Residents of central and southern Taiwan are urged to remain indoors or wear masks when going outside because of poor air quality, which is expected to last for at least two days, the environmental agency said yesterday.
As of 11am yesterday, the air pollution index in the central, middle-south and southern areas of the country reached 110, 137 and 107 respectively; exceeding the national standard rate of 100, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said.
The three areas, situated on the leeward side of the Central Mountain Range, often experience poor air quality during winter and spring when there is less wind, said Chu Yu-chi (朱雨其), the head of the EPA’s Department of Environmental Monitoring and Information Management
The situation is expected to last for two to three days, if weather conditions remain unchanged, he said.
The elderly, children and people with allergies, cardiovascular diseases or asthma should refrain from outdoor activities and wear masks to avoid inhaling excessive amounts of particulate matter, he said.
The EPA suggested people use public transportation to help reduce vehicle emissions.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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