Given the long queues for surgical masks all over Singapore, I thought that every single mask that the authorities are giving for free would be collected.
Apparently, I was wrong.
While there might be some Singaporeans who like to hoard daily essentials from supermarkets to start a minimart in her house…
…there are some who just want nothing but world peace.
Free Mask Collection Period Extends to 29 Feb As Only 54% of Household Have Collected Them
In case you’ve just come out of a 30-day meditation and thought that World War III has started after seeing the empty shelves in supermarket, here’s the thing: Singapore is giving four free masks to every household in Singapore.
That’s a whopping 5.48 million masks.
And lest you didn’t know, these masks aren’t for daily use; they’re supposed to be kept at home and only be used when someone in the household is sick and needs to make his or her way to the doctor’s.
The collection period is from 1 February 2020 to 9 February 2020.
It’s now the last day, and I think you’d know what to expect from the headline.
I’m guessing many NSFs must now be saying, “Sian, I pack so long and they didn’t collect? I’m so going to quit this job. Where’s the ORD form for me to fill up?”
According to the People’s Association, only 54% of the 1.37 million households have collected the masks.
That means there are still over 2.5 million uncollected masks.
And so, instead of having just ten days of collection, PA is going to extend it to the end of this month.
They said in a media release, “We are aware that some households were unable to collect the masks during the designated collection period between 1 to 9 February 2020. As such, the People’s Association will be extending the collection period till Saturday, 29 February 2020.”
For households that have yet to collect, they can do so during opening hours at the CC in their constituency.
So, what if there are still uncollected masks after the end of February?
According to PA, all uncollected masks will be returned to the national stockpile to “ensure that our health institutions and those in need can have access to the necessary supplies.”
