The New York State departments of Health (NYSDOH) and Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) have issued an air quality health advisory for most of the state today, July 17, due to the wildfires still burning in Canada. The Oswego County Health Department joins the state in urging residents to limit their exposure to potential pollutants.

“Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can cause short-term health effects such as irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath,” stated Dr. Christina Liepke, medical director for the Oswego County Health Department. “It can also worsen medical conditions such as asthma, COPD and heart disease. Children, the elderly, and people with heart or breathing problems may be particularly sensitive to this pollution. We ask residents to monitor those with underlying medical conditions for worsening signs and symptoms and seek medical care if needed.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Oswego County’s air quality is listed as “unhealthy for sensitive groups” with an index of 141 as of 11 a.m. At this level, residents may take into account the following safety precautions:

Those with heart and lung disease, older adults, children and teens should:

• Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
• Keep outdoor activities short.
• Consider moving physical activities indoors or re-scheduling them.

Otherwise, most people can:

• Choose less strenuous activities, like walking instead of running, so they’re not breathing as hard.
• Wait until the air quality improves to become active outdoors.

People may also want to consider wearing an KN-95 mask to help filter out smoke and ash particles from the air, keeping windows and doors closed to protect indoor air quality and using air purifiers or air conditioners with high efficiency filtration if available.

KN-95 masks are available for pick up at the Oswego County Health Department, 70 Bunner St., Oswego. Residents can come to the main entrance (Entrance B) on the west side of the building between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. There is a mask limit of two per person.

Health department staff delivered KN-95 masks to local municipal offices earlier this month. Residents can call their town or village clerk to find out if they have them available.

People can monitor the county’s air quality status at https://www.airnow.gov/?city=Oswego&state=NY&country=USA.