There's a warning from the Environmental Management Authority that the "Air Quality" level in Port of Spain, San Fernando and Point Lisas was registered as unhealthy.
00:00In a media release sent out by the Environment Management Authority earlier today said the air quality in Port of Spain, Point Lisas and San Fernando was at unhealthy levels based on its air quality monitoring station's recordings.
00:13It said the dust has driven up concentrations of particulate matter with the air quality index ranging between 164 and 177 at the affected monitoring stations.
00:24The EMA encourages members of the public to visit its website and social media pages for daily updates on air quality in TNT.
00:33Dr. Merson Nimrod said when the air pollution levels are high, it poses a threat to vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and people with respiratory or heart conditions.
00:44Some symptoms now, patients can present with itchy eyes, so sometimes you see patients, you know, feeling like very itchy eyes, it's roturing a lot, we saw increased lacrimation, we have patients who may start getting congestion, they may have like a runny nose.
01:04Some patients develop headache when the sinus becomes insane, so they have like a sinus headache, and for those patients who are with in the immunocompromised population, as we said, they may present with coughs, sometimes a mild sore throat, and then eventually check tightness, and if so, predisposed, they may develop either an asymptomatic attack or some patients may actually have lung infection.
01:32She is also advising the public to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from the harmful effects of Saharan dust.
01:40So if we have prevention as much as possible, we advise that you put on some sort of barrier if you must go out, so we have the mask before we would use the N95, some patients, depending again, may suffice with a surgical mask, and for patients with the eyes being exposed, you can sometimes put on, you know, with sunglasses if possible, to reduce the eye irritation,
02:09or for patients who use, you know, regular glasses.
02:12For those who can remain indoors, we want you to try to stay indoors between maybe 9 or 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the dust levels normally would peak, and you can see, you know, the decreased visibility, so it looks almost like it's going to rain, but it's not going to rain, it's really just the particles that you're seeing in front of you,
02:32than those patients, as I could see, indoor, or you can use, we say, air purifiers, if those are possible at home, sometimes air humidifiers, in terms of keeping the moisture of the air, keep your windows closed, keep your doors closed, as much as possible, until we actually have this particular phenomenon that would subside.
02:54However, there's good news, as Deputy Meteorologist at the Trinidad and Tobago Met Office, Mr. Barker says, by tonight, the atmosphere will be cleared, giving way to clear skies by tomorrow morning.
03:06Yeah, by tomorrow, there'll be much less concentration, because we do expect increasing moisture tomorrow as well, so you can have a bit more shower, the activity, and it will clear the atmosphere as well as well.
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