Singapore, 26 November 2020 – Temasek Foundation will offer one free mask kit each for all Singapore residents who have an NRIC, birth certificate, FIN card, School Smartcard or any government-issued ID with a barcode.
Each kit contains two black MaskFit ProShield® reusable masks and three reusable filters.
The MaskFit ProShield® masks are available in S, M, L, and XL sizes. Free size S mask kits are only available to children aged 8 and younger. Older residents may order size S masks online.
Like the previous mask distributions, the MaskFit ProShield® mask kits may be collected from some 1,200 #StayMasked vending machines at over 800 locations around the island.
Additional mask kits may be ordered online, or via DBS PayLah! App, subject to availability.
This third national distribution of reusable masks is a continued effort under the Stay Prepared #StayMasked initiative, which aims to help our community stay safe sustainably, with convenient access to reusable antibacterial masks.
About the MaskFit ProShield® Masks and Additional Filters
The new MaskFit ProShield® mask has three layers. The outer antibacterial layer repels water droplets. The middle layer is a filter liner. The inner layer absorbs our own saliva.
Made from nanofibre non-woven fabric, the three additional reusable filters provide added protection from saliva droplets or dust particles. They may be used with the MaskFit ProShield® mask, or with other DIY or 3D-shaped masks with filter pockets. The mask may be used without the filter when one is exercising, or in less crowded environments.
When used with the filter, the mask has a Viral Filtration Efficiency (VFE) of more than 98%2.
The filters and reusable masks may be washed up to 50 times. Thus, the two masks and three filters in each kit can provide reusable protection for more than three months on a daily ‘wear one, wash one’ cycle.
After 50 washes, the masks can continue to be used like ordinary masks with lower antimicrobial performance.
Incorrect washing methods will reduce the effectiveness and durability of the mask or the additional filters.
More information on how to use, wash and care for the MaskFit ProShield® masks and filters can be found at stayprepared.sg/masks.
Information on the specifications of the masks can be found at Proshield’s website.
Finding Out Your Mask Size
Sizing guides are available online at stayprepared.sg/masks.
Full-sized mask sizing templates will be published in The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao (28 November, 5 and 12 December) as well as Shin Min Daily News, Lianhe Wanbao, Berita Minggu and Tamil Murasu (29 November, 6 and 13 December). These can be cut out as personal sizing guides.
Exchanges or refunds after collection are not allowed for hygiene reasons. Hence, residents are advised to check out their sizing before purchases or collection of their free masks.
Pro tip 1: If you are between sizes, or at the upper end of one size, you may wish to consider getting the next size up, if you prefer a roomier fit.
Pro tip 2: Residents who wish to order additional masks may wish to try on their free masks to check for fit and size before purchasing more.
Who May Collect a Free Mask Kit?
Anyone with a government-issued ID may collect one free mask kit each.
These include Singapore citizens; Singapore Permanent Residents; holders of a Singapore Employment or Work Pass Permit; or holders of other Long Term Passes, including family dependents of Employment Pass holders, and students.
Free size S mask kits are only available to children aged 8 and younger. Older residents who wish to have size S masks may purchase them online, up to five each.
Collection of MaskFit ProShield® Masks from Vending Machines Island-wide
MaskFit ProShield® kits may be collected from #StayMasked vending machines at more than 800 locations across Singapore, from Monday 30 November, 10:00am till Sunday 13 December 2020, 11:59pm.
Residents may scan the barcodes of their government-issued IDs at the vending machine. Or they may opt to key in their ID information manually via the touch screens. High touch surfaces such as the touch screens are sanitised with long lasting disinfectants.
Residents may collect on behalf of their family members and friends, by scanning the barcodes of their respective government-issued IDs, or by keying in their ID information.
Residents are reminded that they must have authorisation to collect on behalf of another individual. It is a serious offence to misuse the ID of another person without approval.
Additional pre-paid masks may also be collected at the vending machines, upon scanning of the unique QR codes that are sent to the purchaser after each successful order.
There are ample stocks of MaskFit ProShield® mask kits available.
Pro tip 3: To avoid early bird crowds, residents may collect after the first two days, or during off-peak hours.
Where to Collect the Different Size Masks?
All mask kits may be collected from CCs, Plaza Singapura, and Temasek Shophouse.
All sizes except size S may be collected from RCs, MWC RCs, Bus Interchanges, as well as CCs, Plaza Singapura and Temasek Shophouse.
Members of the public may visit stayprepared.sg/locate to check the locations of the vending machines for the different sizes and stock levels, from Monday 30 November, 10:00 am onwards.
Stock availability will be updated regularly once collection starts on Monday November 30 November 2020, 10:00am.
Pro tip 4: Residents who don’t need size S mask kits may wish to collect from their nearest RC or neighbourhood collection point, as RC collection is usually very fast and convenient.
Overview of mask sizes, collection points, pre-order quotas
Pre-ordering and Collecting Additional Mask Kits Using Unique QR Codes
Purchases of additional masks may be done online, at $12 per mask kit, subject to availability, from Monday 30 November, 10:00am to Saturday 12 December 2020, 11:59pm, via stayprepared.sg/buymasks or the DBS PayLah! App. PayNow, DBS PayLah! or major credit cards are accepted for website orders.
Interested residents may order up to 5 mask kits each for sizes S and M, and up to 10 mask kits each for sizes L and XL.
A unique QR code will be generated and sent to the mobile number used for each successful order. These unique QR codes need to be scanned at the vending machines for the redemption or collection of the prepaid mask kits.
For orders of more than one mask kit, purchasers may redeem their pre-paid masks from different machines, or on different days, in case their selected vending machine runs out of stock, or does not have the size they have on order.
Direct sales or payment will NOT be available at the vending machines.
Returns or exchanges of collected mask kits are not allowed for hygiene reasons.
Hotline and Email for Enquiries
Members of the public may visit stayprepared.sg/masks for more information on this latest MaskFit ProShield® free masks initiative.
The 1800-738-2000 hotline is open for queries about this mask collection from Monday 23 November to Sunday 13 December 2020, 9:00am to 9:00pm daily (except on public holidays).
Enquiries or feedback may also be emailed to staymasked@temasekfoundation.org.sg
Ensuring the Community Stays Prepared and Resilient during Phase 2 and Beyond
We are seeing record highs in huge second or third waves in USA, Europe and elsewhere. Some countries or cities with initial success in controlling the transmission of the virus are now experiencing a resurgence of cases. Others are warning of large fourth waves.
Singapore residents need to stay vigilant. Face masks remain a critical component of personal protection, along with hand hygiene and safe distancing, to help prevent a new wave.
Reusable masks are a useful and sustainable alternative to single-use disposable masks, which are highly pollutive if not disposed of correctly3. Switching from single-use to reusable masks will therefore greatly reduce the environmental impact and waste.
Almost 4.5 million single-use masks are discarded daily in Singapore4 in this pandemic.
Nearly 17 million free MaskSafe DET30™ reusable masks have been collected by Singapore residents, since the beginning of the #StayMasked exercise in June 2020. They help to replace over 500 million single-use masks, and reduce waste as well as waste incineration energy.
The overwhelming response to the first two distributions has encouraged Temasek Foundation to further extend our support to the community through this third nationwide distribution.
Mr Lim Boon Heng, Chairman, Temasek, said: “We continue to see huge waves of new cases elsewhere. Hence, we must remain vigilant and take great care to avoid outbreaks. Measures like safe distancing, hand hygiene and mask wearing remain important to not just protect ourselves, but also our community. With reusable antimicrobial masks, we can stay safe, and do our part for our planet and home. I hope the new reusable masks will give more options for residents to go about their lives safely and comfortably.”
Temasek Foundation thanks its partners for supporting this initiative that helps build community resilience. They include Land Transport Authority, Go-Ahead Singapore, SBS Transit, SMRT Corporation and Tower Transit for providing bus interchanges to place the vending machines; People’s Association for providing their venues and volunteers; SP Group for managing the hotline; generous donors such as DHL Singapore and others; DBS Bank, Maybank and OCBC Bank for enabling the cashless payment features; as well as town councils, various vendors and partners for their speedy response and execution.
Mr Lim Hock Chuan, Chief Executive, Temasek Foundation Ecosperity, added: “Staying prepared is not just a personal responsibility. It is also a collective undertaking. I want to add a big thank you to our corporate partners, sponsors, staff, and volunteers. They have enabled us to distribute millions of free reusable masks to our community in our ongoing fight against the pandemic. We continue to track the evolving global situation, and will work with our partners and the community to provide timely and robust responses where we can.”
Stay Prepared #StayMasked initiative
More than just protecting ourselves, we care for our friends and family, colleagues and strangers, when we put on a mask outside our homes. Wearing a face mask is a simple but effective way to reduce the spread of the virus, and keep our families and friends safe.
Temasek Foundation’s network of #StayMasked vending machines provide a safe and convenient to collect the free reusable masks with minimum contact. The high touch surfaces of the vending machines are coated with long lasting disinfectants.
The MaskSafe DET30™ reusable masks were the first series distributed under the Temasek Foundation Stay Prepared programme. The MaskFit ProShield® reusable masks are second.
Both series provide reusable masks to help reduce plastic waste from the extensive use of single-use disposable surgical masks. This enables us to reserve the use of surgical masks for the few occasions when we visit the clinics or hospitals.
Temasek Foundation COVID-19 initiatives
Over the past few months, Temasek Foundation has been working with multiple partners to provide support in and outside Singapore, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
An early initiative in Singapore to encourage hand hygiene was the #BYOBclean sanitiser initiative in March, where Temasek Foundation partnered People’s Association, corporates, unions, universities and community organisations to provide 500ml of hand sanitiser to every household in Singapore.
The third distribution of free reusable masks in November/December 2020 builds on the first two #StayMasked distribution in June/July and September/October. This provides protection at the individual and community level. Nationwide use of masks helps to reduce the risk of transmission to drive down the rate of secondary transmission. They may also help reduce the severity of illness by reducing the level of viral loads being emitted or breathed in.
Other community efforts in Singapore also included the setting up of web portal MyMentalHealth with specially-curated articles to encourage mindfulness and mental well-being during this stressful period; partnerships and funding to provide 414,000 meals in various meal support programmes to the vulnerable; distribution of about 1 million face shields to frontline workers including those in the F&B and hairdressing sector and the provision of care packs including oximeters, sanitisers and masks to various vulnerable community segments.
More recently, Temasek Foundation has also facilitated more than 200,000 swab tests for priority groups such as migrant workers, essential and frontline staff, stallholders, retail assistants and town council staff in our residential precincts to proactively and pre-emptively keep our community safe.
Besides taking care of our local community, Temasek recognises the need to ensure that communities beyond Singapore are well-equipped against this pandemic. Through Temasek Foundation, we contributed Personal Protection Equipment, ventilators and diagnostics such as test kits to healthcare partners in some 40 countries beyond Singapore.
Together with the World Food Programme and Singapore Airlines, we supported efforts to transport essential medical supplies and other health and humanitarian items to points of need around the world. In addition we also supported various food distribution initiatives together with our portfolio companies such as gategroup in the US and Zomato in India, to provide access to meals for the underserved communities that have been disrupted by COVID-19.
For more information about other Stay Prepared initiatives, please click here.
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For media enquiries, please contact:
Joshua Wong
Associate Director
Temasek Foundation
Mobile: 8180 0741
Email: joshuawong@temasekfoundation.org.sg
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About Temasek Foundation
Temasek Foundation supports a diverse range of programmes that uplift lives and communities in Singapore and beyond.
Temasek Foundation’s programmes are made possible through philanthropic endowments gifted by Temasek, as well as gifts and other contributions from other donors. These programmes strive towards achieving positive outcomes for individuals and communities now, and for generations to come.
Collectively, Temasek Foundation’s programmes strengthen social resilience, foster international exchange and regional capabilities, advance science, and protect the planet.
For more information, visit www.temasekfoundation.org.sg.
About Stay Prepared Programmes
Stay Prepared helps to prepare the Singapore community for emergencies like major accidents, natural disasters, pandemics, severe haze or terrorist attacks. It is supported by the Temasek Emergency Preparedness Fund, managed by Temasek Foundation.
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1 Saturday 28 November, 5 and 12 December: The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao
Sunday 29 November and 6, 13 December: Shin Min Daily News, Lianhe Wanbao, Berita Minggu and Tamil Murasu
2 Tested after 50 washes.
3 Source: Increased plastic pollution due to COVID-19 pandemic: Challenges and recommendations, taken from Chemical Engineering Journal (2020)
4 Source: Face mask and medical waste disposal during the novel COVID19 pandemic in Asia, Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering (2020)
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