Press Contact: Matthai Chakko, (510) 981-7008WITH AIR QUALITY “VERY UNHEALTHY,” CITY SERVICES IMPACTED
Everyone should stay indoors, but children, elderly, pregnant and those with respiratory or cardiac issues should take particular care
Berkeley, California (Friday, September 11, 2020) - The City on Friday, Sept. 11 is curtailing refuse pickup and other services requiring outdoor work to follow federal and City Health Officer guidelines regarding the current very unhealthy air quality.
This work is being scheduled and prioritized for when air quality is better, typically in the mornings. Residents and businesses should be aware of the following impacts:
- Pickup of waste, recycling and compost were stopped on Friday, but will resume Saturday morning, assuming air quality improves. Residents should keep bins out until they are picked up.
- The City's Transfer Station will be closed Friday.
- The Recycling Center, which is operated by a contractor next to the Transfer Station, has also shut down operations for Friday.
These steps are being taken in light of recommendations that follow federal guidelines based on the EPA's Air Quality Index. These recommendations are being reiterated by Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, the City of Berkeley's Health Officer. Air quality measurements in Berkeley reached 226 on Thursday and 231 on Friday, levels the EPA deems "very unhealthy"."
Everyone should take precautions
Everyone may experience serious health effects when air quality is over 200. Move activities indoors or reschedule to a time when air quality is better. Concerns are urgent for children, pregnant people, the elderly and those with cardiac or respiratory issues.
For more information and to see how recommendations change based on air quality levels, use the City's public health-guided information at www.cityofberkeley.info/airquality. Both baaqmd.gov or airnow.gov are good regional and national resources.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has already issued advisories through Monday Sept. 14. Contact your health care provider if you experience the following symptoms:
- Repeated coughing
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness or pain
- Palpitations
- Nausea or unusual fatigue
- Lightheadedness
As always, if you or someone you know is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Stay indoors; medical masks should be used with medical guidance
N95 respirators are not a substitute for staying indoors.
Using masks is a personal decision that should be made in consultation with one's medical provider. The lack of a professional fitting, improper storage and wearing it incorrectly are factors that can make masks ineffective. Because masks increase the carbon dioxide levels inside the mask, some health conditions are worsened by wearing them. Consult your doctor.
N95 masks may be in short supply as frontline healthcare workers use them during the pandemic.
Cloth face coverings used to slow the spread of COVID-19 offer little protection against harmful air pollutants in wildfire smoke because these coverings do not capture most small smoke particles, according to the CDC.
The City of Berkeley Public Health will continue to monitor conditions.
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