Haze stays unhealthy across Singapore as the S$10 treatment subsidy begins and NEA tracks the fires behind it
The 24-hour PSI was between 106 and 148 across Singapore at 2pm on Monday 12 October, all in the unhealthy band of 101 to 200 (The Online Citizen); CNA and the Straits Times also reported unhealthy air, and AsiaOne said the 24-hour PSI is forecast to stay in that range. Subsidised treatment for haze-related conditions took effect at Public Health Preparedness Clinics and polyclinics on 12 October (CNA). Doctors said weekly flu activity is the highest since 2024 and haze can worsen respiratory conditions (CNA). Public transport operators are making N95 masks available to workers, and at least five races and running-club events were cancelled (Straits Times). MUIS said mosques remain open for prayers, with arrangements adjustable if the haze worsens (CNA, Straits Times). NEA is tracking hotspots and sources; the Straits Times said the readings are enough to trigger the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, that the last notices to Indonesian firms were sent in 2015 and that investigations into four companies remain open. Indonesia’s President Prabowo ordered tougher action on fires (Straits Times). Schools in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Putrajaya close on 13 October (Straits Times), and Firefly extended Seletar–Subang cancellations to 13 October (Straits Times).
Haze is a health issue first. Fine particles reach deep into the lungs, and children, older people and people with asthma, heart or lung conditions are most at risk. The subsidy lowers the cost of seeing a doctor early, and the legal route shows the haze is now a question of who is responsible, not only of how to cope.
Check the 24-hour PSI and the one-hour PM2.5 on the NEA website or the myENV app before outdoor plans, and cut back on strenuous activity when the air is unhealthy. If you have asthma or allergic rhinitis, or a child or parent at higher risk, ask an enrolled clinic about the S$10 cap. If you travel to Johor, check school and flight notices first.
Treating the haze under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act signals that Singapore will pursue those responsible, and day-by-day school decisions in Malaysia let officials react to the readings as they change.
The 2015 notices led to investigations that remain open eleven years later, and parents in Malaysia say day-by-day closures make it hard to plan. Subsidised care helps after harm has started; fewer fires are the real fix.
The slight easing in places is a matter of wind, not of fewer fires, so do not read it as the end. Watch three things today: the NEA forecast, whether the enrolled clinics handle the subsidy smoothly, and whether Indonesia’s tougher orders show up as fewer hotspots. Persistent smoke would carry the problem deep into the week.
DailyDrop Singapore edition No. 9 · Morning · TUE., OCT. 13, 2026