Due to smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada, state and local officials have urged caution about outdoor activities because of air quality in our region. With this in mind, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality and Outdoor Activity Guidance for Schools is linked here for your reference.

According to the Monroe County Health Department, as of Wednesday morning, June 7, our area is expected to be in the orange or red categories listed on the Air Quality and Outdoor Activity Guidance chart. These poor air quality conditions are likely to continue throughout the rest of today and into Thursday. Please take precautions if you are going to be outside for any length of time.

BOCES 2 continues to monitor the situation and follow guidance from the New York State Education Department and the New York State Department of Health.

Here are some things to keep in mind during this unusual situation:

•    Vulnerable individuals, including children under 18, adults 65 and older, and those with cardiovascular disease (e.g., congestive heart failure, history of prior heart attack) or lung disease (e.g., asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) should avoid exposure to the outdoors where Air Quality is designated Unhealthy or worse (AQI >150 https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/ ).  
•    When AQI is >150, Outdoor physical activity should be limited or minimized, where possible.
•    It is important to be well hydrated.
•    For those who should or want to reduce their exposure to fine particulate matter when out of doors, the masks we are all familiar with will do the job. These should be properly fitting, and the higher the quality the better, as we all know. But a good mask will not hurt.
•    That said, those most vulnerable to this kind of pollution and fine particulate matter should not be exerting themselves outdoors, whether wearing a mask or not.