City Issues Advisory as Air Quality Reaches Harmful Levels Due to Canada Wildfires

Once again, the city’s Health and Emergency Management departments issued an advisory as due to the wildfires in Canada, the air quality index in the city once again reached harmful levels: this Monday it reached 120 when the number of what is considered healthy is 50.

“Sometimes I wear a mask, but not all the time because here with a mask, because the heat is more frustrating,” said Edith González, a street vendor.

The alert was directed especially at risk groups such as children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with heart or respiratory problems.

They were advised to avoid being outside for long periods of time and to use masks such as the n95, which have a good ability to filter out harmful particles.

This, coupled with temperatures well over 90 degrees Fahrenheit – with humidity that makes it feel close to 100 – affects many, especially those who work outdoors. In addition, it is having an impact on their businesses.

“I think so, people are sometimes afraid, they are afraid to go out and, well, to experience something that, let’s say, was seen a few weeks ago, well, I think they are really scared,” said Isabel Rincón, another street vendor. “Yes, of course we have had to, for example, before we came earlier and now later, for the same reason, it is very humid and very hot.”

“If I don’t go out, then how am I going to feed my family, but that got like that because of the fires that were in Canada and that’s how I go out, whatever I am, I have to go out,” said José Félix Martínez. , also street vendor

The particles from the smoke from the fires are small enough to get into the lungs, causing coughing and eye irritation in the short term, and heart or respiratory problems in the long term.

That’s why when the air quality index reaches 150 or exceeds that number, all New Yorkers must take precautionary measures, not just the risk groups.

To keep up to date you can look at the website of NYC.gov/notifynyc since from the State they indicate that throughout the summer we will be seeing these changes in air quality.

2023-07-17 23:42:00
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