Shanghai bans outdoor activity for kids due to pollution

Last week, hazardous pollution levels in Beijing triggered the capital’s first “red alert,” meaning vehicles were ordered off the roads, classes were cancelled and heavy vehicles banned. Shanghai’s heavy smog arrived just a day before the city hosts the closely-watched World Internet Conference, which will include a speech by President Xi Jinping. Attendees are expected to include global tech industry titans and the leaders of countries such as Russia and Pakistan. 

On Tuesday, a curtain of grey smog fell over Shanghai, China’s business capital with a population of over 20 million. It limited visibility and drove the city’s air quality index (AQI) above 300, a level deemed “hazardous” on most scales and which can have a long-term impact on health.

The levels of PM 2.5, dangerous tiny pollutants, hit 281, the highest since mid-January, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of State. PM 2.5 particles are a major cause of asthma and respiratory diseases, experts say.

The smog prompted Shanghai authorities to issue a “yellow alert,” the third-highest level warning, and to advise elderly, young and sick residents to remain at home, avoid outdoor activity and keep the windows closed.