Motor racing-Singapore Grand Prix entertainment may be curbed if haze worsens, FIA says

SINGAPORE, Oct 8 — There might be some restrictions on outdoor activity such as entertainment ​during this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix but not on the race, if the haze blanketing the country worsens, the motorsport governing FIA said on ‌Thursday.

Singapore has been shrouded in smoke for weeks, with air quality in the "unhealthy" range across the country, ⁠just a day ahead of the ​race weekend and during a busy week ⁠of conferences with regional, business, cryptocurrency and sports leaders descending on the ‌city-state.

Despite the pall from ‌Indonesia's most intense fires in over a decade, the haze and poor ⁠air quality are not expected to threaten ⁠track activity or the staging of the Formula One night race, said a spokesperson from the International Automobile Federation.

"Air quality levels are being monitored by the relevant local authorities, and appropriate contingency measures are in place," said the spokesperson.

The FIA did not give a threshold for when plans affecting ‌entertainment and other outdoor activity would be activated.

The spokesperson ​said they were following recommendations from local authorities and working closely with them to safeguard the health of F1 teams.

Singapore's tourism board said it was monitoring pollution levels and would inform those within the circuit of the latest haze developments and make medical assistance and N95 masks accessible on-site if required.

"In the event that haze causes visibility, public health or operational issues, ​the relevant agencies will work closely with Singapore GP to assess the situation before making ‌any collective decisions ‌regarding the ⁠event," the board said.

The Meteorological Service Singapore said rain is expected on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and would "help the haze situation", although prevailing winds may cause the haze to continue drifting towards Singapore over the next few days.

In 2019, when haze was ‌similarly in the unhealthy range ​during the Singapore Grand Prix, organisers had ‌first-aid help on standby and ⁠made N95 ​masks available to those who needed them.

(Reporting by Xinghui Kok; Editing by Sonali Paul and ​Ken Ferris)

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