Few use Singapore haze shelters, but visitors welcome respite from heat

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SINGAPORE: Haze shelters across Singapore sat largely empty on Saturday (Oct 17), with only a handful of residents trickling in to seek respite from the stifling combination of heat and polluted air.

When CNA visited eight designated shelters across the island in the afternoon, only two were occupied. The remaining six were either unoccupied or locked because no one was using them.

At Toa Payoh Central Community Club, just three residents were seen in the air-conditioned room.

Among them was retiree Ms Poh Suan, 67, who spent the morning keeping her flat’s windows tightly shut to keep out the haze, which left her home hot and stuffy.

Reluctant to turn on her air-conditioner, she and her husband, 64-year-old Lim Kim Chua, decided to drop by the shelter instead.

"The haze has been very bad for me, especially because I have eczema. In the air-conditioned room it feels slightly better because I am not so sweaty," said Ms Poh, who is retired. It was her first time visiting a haze shelter. 

She added that she intended to spend an hour reading in the haze shelter before heading home.

Another visitor, retiree Low Cheng Yang, said the shelter offered a welcome breather, adding that he had visited the shelter previously.

"It is very stuffy and humid outside," said Mr Low, who is in his late 60s. "(The haze shelter) is good, at least people can hide from the heat.”

The air-conditioned shelter, which appeared to be able to accommodate more than 20 people based on the number of tables and chairs present, saw little use for most of the day.

Elsewhere, at Kreta Ayer Community Club, Ms Florence Ong, 40, was also appreciative of the free-to-use facility, noting that it offered respite from the haze without needing residents to turn on the air-conditioner at home all day.

"If [the haze] is really bad and it is not comfortable, then you just come here instead of switching on the air-conditioner for 24 hours," said the financial consultant. This was her second time at the shelter.

She was there with her brother and mother. The trio had stopped by to enjoy the air-conditioning after having lunch nearby.

The government began rolling out stepped-up haze measures on Wednesday after hourly PM2.5 readings reached the very high band for the first time this season.

These measures include the distribution of N95 masks to eligible Singaporeans, including pregnant women, children aged seven to 16 and people with medical conditions such as asthma.

OPERATING HOURS AND ACCESS

As of Wednesday, over 350 haze shelters have been set up at community clubs, residents’ committee centres and residents’ networks, according to the People’s Association website.

Haze shelters at community centres are open from 10am to 6pm, while those at residents’ committee (RC) centres and residents’ networks (RN) have different operating hours. Residents can contact their nearest RC and RN regarding their operating hours. 

Several of the shelters listed on the website were empty when CNA visited on Saturday.

For example, at Toa Payoh East Community Club, the air-conditioned room had two rows of tables and chairs set out in front of a whiteboard.

The haze shelter at Kreta Ayer RN was also empty when CNA visited, with chairs lined up along the walls. The room also had posters that reminded residents of good housekeeping practices, including switching off the light when not in use. 

At some haze shelters within RNs, there were digital door access systems that allowed residents to enter. Shelters without such a system required residents to approach staff to use the facilities.

At community centres, signs were placed to direct residents to the shelters. 

The low turnout at the haze shelters came as air quality improved slightly on Saturday compared with the day before.

All ActiveSG outdoor sports facilities resumed operations after they were temporarily shut the previous day.