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Smoke forces suspension of school activities in Riau
Authorities in Dumai, Riau, have distributed free face masks and asked parents to pick up their children from school early because of air pollution.
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Smoke believed to be coming from wildfire forced six elementary schools in Dumai in the province of Riau to close early on Thursday. (JP/Severianus Endi)
Dumai Health Agency head Faisal said health concerns had pushed his team to stop school activities earlier than usual after thousands of residents in Dumai had become sick from the polluted air.
The affected schools include state elementary schools SDN 13, SDN 14, SDN 17 Buluh Kasap and SDN 5 Karang Anyer.
“This morning, [the smoke] was indeed thick, which is why many students were sent home,” Faisal said on Thursday.
He said school officials were obligated to call the parents to pick up their children and ensure their safety until they reach home.
To mitigate the pollution hazard, Faisal said he had instructed local health centers to distribute free face masks and advise students to avoid outdoor activities during the hazy period.
As of Thursday, the health agency had distributed around 38,000 masks to the public, particularly for kindergarten and elementary school students.
However, the agency has yet to officially declare a holiday over the smoke, as air pollution standard index (ISPU) readings varied from one place to another.
As a result, some schools are still open despite some pollution.
“Because [the smoke] is carried by the wind, there is no way to be sure when the thickness [of the smoke] might increase until the ISPU indicates an unhealthy or even dangerous level,” Faisal said.
He added that health problems typically occurred when the ISPU measurements reached the “red level” (unhealthy) to “black level” (dangerous).
From Feb. 12-16, the health agency recorded 1,081 cases of smoke-related illnesses, mostly in patients below 20 years of age. (mai)
