SINGAPORE — Every local resident in Singapore will be able to collect a new type of reusable cloth mask, which the Government will be distributing at the end of this month, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing in a virtual interview on Wednesday (May 6).
This mask would be able to filter bacteria, unlike the ones distributed earlier in April before the start of the circuit breaker, which was meant to protect the wider community from the spread of the Covid-19 disease, said Professor Alfred Huan from research agency A*Star, who also joined the interview, which was held via the Zoom video conferencing platform.
Mr Chan said residents will be able to collect the masks at community centres and Residents’ Committee centres, or get them from vending machines.
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These additional distribution methods will allow everyone to have access to the masks without having to rush to collect them, he said.
More details on mask collection will be released closer to the end of May, he added.
Mr Chan said the Government had all along planned to distribute a second round of reusable masks, as reusable cloth masks are not “reusable for eternity”, even though they are a more sustainable option.
Hence, manufacturers have been constantly sourcing for new and better materials and A*Star was roped in to test the materials as part of a continuing process to research and improve the quality of the masks, he said.
In addition to the new filtration capabilities, Mr Chan added that this new batch of reusable masks will allow wearers to breathe better, so that they can wear them longer, though he reminded that no mask is 100 per cent foolproof.
Producing reusable face masks requires an optimal balance between breath-ability and filtration capabilities, he said.
Mr Chan declined to reveal the material used to make the new reusable masks, adding that it is “proprietary knowledge”.
“When this thing works, there will be demand for it and we want to make sure our supply lines are not disrupted,” he said.
Professor Huan, who is executive director of the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering at A*Star, said that the new masks can be washed for at least 20 times, with some being tested by up to 30 washes.
“At that point, it still retains sufficient efficacy in bacterial filtration,” he added.
When asked to compare the new masks with the ones distributed earlier, Mr Huan said the earlier version was focused on preventing community spread and is still useful in that aspect, but it was not tested for bacterial filtration.
He recommends wearers to wash the masks gently and the frequency of washing would depend on how often the new mask is being used and whether it was used in a crowded or open area.
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