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The Haze: From Indonesia with ‘Love’..
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Singapore prepares for the next wave of haze.
27 January 2016
All school classrooms to get air purifiers for hazy conditions
- Posted 27 Jan 2016 17:17
SINGAPORE: In light of hazy conditions, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will deploy air purifiers to all school classrooms, said Acting Minister for Education Ng Chee Meng on Wednesday (Jan 27).
In a written reply to a parliamentary question from MP Christopher de Souza, Mr Ng said MOE will send about 25,000 air purifiers to all primary and secondary schools in Singapore by July this year. Similarly, Voluntary Welfare Organisation-run special education schools and MOE Kindergartens will also have air purifiers, Mr Ng added.
Schools will be provided guidelines on the use of the air purifiers as well, he said.
The move comes after the completion of the haze management review, and the measures are to enhance the well-being of students and staff during a haze situation, said Mr Ng. The measures were introduced in consultation with the National Environment Agency and the Ministry of Health.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/all-school-classrooms-to/2462834.html?cid=TWTCNA
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Pollutant Standards Index
The Pollutant Standards Index, or PSI, is a type of air quality index, which is a number used to provide the public with an easily understandable indicator of how polluted the air is.
Different countries also use different names for their indices such as Air Quality Health Index, Air Pollution Index and Pollutant Standards Index.
| PSI | Descriptor | General Health Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Good | None |
| 51–100 | Moderate | Few or none for the general population |
| 101–150 | Unhealthy for sensitive groups | Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. |
| 151–200 | Unhealthy | Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. To stay indoors. |
| 201-300 | Very unhealthy | Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected. |
| 301+ | Hazardous | Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollutant_Standards_Index
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17 October 2015
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Air quality still in unhealthy range on Saturday http://ebx.sh/1GiK7gg
SINGAPORE – Hazy conditions are expected to persist on Saturday, with the 24-hr PSI reaching the Unhealthy range.
As of 12pm, the 24-hr PSI is at 92-105, with the 3-hr PSI at 89.
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Over 40,000 get haze subsidies for treatment http://ebx.sh/1GizFpc
The Straits Times
By Salma Khalik
More than 40,000 people have received haze subsidies for treatment from polyclinics and private GPs for medical conditions excacerbated by the polluted air.
This is already more than double the total number who received such subsidies in 2013 when Singapore experienced its worst haze in recent years.
The subsidy from the Ministry of Health (MOH) is for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, asthma, bronchitis, conjunctivitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and upper respiratory tract infections.
Patients who qualify include children aged 18 years and younger, holders of the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) card and those on public assistance.
They pay $10 for consultation and medicine, with the Ministry of Health (MOH) paying the rest of the bill which would typically range from $20 to $80, depending on the condition and medicine needed.
Singaporeans who earned $1,800 or less a month over the past six months are also entitled to the subsidy by making a self-declaration of their income on an official form which participating clinics have.
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5 October 2015
Ten companies declare their paper products are sourced sustainably
Ten companies declare their paper products are sourced sustainably http://tdy.sg/1VyhLFT #SGHaze
SINGAPORE — Ten companies selling paper products have declared that they have not procured or used wood, paper or pulp materials from the five companies alleged by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to bear some responsibility for the fires that have resulted in the haze engulfing the region.
These ten companies sell paper products certified under the Singapore Environment Council’s (SEC) Singapore Green Labelling Scheme. They include Kimberly Clark Products, Fuji Xerox, April Fine Paper Trading and Canon Singapore.
Releasing this list today (Oct 5), the SEC and Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said they are currently awaiting declaration forms from seven other third-party manufacturers.
“Should any of the listed companies become involved in the purchasing or sourcing of wood, paper and/or pulp products from those suspected to be responsible for the haze pollution, they are bound by the declaration to inform the SEC of their activities and will be promptly removed from the list,” SEC and CASE said in a joint statement.
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3 October 2015
#SGHaze update (10pm): 3-hour PSI drops to 119; 24-hour PSI in unhealthy range at 151-187 http://tdy.sg/1KfPICz
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Swimming: Saturday’s Fina Swimming World Cup finals in Singapore cancelled owing to haze http://str.sg/Z6cK
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TODAY Sports .@SG_Swimming may pursue class action suit against firms causing #SGHaze http://tdy.sg/1WDtkIW #FINASWCSG
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#SGHaze update (9pm): 3-hour PSI drops to 148; 24-hour PSI in unhealthy range at 152-187 http://tdy.sg/1KfPICz
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1 October 2015
PSLE to be held in enclosed spaces, with air purifiers
PSLE to be held in enclosed spaces, with air purifiers http://tdy.sg/1hac9Pa
SINGAPORE — The Primary School Leaving Examinations will begin tomorrow (Oct 1) as scheduled despite the hazy conditions, with arrangements made for the examinations to be held in enclosed spaces, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) said in a joint statement today.
Air purifiers will be provided at the venues so that it is safe for the examinations to continue without disruption, even if the haze conditions unexpectedly worsen during the period of the examinations.
“The safety and well-being of all examination candidates remain our top priority,” said MOE and SEAB, adding that schools will remain open and national examinations will proceed as scheduled.
The joint statement added that candidates with underlying medical conditions or who feel unwell should seek medical attention.
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/national-exams-continue-scheduled-thursday
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.@Greenpeace, @WWF say Indonesia must build new dams, re-wet drained areas, restore forests http://tdy.sg/1VrtfFV
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Haze Subsidy Scheme
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Ministry of Health
Singapore
Haze Subsidy Scheme
Due to the worsening haze situation in Singapore, the Ministry of Health will be activating the Haze Subsidy Scheme. It will be available at all polyclinics and Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPC) from 16 September 2015.
The list of participating clinics can be found here. The public may identify participating clinics through the display of the PHPC logo, or the Haze Subsidy Scheme poster.
The Haze Subsidy Scheme provides children, the elderly and lower and middle-income Singaporeans with affordable treatment for haze-related conditions, which are, allergic rhinitis, asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), conjunctivitis and upper respiratory tract infections (URTI).
Under this scheme, Pioneers will pay no more than $5, and other eligible Singaporeans will pay no more than $10. MOH will subsidise the remaining costs. Public Assistance (PA) cardholders enjoy fully subsidised care.
The following groups of Singapore citizens are eligible for the scheme:
i) All Singaporean children (aged 18 and below) and elderly (aged 65 and above);
ii) Singaporeans who are on any of the following schemes:
a. Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS);
b. Public Assistance (PA);
c. Medical Fee Exemption Card (MFEC);
d. Medical Fee Assistance Card (MFAC); and
e. Pioneer Generation (PG).
iii) Singaporeans who earn a monthly income of $1,800 and below (averaged over the last six months), based on self-declaration using an official form.
For more information about the Haze Subsidy Scheme, read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
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Haze subsidy: 15,000 cases so far
Haze subsidy: 15,000 cases so far http://ebx.sh/1Fr7mES
The Government aid means they need to pay no more than $10 when they see a doctor for haze-related medical problems. Pioneers pay $5.
The number of patients tapping the subsidy appears to be far higher than in 2013, when only 20,500 people used it over the four months of haze. Part of the reason is the extension of the benefit to the 450,000-strong Pioneer Generation – those aged 16 and above in 1965.
However, doctors say they are seeing many more patients who are ineligible for the subsidy who are suffering haze-related problems such as breathing problems, runny nose, eye irritations, eczema and even pneumonia.
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As of 9pm, the 3-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) is 249 and the 24-hour PSI is 133 – 166. This is the highest 3-hour PSI reading this year.
#SGhaze: As of 9pm, 3-hour PSI moves up to 249; 24-hour PSI is 133-166, in Unhealthy range http://bit.ly/1KhLfMO
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Singapore reiterates offer of assistance to Indonesia to fight forest fires
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday (Sep 14) called his Indonesian counterpart and reiterated Singapore’s offer to help Indonesia battle forest fires.
- POSTED: 14 Sep 2015 19:07
- UPDATED: 14 Sep 2015 21:14
SINGAPORE: Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday (Sep 14) spoke with Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar and reiterated Singapore’s offer of help to combat forest fires, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement. The offer came as the number of hotspots in Indonesia’s Sumatra island soared to a two-month high of 982 on Monday, and a state of emergency has been declared in Riau province.
Indonesia had earlier accepted the Singapore Armed Forces’ offer to send C-130s for cloud seeding and Chinooks for large water buckets to douse fires, only to decline it later. “While the Indonesian authorities accepted our offer of assistance initially, they have since expressed appreciation for the offer, and said they have sufficient resources of their own for now,” Singapore’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-reiterates/2125790.html?cid=twtcna
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SALES OF N95 MASKS
Retailers have also seen sales of N95 masks increase, but said that there are sufficient stocks. Watsons has a total of 22,000 masks stocked in all its stores and saw a double-digit growth in the sales for N95 masks over the past weeks.
FairPrice has seen a 10 per cent increase in sales of the N95 masks since the last week of the past month. “At present, our stores continue to have sufficient supply to meet the demands. Customers are encouraged to only buy what they need for their personal use,” said a FairPrice spokesperson.
Last year, the Ministry of Health said it had 16 million N95 masks on standby in the case of a shortage.
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/organisations-activate-haze-contingency-plans
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(12 Box) 240 SAS Safety #8610 N95 RESPIRATOR FACE MASKS …http://best-very-impressive-items.buy2day.info/buy/01/?query=381347498723 …
Wear N95 masks instead of the ‘common'(surgical) masks.
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Organisations activate haze contingency plans
Organisations activate #haze contingency plans as #sghaze worsened yesterday http://tdy.sg/1QrP7jj
SINGAPORE — As the haze worsened yesterday, various organisations began putting into action their contingency plans.
With Singaporeans heading to the polls today, the Elections Department (ELD) has advised Singaporeans to note the NEA’s advisory. “There are priority queues at polling stations for the elderly and disabled. Those who require any assistance or feel unwell should approach election officials at their respective polling stations,” said an ELD spokesperson in a media release yesterday.
To ensure the health and safety of some 30,000 election officials who will be on duty islandwide, ELD has also taken mitigating measures such as instituting adequate rest breaks and hydration for all officials.
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Pre-schools contacted by TODAY have also taken action, with some already suspending outdoor activities even before the haze worsened over the day. EtonHouse International School has been monitoring the PSI index closely and outdoor activities would be suspended the moment it exceeds 100, said senior principal Josephyne Ho. The school will also minimise physical activities and monitor their children’s health.
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/organisations-activate-haze-contingency-plans
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TODAY @TODAYonline 11 minutes ago
#SGHAZE UPDATE: At 7am, 24-hr PSI at 154-178, 3-hr PSI at 87 http://tdy.sg/1QrOIgS
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#SGHaze update (11pm): 24-hr PSI is 132-148, 3-hour PSI reaches 207 http://tdy.sg/1ieO0Zd
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PSI reading 200 now. Singapore lets pray and hope it will get better by tom. We need to go out and cast our votes. 
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JUST IN: 3-hour PSI hits 200, 24-hour PSI is 128-143 #SGHaze http://bit.ly/1NrBKS6
Singapore offers Indonesia help in fighting forest fires
Singapore has assets on standby, as well as a fire-fighting assistance team on hand to help put out ongoing forest fires in Indonesia, says the Ministry of Defence.
- POSTED: 10 Sep 2015 21:31
The Ministry of Defence on Thursday (Sep 10) said that Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen has called his Indonesian counterpart Ryamizard Ryacudu to reiterate Singapore’s offer of fire-fighting assistance.
“The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have placed on standby a C-130 aircraft for cloud seeding operations, a Chinook helicopter with a water bucket for aerial fire-fighting, and up to two C-130 aircraft to ferry the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fire-fighting assistance team,” said MINDEF in a statement.
“The SAF stands ready to support and assist the Indonesian military (TNI), which has been deployed to put out the fires,” MINDEF added.
The forest fires caused air quality in Singapore to reach unhealthy levels on Thursday, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) crossing the 100 mark.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-offers/2118060.html
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