AFP, BEIJING: China’s capital issued its first ever red alert for pollution on Monday, as a new blanket of choking smog was projected to descend on the city.
From Tuesday morning, half of Beijing’s private cars will be ordered off the road, with an odd-even number plate system in force, and 30 percent of government vehicles also garaged.
High-polluting factories and construction sites will also have to cease operations, Beijing’s Environmental Protection Bureau said on its verified social media account, with fireworks and barbecues also banned.
“People should to the best of their ability reduce outdoor activities,” it said. “If you are engaging in outdoor activities you should wear a mask or take other protective measures.”
Kindergartens, primary and middle schools were urged to close, it added, without explicitly making the measures mandatory.
The red alert came a week after a thick grey haze shrouded the capital with concentrations of PM2.5, harmful microscopic particles that penetrate deep into the lungs, as high as 634 micrograms per cubic metre.