Schools in an eastern China city were forced to suspend outdoor exercises after clouds of grey, ominous smog led the government to issue a "red alert" for dangerous air quality.
Officials in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, described the sun as the color of "salted egg yolk," Wednesday, after putrid smells and dark layers of smog settled upon the city. The quality of air became so dire that the government released a Code Red for the first time, which describes the surrounding air as "unhealthy," according to Reuters.
The northeastern city was shrouded in smog whose particulate matter levels reached a diameter of 2.5 micrometers, and a reading of 354. Anything above 300 is considered a hazardous smog level. The World Health Organization released a report earlier this year deeming any daily level above 20 unhealthy.
Meanwhile, in Shandong province's coastal city Qingdao, levels above 300 were logged, along with smog levels of PM2.5, according to local newspaper Peninsula Metropolis Daily.
Classes in primary and secondary schools were suspended in both cities. Qingdao also barred children from participating in outdoor activities and restricted the burning of garbage and leaves to those granted government-issued clearance only, according to local news agency Xinhua. Nanjing officials told the state-run media outlet that they were focusing on tightening up control of industrial pollutants.
The measures won't be lifted anytime soon, Reuters reported, since government officials in both cities expected the pollution would persist in the coming days.
Reports of the poor air quality come just shy of two months after the northern Chinese city of Harbin closed schools, airports and suspended certain bus routes due to heavy, choking smog. Many people were excused from work, as most were advised not to venture outdoors. Visibility was reduced to the length of a football field, and many reported experiencing severe health complications, including heightened asthma attacks.
