Good news students and teachers — school’s out! Bad news everyone else — our hazy conditions are expected to get even worse.
Today marked one of the worst days for hazy conditions over Singapore, with Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) surging to over 300, which is considered to be in the hazardous range. As of writing, the National Environmental Agency (NEA) are saying that the 3-hour PSI is at 316, while the 24-hour range is leaning towards the high end of the Very Unhealthy parameter.
The Ministry of Education has just announced in media conference that all primary and secondary schools, as well as state-run kindergartens and special educations schools will be closed tomorrow. Looks like they’re expecting even hazier state of affairs, which is likely to cross into hazardous levels yet again.
The Straits Times reports that a media conference — attended by Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat — was held tonight, addressing public concern over the exponentially degrading air quality over the nation.
As for the rest of us, Minister Lim affirmed that there will be no national shutdown of workplaces, so put your masks on and weather through the hazy post-apocalyptic landscape tomorrow. Godspeed.
To all those shaking their fists at Indonesia about their haze-causing forest and plantation fires, just know that it’s likely that you’re playing a part in it too.
Photo: Ilyas Sholihyn; NEA screengrab
