Haze hits open-air eateries, tourist attractions

Melissa Lin The Straits Times AsiaOne 26 Sep 15;

Business at open-air hawker centres and al fresco restaurants has dipped as customers hide indoors to avoid the haze.

Several tourist attractions were also closed in the past two days, as the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) crossed over to hazardous levels.

Despite conditions improving yesterday, a number of events today and tomorrow have been cancelled or postponed as a precaution.

Madam Yong Fong, 65, owner of Bugis Street Chuen Chuen Chicken Rice at Balestier Market, said her takings have fallen by 20 per cent to 30 per cent since the haze hit two weeks ago. Customers who come mostly order takeaways, she said.

Over at Amoy Street Food Centre, Mr Kiang Choon Tong, 68, owner of Soon Heng Pork and Fish Porridge, said even his regular customers are staying away.

"It's been very difficult. First there was the ban on yusheng (raw fish), then the haze now," he said.

At L'Angelus French Restaurant in Club Street, the number of walk-in diners has dwindled, said general manager David Lim. "No one sits at the outdoor seats. On Thursday night, the whole street was like a ghost town," he said.

Mr Katsumi Mizutani, owner of the L'Opera group of restaurants, said sales at his al fresco restaurants in Boat Quay and Telok Ayer fell by at least a quarter but more people showed up at Pizzeria L'Operetta, which is fully indoors.

Meanwhile, Sentosa closed its Port of Lost Wonder attraction and suspended its tours of Fort Siloso yesterday. Singapore Ducktours, which has seen ticket sales plunge by 20 per cent, cancelled three of its open-top bus tours this week.

Events this weekend that have been cancelled owing to the haze include two Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in Sembawang and Woodlands organised by the People's Association, and an annual cycling road race by organiser CycoSports.

The National Heritage Board has cancelled more than five events, including this afternoon's snowskin mooncake workshop at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. Two other events today have been postponed - the Peranakan Museum's Secret Party and the National Museum of Singapore's Historia SG: The Gardens in a Garden City lecture.

Meanwhile, television customers of StarHub can watch over 140 channels for free this weekend, including HBO and Discovery Channel, the telco announced yesterday. The free preview, which began at 5pm yesterday, ends at 9am on Monday.

Haze Subsidy Scheme: More than 2,200 claims made
The Haze Subsidy Scheme is offered at all polyclinics and clinics under the Public Health Preparedness Clinic Scheme.
Alice Chia Channel NewsAsia 26 Sep 15;

SINGAPORE: Many Singaporeans have been tapping on government subsidies to seek treatment for haze-related conditions. Since the scheme was activated last Wednesday, there have been more than 2,200 haze subsidy claims made at polyclinics.

Minister of State for Health Dr Lam Pin Min provided the update on Saturday (Sep 26), on the sidelines of a visit to three General Practitioner (GP) clinics in Simei offering the Haze Subsidy Scheme.

Said Dr Lam: "What I gathered was there is an increase in terms of haze-related conditions being seen at the participating clinics to the extent of about maybe 10 to 20 per cent of their attendances are actually haze-related. And many (said) that the Haze Subsidy Scheme is very useful in terms of decreasing the out-of-pocket expenditure for those patients who are eligible for the scheme."

The subsidies are offered at all polyclinics and clinics under the Public Health Preparedness Clinic scheme, which aims to help patients get treatment even in times of emergency. Currently, there are 585 GPs registered as Public Health Preparedness Clinics.


The Ministry of Health is still collating the number of claims from the Public Health Preparedness Clinics, as the clinics have up to a month from the date of the patient's visit to submit their claims to the Ministry.

With the Haze Subsidy Scheme, Public Assistance cardholders are fully subsidised and do not have to pay. Pioneer Generation Card holders will pay no more than S$5, while other eligible Singaporeans, including low-income earners, will pay no more than S$10.

The air quality in Singapore reached Hazardous levels on Thursday night, before improving on Friday afternoon. Slightly hazy conditions are expected on Saturday, said the National Environment Agency.

- CNA/xq

CCs islandwide distribute 60,000 N95 masks to residents
MARISSA YEO Today Online 25 Sep 15;

SINGAPORE — A total of 60,000 N95 masks were collected by 30,000 residents at the 108 community centres (CCs) islandwide by 3pm today (Sept 25), even though air quality improved over the day after tipping over to hazardous levels in the morning.

The haze shelters — air-conditioned rooms at CCs and Residents’ Committee centres — saw relatively fewer users, but the People’s Association (PA) assured that should the haze enter the hazardous levels again, the shelters — which close at midnight — will be open 24 hours.

As at 3pm today, grassroots volunteers and PA staff had also conducted 2,700 house visits to residents who are immobile or sick, and elderly with medical conditions and living alone. The efforts yesterday involved 3,000 volunteers, the PA said.

Eligible Singaporeans and permanent residents are entitled to collect two masks each, upon presenting the blue CHAS card or Pioneer Generation card. The masks are also given to ComCare recipients who are above 62 or have longer-term medical issues. The distribution comes on the back of the WeCare packs containing food items, medication and a N95 mask that were given out last week to 30,000 vulnerable households.

Mrs Wong Ah Moi, 82, went to Tanjong Pagar CC today, after hearing about the mask distribution from her friend. “(Although) it is uncomfortable for me to breathe with the mask on, this makes it more convenient for me to go out,” she said, adding she was grateful for the masks.

Another resident, Ms Kuah Geh Heok, 51, welcomed the initiative as the masks were expensive for her, but felt two masks were not enough. “I think I will give them to my (adult) children,” she added.


Haze subsidy: 15,000 cases so far
Salma Khalik, The Straits Times AsiaOne 27 Sep 15;

An estimated 15,000 people have benefited from the haze subsidy in the past 10 days.

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.

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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.

Dr Lam Pin Min, Minister of State for Health, who visited three participating GPs in Simei yesterday morning, said claims from GPs take at least a month to reach the ministry.

Polyclinics have seen 2,200 such patients since the scheme started on Sept 16. During the 2013 haze, polyclinics saw about 15 per cent of such patients, he said.

Dr Kelvin Goh, who sees about 100 patients a day at his clinic at the Simei MRT station, said about 20 to 30 of these appear to have haze-related respiratory problems.

Others say the haze triggered their eczema, sinus problems or asthma but he added that not all are eligible for the subsidy.

5 shocking health hazards of the haze
Click on thumbnail to view. Story continues after photos.
(Photos: Various sources)

Dr Teoh Oon Hoe, head of respiratory medicine at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) has advised parents whose children suffer from asthma to ensure that they take their medicine, especially if they develop shortness of breath.

"A surge in the three-hour PSI increases the risk of asthma exacerbations in such children," he said.

His colleague, Dr Edwin Thia, who deals in maternal foetal medicine, said there is "no strong evidence to suggest that short-term exposure" would affect unborn children, as all studies have been on prolonged exposure to pollutants causing low birth weight, pre-term birth and intrauterine growth restriction.

But he added: "As a precaution, we would advise that pregnant women reduce exposure to haze for the health of their unborn baby."

Meanwhile, public hospitals are keeping the windows in their subsidised wards closed to prevent the haze from affecting their patients, many of whom are elderly.

About four in five public hospital beds are in subsidised B2 and C class wards, which are naturally ventilated, with no air conditioning.

A spokesman for Changi General Hospital (CGH) said it is "managing the wards' temperature through the use of portable air-condition units in addition to our spot cooling system". It also uses portable fans.

Aside from portable air-conditioners, the National University Hospital (NUH) is using air purifiers in its subsidised wards. It has also added filters to some of the air-conditioning systems to minimise pollutants in the air.

Ms Joanne Yap, chief operating officer of the new Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, said its centralised air filter system is able to filter up to 80 per cent of synthetic dust and 95 per cent of air particles.