Proposal to let students stay home from school if Hanoi's air pollution is at hazardous levels for 3 consecutive days

The Ministry of Health recommends that preschool and primary schools should be considered for closure if the air quality index is at a hazardous level for three consecutive days.

The above information is stated in the document on recommendations for preventing and controlling the effects of air pollution on health issued by the Department of Environmental Health Management on January 7th.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Health recommends that when air quality reaches hazardous levels (301–500) for three consecutive days, kindergartens, nurseries, and primary schools may consider suspending classes. "If attending school is unavoidable, outdoor activities should be avoided, replaced with indoor activities, or class times should be adjusted accordingly," the Ministry of Health noted.

The Ministry of Health also advises sensitive individuals to avoid all outdoor activities and switch to indoor activities. They should also close windows and doors to limit exposure to pollutants, monitor their health, and if acute symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, or fever appear, they should immediately go to medical facilities for examination, consultation, and treatment.

At other levels, sensitive groups should reduce or limit outdoor activities to avoid exposure to air pollutants.

This warning is issued in the context of increasing air pollution in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and neighboring provinces in recent days. At times, the air quality index has reached bad and very bad levels, with Hanoi becoming the most polluted city in the world .

To proactively protect public health, the Ministry of Health has also introduced many measures to prevent and combat the effects of air pollution on health. This helps people, especially those sensitive to air pollutants such as children, pregnant women, people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and the elderly, to have basic knowledge in implementing preventive measures to protect their health.

Source: https://pnvnweb.dev.cnnd.vn/de-xuat-cho-hoc-sinh-nghi-hoc-neu-o-nhiem-khong-khi-ha-noi-o-muc-nguy-hai-lien-tiep-3-ngay-20250107190346546.htm