People in dust-affected areas advised to avoid outdoor activities

BANGKOK, January 15 (TNA) - In response to the problem of heavy smog from dust spreading in several areas in Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health advises that people not to panic, but carry on their ways of life as usual, while those living in critical dust-affected areas should avoid outdoor activities until the situation improves. A team of senior officials from the Ministry of Public Health, including Dr. Supakit Sirilak, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health, Dr. Panpimol Wipulakorn, Director-General of the Department of Health and representatives of the Pollution Control Department, as well as the Health Department under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), made the advice at a press conference held at the ministry on outskirts of Bangkok on Tuesday. Dr. Supakit stressed that people should be well-aware, but should not panic over the problem of the spreading dust or particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), which is exceeding the safe standard level of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air in several areas, because they can safely protect themselves by only avoid outdoor activities in "red" or critical dust-affected areas, announced by authorities, until the situation improves. Dr. Supakit and Dr. Panpimol suggested that only people of some vulnerable groups, namely those with respiratory, heart and vascular diseases, asthma, allergy, children, the elderly and pregnant women, as well as healthy people who need to stay outdoor in critical dust-affected areas for more than half an hour wear face masks. Dr. Supakit and Dr. Panpimol said that a person who properly wears either an N95 face mask, normally used by a well-trained medical staff member, or two ordinary face masks enclosed with two folds of clean tissue paper can safely protect themselves from the hazardous dust, warning that an improper use of any N95 face mask, on the other hand, cannot protect a person from the hazardous smog and their wearing times should not be longer than half an hour each. Dr. Panpimol advised people, particularly those in "red" areas, to closely follow up the updated situation and carefully watch out their health, acknowledging that a team of officials from her department and other relevant agencies will visit people and students at communities and schools to provide them with proper information on how to protect themselves from the hazardous dust. The Department of Disease Control reported, however, that there have been no new patients from the hazardous dust in Greater Bangkok so far, after the latest record of 364 patients during August-December 2018. Meanwhile, the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, announced to launch its artificial rainmaking operations until January 18 or later to help ease the problem of the hazardous dust, with a war room to be also opened on January 16 to closely monitor and evaluate the updated situation, as well as to timely order appropriate operations in targeted areas. (TNA)