Families in Kuching postpone holidays and outdoor plans as Sarawak’s haze situation deteriorates, with Serian recording API of 412.
KUCHING: The worsening haze situation in Sarawak since yesterday has seen some families opting to limit outdoor activities and spend more time at home to prioritise safeguarding their health.
A Bernama survey around the city found that several tourist hotspots were quieter than usual due to the worsening haze, with members of the public taking precautions by wearing face masks when outdoors.
Thirty-eight-year-old private-sector clerk Crisdazender Ganchi said she had decided to stay home throughout the school holidays after all three of her children, who have asthma, were found to be highly sensitive to polluted air.
She said that she was more cautious about her children’s health after one of them was previously hospitalised with a lung infection.
“I’m spending time with my children at home the school holidays, and limiting outdoor activities.
I want to make sure they are safe and not exposed to the haze,” she told Bernama here today.
Meanwhile, civil servant Ronnie Macson, 39, said his family had to postpone their plans for a holiday in Damai after the haze situation worsened.
“We actually planned to go on a beach holliday, but when the haze became worse yesterday, we decided to postpone the trip,” he said.
Forty-two-year-old private university lecturer Emilda Richie said her family only went out for important matters, such as buying necessities at the supermarket, before returning home immediately.
According to the Department of Environment (DOE)’s Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) portal, hazardous-level Air Pollutant Index (API) readings were recorded in Serian (412), Samarahan (332) and Kuching (304) as of 12.30 pm today.
Sri Aman, meanwhile, recorded a very unhealthy API reading of 228.
An API reading of zero to 50 indicates good air quality, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy) and above 300 (hazardous).
