Singapore Prepares N95 Mask Vending Machines as Haze Threatens Air Quality

Singapore is preparing to deploy 24-hour vending machines dispensing N95 masks if worsening air pollution pushes the country's 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index above 200, a level classified as very unhealthy, according to a Mothership report. The government has placed the machines on standby at 37 public transportation hubs and social service offices to distribute protective masks to eligible residents as part of its response to haze caused by fires in neighboring Indonesia and unfavorable wind conditions. The machines will provide packages containing two N95 masks to qualifying residents, who can obtain them using their national identity cards; relatives or friends can collect packages on their behalf. Pregnant women, children ages 7 to 16 and people with medical conditions can also obtain masks through designated People's Association locations. Singapore's National Environment Agency convened a government haze task force on Oct. 9 as deteriorating air quality raised public health concerns. As of 11 a.m. Oct. 11, the 24-hour pollution index in central Singapore stood at 149, within the unhealthy range but below the threshold for activating the mask distribution program. For operators, the standby deployment is another example of governments treating vending as emergency-response infrastructure, pre-positioning machines to distribute essential goods the moment a threshold is crossed. Source: Vending Times — https://www.vendingtimes.com/news/singapore-prepares-n95-mask-vending-machines-as-haze-threatens-air-quality/