News

All Households in S’pore to Receive 4 Free Surgical Masks; Action to be Taken on Profiteering Sellers

2020-01-30 , 1:00 pm

Here’s a message to all profiteering sellers on the Internet:

Why, you ask.

Before I lecture you on why headlines are important, here’s the gist of it: 5.2 million surgical masks would be given free to all households in Singapore.

In other words, as long as you live in Singapore, there should be four extra masks in your house before 9 February 2020.

Here are the deets.

Government Giving All 1.3 Million Households in Singapore 4 Surgical Masks

In the next step to battle the Wuhan virus, the authorities have prepared 5.2 million masks to be given to all 1.3 million households.

These masks would be made available progressively from this Saturday (1 February 2020), and you can collect them from 89 community centres (CC) and 654 residents’ committee (RC) centres.

Reader Bao: Wait, they’re not sending it direct to my doorstep?

To this I’ll say: this one not online shopping you piece of bao.

How to Collect

So, even if you’ve ten people living in your household, your household will still be entitled to only four masks.

So if you’re at loggerheads with the people in the household and decide to collect all four individually, you can’t: all the four masks can only be collected once for each household.

Also, here’s a reminder for the person who’s going to represent the household to collect the masks: bring your IC along.

You can collect them from CCs and RCs from 1 February 2020 to 5 February 2020.

For people who’re vulnerable and can’t self-collect, these masks will be delivered to them.

Just a reminder: being lazy isn’t being vulnerable.

Also, it seems like the Government’s working behind the scenes to get those masks ready.

5 Million Masks Released to Retailers

In another hit to profiteering sellers, the Government has also already released 5 million masks to retailers, and they’re still sourcing for new mask suppliers while ramping up new supplies from current suppliers.

Before you go on a mask spree, read on.

Only People Who feel Unwell Should Wear the Masks

If you think you should be wearing a mask once you leave the house, you’re wrong. Very wrong.

Health experts have reiterated that only people who’re unwell should put on the mask, for you never know if you’re carrying the Wuhan virus.

For healthy people, it’s not necessary, and to some extent, it might do more harm than good, as you might get complacent.

Government Now Going After Profiteering Sellers

The last hit to profiteering sellers is going to be music to your ears.

Seeing how some people have become greedy during this crisis, the Ministry of Trade and Industry will now ask retailers, including online sellers, on the cost price of their masks, and why they had priced it so high.

If they found to be profiteering, action can be taken against them under the Price Control Act.

In other words, profiteering sellers, your karma is here.

In the meantime, you might want to read our article on how to wear a surgical mask correctly; you won’t want to waste these free masks, do you?