Canberra air quality improves on Monday, but smoke haze to return as emergency masks arrive
Authorities are set to begin distributing 100,000 air masks across Canberra from an emergency stockpile as a thick smoke haze is forecast to return.
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Canberra woke to relatively clear skies on Monday morning as authorities scramble to distribute 100,000 face masks from an emergency stockpile amid fears conditions may again deteriorate.
On Sunday, the national capital was blanketed in a thick haze and had the worst air quality of any city in the world, with the official air quality index reaching more than 4400 at the Florey air quality station in Belconnen, west of the city centre.
A reading of 200 is considered “hazardous”.
By Monday morning, the official reading in the city centre had hit 1400 and was falling, and visibility had returned to normal.
By contrast, the notoriously-polluted Indian capital city of New Delhi had an air quality reading of 266 this morning, Australian Time, while Beijing had a reading of 152.
Air was deemed so hazardous to health that the ACT Brumbies relocated their training base from Canberra to Newcastle ahead of the start of Super Rugby, and the Canberra Raiders confirmed its squad would relocate to the Sunshine Coast on Thursday.
Despite improved conditions, ACT chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman warned air pollution levels in Canberra remained “very, very high”.
“The best advice is that people need to stay indoors when those levels are very high,” Dr Coleman told ABC radio.
Dr Coleman has been continuously briefing the ACT government and is also expected to meet with Opposition Leader Alistair Coe on Monday.
Stocks of masks have repeatedly sold out at pharmacists and hardware stores over the past week.
The ACT Emergency Services Agency reported a barrage of calls to Canberra Hospitals and medical clinics from people wanting access to the 100,000 masks released from the Commonwealth Government’s emergency stockpile.
“Work is continuing on how the masks will be made available to the more vulnerable people in our community who are particularly sensitive to smoky conditions and those who are unable to avoid prolonged outdoor exposure,” the agency said in a statement.
Authorities will begin distributing masks from the emergency stockpile on Tuesday morning.
Local pools remained closed on Monday amid concerns for the health of lifeguards.
The Australian National University, the University of Canberra, and many major tourist attractions, including the National Gallery of Australia were also closed.
The gallery said it was concerned about the health of staff and visitors, as well as potential damage to sensitive and valuable artworks.
Bureaucrats in non-essential roles at the Australian Border Force and Home Affairs were told to stay home on Monday and Tuesday “due to air quality issues”.
Some Health Department staff have been shifted from their usual offices and staff at other government departments have been told they can work from home.
The smoke haze is expected to increase on Tuesday and Wednesday as winds shift southwest and blow in smoke from the Admaminaby Complex, Doubtful Gap Trail and Dunns Rd fires burning in the Snowy Mountains.