SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday (Oct 20) that it has released N95 masks from its stockpile to help retailers meet increased demand amid persistent hazy conditions in Singapore.
In response to media queries, the health ministry said it was aware of increased demand for N95 masks, or their equivalent, and concerns among members of the public about their availability.
“Our checks show that retailers and retail pharmacies have sufficient supplies in their warehouses,” said an MOH spokesperson, while acknowledging that some stores could have temporarily run low on masks while restocking.
“MOH maintains a stockpile of N95 masks, or equivalent, and has released the stockpile to support retailers to manage the demand," it said.
The ministry said N95 masks, or their equivalent, can be purchased at all NTUC FairPrice outlets and pharmacies such as Guardian, Unity and Watsons.
The health ministry said it was also working with Cold Storage, Giant and Sheng Siong to make N95 masks, or their equivalent, progressively available for purchase at all their outlets by the end of the week.
It urged the public to purchase masks in quantities that were “sufficient only for their own consumption” to avoid wastage.
The announcement comes after the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) raised concerns on Saturday about the availability of haze-related products, including N95 masks, air purifiers and filters.
CASE president Melvin Yong said the association had received feedback that some retailers were facing temporary shortages of N95 masks, while some had sold out of air purifiers.
CASE officers who visited various retail outlets on Friday also found that N95 masks were sold out, he added.
"CASE has been liaising closely with major retailers and we understand that they have sufficient overall stocks of N95 masks and are actively replenishing supplies at affected outlets to meet consumer demand," Mr Yong said.
He urged consumers not to overbuy masks as retailers replenished their stocks.
Mr Yong also cautioned against purchasing masks and air purifiers from unverified sellers on the secondary market, including social media platforms, warning that such purchases could expose consumers to scams.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu also assured the public on Friday that Singapore had sufficient N95 stock in retailers' warehouses and government stockpiles.
She said retailers are continuously replenishing their shelves, while the haze task force was working with them to keep masks available to the public.
According to MOH, KN95, FFP2 and KF94 masks are also effective in reducing exposure to haze particles.
The government began distributing N95 masks to vulnerable Singaporeans last week after hourly PM2.5 readings reached the very high range on Oct 14.