The Health Environment Management Agency under the Ministry of Health has proposed allowing students, mainly kindergarteners and elementary school students, to stay home if air quality indexes reach dangerous levels for three consecutive days.

If they must attend classes, schools should avoid offering outdoor activities on days with poor air quality, the Vietnam News Agency reported, citing the agency.

The agency reports that residents in several cities and provinces across Vietnam are currently exposed to unhealthy air, posing a significant threat to the well-being of individuals, particularly children and those with underlying health conditions.

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution raises the high risks of respiratory diseases, pneumonia, asthma, heart attack, stroke, and cancer.

Exposure to dirty air is associated with skin diseases, itchy eyes, and negative impacts on the immune and nervous systems.

The Vietnamese agency has issued guidelines on how to protect residents from air pollution. 

The agency told local authorities to keep a close watch on air quality on the websites of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as well as their provincial and municipal departments of natural resources and environment in order to adopt prompt and effective measures in the fight against air pollution.

Residents should wear high-quality face masks and eyeglasses when they go outdoors, and should frequently clean their homes.

They are also advised to restrict the use of charcoal-fueled ovens and wood-burning stoves. Instead, residents should use electric stoves and induction cookers. 

Air quality and its impact on public health are assessed via air quality index (AQI), which ranges from 0 to 500, where high index values indicate higher levels of air pollution and higher potential for adverse health effects.

When the index reaches a hazardous level, from 301 to 500, the general public should avoid outdoor activities and shut doors and windows in order to limit exposure to air pollutants.

People in sensitive groups should have their health monitored frequently.

If they show some symptoms of shortness of breath, coughing, and fever, they should be rushed to a healthcare center for a medical checkup and treatment.

If the AQI measures from 101 to 150, classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups, the general public should reduce their time of outdoor activities, while avoiding areas that tend to be exceptionally polluted such as on roads with dense traffic flow and in construction areas.

Students may engage in outdoor activities, but they should restrict outdoor exercise.

Sensitive people should stay indoors and increase their rest time.

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