The National Environment Agency (NEA) will be recruiting 300 more officers to supplement its existing 850-strong team as it ramps up vector control efforts.

The strengthened workforce will enable NEA to be able to inspect double the number of premises in dengue clusters within a week, as well as conduct preventive surveillance checks in non-cluster areas.

Minister for Environment and Water resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan revealed this and other dengue prevention measures at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon at NEA's north-east regional office.

The NEA will also ask residents' permission to apply a new insecticide aerosol spray at dark and shady corners of their homes, where Aedes mosquitoes rest. NEA's chief executive Andrew Tan added that mosquito repellent will also be distributed to households. A total of 1.2 million units of repellent will be distributed to home owners between July and August, beginning with those who live in cluster areas. NEA is also working with the Education Ministry to distribute mosquito repellent to children in schools located within dengue clusters.