Temasek Foundation’s 4th Nationwide #StayMasked Exercise to Distribute Free Masks to S’pore Resident is From 1–14 Mar

Before the coronavirus emerged, face masks were something you put on your face before going out, to get rid of pimples.

If the government suddenly made face masks mandatory outdoors back then, you’d be puzzled and probably assume possessing acne was illegal.

Nowadays, a face mask means one thing and one thing alone: protection against the coronavirus.

Fortunately for us, Singapore is one of the countries who routinely distribute face masks to its residents.

Since the pandemic struck Singapore, Temasek Foundation has carried out three distribution exercises for free reusable masks.

Soon, the fourth one will commence.

And don’t worry, unlike other cases, this is not fake news.

Temasek Foundation’s 4th Nationwide #StayMasked Exercise to Distribute Free Masks to Singapore Residents From 1–14 Mar

From 1 March, each household will be able to collect free reusable masks from vending machines across the country. Anyone with a government-issued ID can collect these masks.

The fourth #StayMasked exercise, announced by Temasek Holdings’ CEO Ho Ching —who will be stepping down on 1 October 2021— will last for two weeks until 14 March.

Since community centres are being used as vaccination sites, mask vending machines at 20 community centres have been moved to adjacent HDB blocks.

Unlike the previous exercises, residents will only be eligible for one mask each, but fret not! This mask comes with a host of improvements.

Pre-ordered masks are priced at S$10 net each, subject to availability.

To buy additional masks, click here or order through the DBS Paylah! app. This can be done from 10am on 1 Mar to 11.59pm on 3 Mar. PayNow, DBS PayLah! and major credit cards are accepted for website orders.

Only One Wash a Week Required with Daily Use; Can Last Up to 7 Months

Believe it or not, users only need to wash their face masks once a week, even if they use it seven days a week.

The new mask, made by Swiss hygiene company Livinguard, is specially treated on both the inner and outer layers.

Plus, the antibacterial properties on the inner layer kills any bacteria from our saliva.

Even better, with up to 30 washes, the mask can be used for up to 7 months, even if we wear it every day.

And even after that, we could use it as an outer mask for double-masking if there’s an outbreak of more infectious variants from the UK, South Africa, or Brazil.

The masks come in four sizes: find the right one for you here. Do note that free size S masks are only available to children aged 8 and younger.

More information on how to handle the Livinguard masks can be found here, while information on the specifications of the masks can be found here.

Sanitiser Distribution Exercise

Just like the last round, the mask distribution will be followed by a hand sanitiser distribution exercise which will commence in mid-April.

Residents are encouraged to bring a bottle or two to collect their 500ml of alcohol-free hand sanitiser, produced from local company Klenco.

The sanitiser distribution is dubbed #BYOBclean, and more details will be released in March.

Both the mask and hand sanitiser will be available for collection at vending machines placed at community centres.

All residents have to do is bring their March or April Singapore Power bills, which contain a special QR code.

Then, simply scan them at the readers of the vending machines, and collect your items.

This exercise will begin next Monday (1 Mar), so be sure to head down to pick up your free masks!

For more information, click here, or email [email protected] for any inquiries and feedback.