New York issues mask guidance amid Canada wildfire smoke, poor air quality

New York City officials on Tuesday night urged at-risk residents to wear high-quality masks outdoors as smoke blankets the city.

"If you are an older adult or have heart or breathing problems and need to be outside, wear a high-quality mask (e.g. N95 or KN95)," the office of Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement late Tuesday. The city also urged New Yorkers to stay indoors when possible.

Live updates: Canadian wildfire smoke brings dangerous air pollution to U.S.

"Currently, we are taking precautions out of an abundance of caution to protect New Yorkers’ health until we are able to get a better sense of future air quality reports," Adams said.

New York City's air quality early Wednesday was considered "very unhealthy," according to the U.S. Air Quality Index maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The city's AQI was 226 as of 12 a.m., a level that the EPA characterizes as Code Purple and signifies an elevated health risk for everyone.

Adams and other officials are set to give a news conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday outlining their safety recommendations. Smoke from Canadian fires is expected to engulf the city for several days, with officials warning that while conditions could improve Wednesday morning, they are expected to worsen by the afternoon and evening.

How dangerous is wildfire smoke and is it safe to breathe? Here's what we know

New York City officials on Tuesday night said that it was the first time in recent years — and possibly in decades — that the city was recommending that residents wear masks outdoors to protect against poor air quality.

The air quality in New York City is "historically bad," Adams press secretary Fabien Levy said in a text message.

Officials also continue to encourage vulnerable residents to wear high-quality masks in crowded indoor spaces as a form of protection against covid-19, although New York City has largely reduced its masking messages amid frustration with pandemic precautions. The city rolled back its indoor mask mandates for the coronavirus last year, and Adams in March called on business owners to encourage shoppers to remove their face masks indoors as a crime-prevention tactic.

Analysis: Why most of us should be wearing N95 masks

New York City's air quality early Wednesday was the second-worst in the United States, according to the EPA, trailing only the Susquehanna Valley region of Pennsylvania, which is near New York City and had an AQI of 272.

Other areas in the Northeast also had poor air quality and had triggered Code Purple under the EPA's monitoring system; Philadelphia's AQI was 217 and Lehigh Valley, Pa., had an AQI of 213.

Latest news: Smoke from Canadian wildfires is spreading south over much of the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, bringing dangerous air pollution to the United States. Follow live updates on the wildfires and the impact on air quality.

Where the wildfire smoke is the worst: Satellite imagery Tuesday evening showed smoke covering the Northeast and extending into the Carolinas. Air quality in New York City was particularly poor, and officials urged at-risk residents to wear high-quality masks outdoors. See photos from New York as smoke blankets the city.

Air Quality Index: The U.S. Air Quality Index is the EPA's index for measuring and reporting air quality. Here's an explanation of what Code Red, Code Purple and more mean and how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.