ActiveSG closes outdoor facilities in central, southern and western Singapore as haze worsens

SINGAPORE – ActiveSG’s outdoor and non-air-conditioned sports and recreation facilities across most of Singapore were temporarily closed on Oct 15 as the haze situation worsened.

At 7pm, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings across the island were in the unhealthy range: west (180), central (185), east (160), south (157) and north (121).

Earlier in the day, the reading in the west hit a season high of 212 at noon.

In a haze advisory at 6.30pm, ActiveSG Circle, Sport Singapore’s online platform to promote participation in sports, announced the closure of all outdoor and non-air-conditioned facilities at its sport centres in the south, east, west and central areas due to unhealthy air pollution levels.

However, given the changing haze conditions, visitors are advised to check the latest updates at go.gov.sg/activesgfacilitiesclosure before heading down to the sport facilities.

SAFRA clubhouses have also scaled back operations.

In a Facebook post at around 1pm, SAFRA Toa Payoh said it has suspended all outdoor activities and closed its swimming pool on Oct 15 until further notice.

This follows similar suspensions announced on Oct 14 by SAFRA Jurong and SAFRA Choa Chu Kang.

Meanwhile, HomeTeamNS and the Civil Service Club are also taking precautions amid the air pollution.

HomeTeamNS announced the closure of outdoor amenities at its Bukit Batok branch on Oct 14, including the swimming pool and pickleball court.

Similarly, the Civil Service Club stated that its Bukit Batok branch is suspending all outdoor activities and closing both outdoor and non-air-conditioned indoor facilities.

PM2.5 readings are used as a gauge for current air quality.

At 7pm, readings in the high band were recorded in the south (157), east (176), west (166) and central (221), with the measurement in the north (98) in the elevated range.

Beyond sports facilities, organisations are also cutting back on outdoor events.

The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA), in a Facebook post at noon, announced that it has cancelled its annual ISCA Run, scheduled for the morning of Oct 17 at Gardens by the Bay.

The event was expected to draw nearly 3,000 people, including participants, families, volunteers, staff and partners.

ISCA said those who signed up will receive an e-mail regarding medal collection and other arrangements.

The haze situation in Singapore has deteriorated over recent days, with the 24-hour PSI in the west in the “very unhealthy” range at 9pm on Oct 14 till 2pm on Oct 15.

In its daily advisory, the National Environment Agency (NEA) forecast the 24-hour PSI for Oct 16 to be “unhealthy to low-very unhealthy”.

It added that some rain is expected over Singapore and the surrounding region on Oct 16, but southern Sumatra and parts of Kalimantan are likely to remain dry.

“With the winds forecast to be east-southeasterly or southeasterly, smoke haze is likely to continue to be carried from Kalimantan towards Singapore,” the agency said.

However, there might be some respite from the haze this weekend for people here, as more rain is forecast over Singapore and parts of Kalimantan.

NEA said: “Winds are expected to shift to blow from the south-east or south, which could reduce the transport of smoke haze from Kalimantan to Singapore. Some smoke haze from Sumatra may, however, still drift towards Singapore.”

Ann Neo is with ST Now, the desk that covers breaking and trending news for The Straits Times.