Air quality in the city of around 10 million people has deteriorated markedly in recent days, and authorities said large construction projects had been asked to halt and checkpoints were being set up to test vehicle emissions. "It affects my daily life because every time I walk outside, my nose and neck feels irritated and when I cough, people get suspicious about whether I have COVID or not," said Bangkok resident Sarunya Poungsumdee. The global Air Quality Index's level rose above the 151 threshold into the unhealthy category across the city on Sunday, data from monitor AirVisual showed. "My concern has just doubled," said another resident, Pasarawadee Tankanit, in reference to the pollution spike on top of the risk of catching the coronavirus, adding that residents could not simply afford to rely on the government. Bangkok city spokesman Pongsakorn Kwanmuang on Tuesday also ordered schools to suspend outdoor activities and to close if they lacked sufficient air filtering, while a defence ministry spokesman said authorities would monitor factories.

Source: bd News24 December 15, 2020 11:26 UTC