A boy holds his face mask tightly while crossing the street.

Visibility is very poor in Kuching city, as the division’s API reading reaches 164.
 

BLURRY SCENE: ‘Perahu tambang’ operators float languidly at the Kuching Waterfront as visibility remains poor in the city, with many of the buildings lining the waterfront covered in haze. At the time of the photo, the API reading was at an unhealthy 167. — Photo by Russell Ting

HEALTH HAZARD: A man wearing a facemask walks along the Kuching Waterfront with the State Legislative Assembly building shrouded in haze in the background. At the time of the photo, the API reading was at an unhealthy 167. Vendors in the city have started selling facemasks for as little as 60 sen each as an alternative to the pricier but more protective N95 mask. — Photo by Russell Ting

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE: Two secondary schoolgirls in Kuching wearing face masks as the haze situation hit the unhealthy level of 164 as at 5pm yesterday. The worst hit area yesterday was Samarahan, with an API reading of 184, while Sri Aman recorded 177. — Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING: Members of the public, especially children, senior citizens and those suffering from respiratory problems, have been strongly reminded to wear face masks if they have to go outdoors around this time.

State Health Department director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan emphasised that good face masks, upon being worn properly, could make a difference.

“Face masks are effective enough to filter smoke and particles present in the hazy air, preventing us from inhaling too much of it,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.

The haze situation has hit unhealthy levels, with Air Pollutant Index (API) reading for divisions across the state already within the unhealthy level of 101 to 200.

According to the Environment Department’s official portal, the API reading as at 5pm yesterday for Kuching was 164, while Sri Aman recorded a sharp rise from 165 to 177.

So far, Samarahan registered the worst level amongst all divisions, with a reading to 184 as at 4pm.

The situation is expected to persist for two more days before rain would bring in relief. Isolated thunderstorms are expected today’s afternoon in Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu, Kapit, Miri and Limbang, while other divisions may experience isolated rains.

On a related matter, Dr Zulkifli disclosed that there had not been any significant increase in admissions or clinic attendance by people suffering from asthma or other respiratory problems.

However, he strongly advised all, especially the sensitive groups, against unnecessary outdoor activities.

As for school-going children, he urged them to stay indoors as much as possible until the air quality improved.

An API reading of between 0-50 is categorised as good; 51-100 (moderate); 101-200 (unhealthy); 201-300 (very unhealthy); and 300 and above (hazardous).

Meanwhile state Education Department director Rakayah Madon said all outdoor activities in schools across the badly affected areas had been suspended, due to the deteriorating air quality.

“Still, no school has been closed yet, given that the situation has yet to warrant any shutdown.”

The department, Rakayah added, has issued circulars outlining the standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with the haze situation, to all schools across the state.

“Once API readings hit 200 and above, schools must close and they are required to report to respective district Education offices,” she said.

On the haze’s impact on aviation, Malaysia Airlines Sdn Bhd (MAB) senior airport manager Mohd Nadzim Hashim said some flights experienced short delays as at 3pm yesterday but barring that, all operations seemed normal.

“Some domestic flights (experiencing delays) were those flown by Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, involving 670 passengers. Generally, most flights were on schedule.”

Mohd Nadzim, however, said the haze condition on Thursday did cause significant disruption to air services.

“Six flights, which were supposed to arrive at Kuching International Airport on Thursday, had to divert to Sibu due to low visibility.

“The normal routines were disrupted with flight cancellations, rescheduling or delays for up to 12 hours,” he added.
Explaining further, Mohd Nadzim said the normal runway visual range to enable precise landing and take-off should be between 8,000m and 10,000m. However should the visibility drop below 550m, the runway would be closed and all operations suspended, he added.