locations and stock before you go, the National Environment Agency (NEA) says (NEA).
As at 7 pm on Saturday, Oct. 17, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) was 130 to 199 across Singapore, in the unhealthy range. NEA forecast a PSI of 150 to 220, unhealthy to very unhealthy, for Sunday, Oct. 18 (NEA).
Who can collect free N95 masks, and where
| Who can collect | Where | Bring |
|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation, CHAS Orange and Blue cardholders, Medical Fee Exemption Card holders, ComCare Assistance recipients | Community clubs, or haze-mask vending machines at selected public transport hubs, Social Service Offices and PA venues | NRIC |
| Pregnant women, children aged 7 to 16, people with medical conditions such as asthma | Community clubs only | NRIC |
- Two masks: each pack has two pieces. A family member or friend can collect on your behalf using the eligible person's NRIC (NEA).
- Check stock first: masks are being made available progressively and may not be at every location straight away. The HazeMaskGoWhere site, go.gov.sg/hazemask, shows eligibility, collection points and live updates on vending-machine stock (NEA).
- Vending machines: The Straits Times reported vending machines at 37 public transport hubs and social service offices (The Star, from The Straits Times). The machine in the photo below says to check your eligibility on the screen and scan your NRIC barcode.
- Who counts: NEA's notice speaks of eligible Singaporeans. If you are not a citizen, check HazeMaskGoWhere for the current rules.
Do you need an N95 mask?
- Short trips: N95 masks are generally not needed for short outdoor exposure, such as commuting between home and school or work, or when indoors (Mothership, reporting NEA).
- Vulnerable people: the elderly, pregnant women and people with chronic heart or lung disease may wear an N95 when the forecast air quality is very unhealthy (PSI above 200) and they must be outdoors for several hours.
- Healthy people: an N95 with a good fit may help if you must be outdoors for several hours when the forecast is hazardous (PSI above 300).
- See a doctor first if you have severe lung or heart problems or difficulty breathing at rest or on exertion, and take a break from the mask if you feel discomfort (NEA).
- Equivalents: KN95, FFP2 and KF94 masks also reduce exposure to haze particles, the Ministry of Health said (The Star, from The Straits Times).
Haze shelters
Air-conditioned rooms in community clubs and selected residents' committee and residents' network centres are open as haze shelters. Call your nearest community club for its opening hours and the shelter's location. If the 24-hour PSI goes above 300, shelter hours at community clubs will be extended to 10 pm (NEA). The Straits Times reported air-conditioned rooms in more than 300 community clubs and residents' centres, and PA lists the community clubs on its haze shelters page.
What the haze numbers mean
NEA says to use the 24-hour PSI forecast to plan ahead, and the 1-hour PM2.5 reading for what you are about to do (haze.gov.sg).
| 24-hour PSI | Air quality |
|---|---|
| 0 to 100 | Good to moderate |
| 101 to 200 | Unhealthy |
| 201 to 300 | Very unhealthy |
| 301 and above | Hazardous |
| 1-hour PM2.5 band | Healthy people | Vulnerable people |
|---|---|---|
| Band 1, Normal (0 to 55 µg/m3) | Continue normal activities | Continue normal activities |
| Band 2, Elevated (56 to 150) | Reduce strenuous outdoor activities for the next hour | Avoid strenuous outdoor activities for the next hour |
| Band 3, High (151 to 250) | Avoid strenuous outdoor activities for the next hour | Avoid all outdoor activities for the next hour; may wear a mask |
| Band 4, Very High (251 and above) | Minimise all outdoor activities for the next hour; may wear a mask | Avoid all outdoor activities for the next hour; may wear a mask |
NEA describes vulnerable persons as people such as the elderly, pregnant women and those with chronic heart or lung disease (NEA, Oct. 14), and its daily advisory gives separate advice for the elderly, pregnant women and children, and for people with chronic lung or heart disease (NEA, Oct. 17). The readings update through the day on haze.gov.sg and in the myENV app.
Latest readings and outlook
- Sat., Oct. 17, 7 pm: showers fell over parts of Singapore. The 1-hour PM2.5 readings were 106 to 198 µg/m3, in Band 2 and Band 3, and the 24-hour PSI was 130 to 199 (NEA).
- Fri., Oct. 16, 8 pm: the 24-hour PSI was 159 to 222, unhealthy to very unhealthy (NEA).
- Outlook: on Sunday NEA expects showers and winds shifting to blow from the south-southeast or south, which may reduce the transport of smoke haze from Kalimantan, though some from Sumatra may still drift towards Singapore. On Monday and Tuesday it expects more showers and weaker winds (NEA). The ASEAN regional outlook says the situation may improve where showers fall but stay elevated in fire-prone areas, with a continued risk of severe transboundary haze (haze.gov.sg).
Schools, exams and preschools
- Lessons and national exams continue in enclosed venues with air purifiers, Education Minister Desmond Lee said on Oct. 10 (Malay Mail).
- When schools could close: the Ministry of Education (MOE) will consider closing schools, and postponing national exams, if the next day's 24-hour PSI forecast is in the hazardous range, above 300. Any decision to close schools will be announced around 8 pm the day before through schools and MOE's official channels (Mothership).
- Outdoor activity: when the 24-hour PSI forecast is unhealthy (101 to 200), schools avoid strenuous outdoor physical activity, and students who are unwell can apply for special consideration for exams through their school (Mothership).
- Preschools: while the PSI is very unhealthy, the Early Childhood Development Agency requires preschools to stop all outdoor activities and strenuous indoor activities and keep children in enclosed, ventilated rooms (Mothership).
- Across the Causeway: Johor has closed all schools from Oct. 19 to 23 (Bernama). See our page on Malaysia's haze closures.
What has been closed or postponed
- ActiveSG: outdoor and non-air-conditioned facilities at all ActiveSG sport centres were temporarily closed from noon on Friday, Oct. 16, while indoor air-conditioned facilities stay open (AsiaOne). Check go.gov.sg/activesgfacilitiesclosure before you go.
- FA Cup final: the Singapore FA Cup final and third-place play-off, due on Oct. 17 at Jurong East Stadium, were postponed because the PSI in the west was above 200. The Football Association of Singapore said new dates will be announced (The Star, from The Straits Times).
- Purple Parade: the event planned for Oct. 24 at Suntec City is postponed to the first half of 2027 (The Star, from The Straits Times).
Masks, shelters and readings are from NEA's haze advisories of Oct. 14, 16 and 17, 2026 and its haze.gov.sg page (updated 6:25 pm on Oct. 17), with school and event details from Mothership, Malay Mail, AsiaOne and The Straits Times as published up to Oct. 17. Times are Singapore time. Conditions, eligibility and stock change quickly, so check haze.gov.sg and go.gov.sg/hazemask before you go. This page will be updated.
