Smoked out in Lodi
Poor air quality leads valley agency to issue health alert
Ominous. Eerie. Apocalyptic. Just another summer day in the valley.
Smoke from raging wildfires and dust whipped up by high winds blocked out the sun in Lodi on Wednesday, casting a dark pall over the city and sending citizens indoors to escape the poor air quality.
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District had issued an air quality alert on Monday, urging residents in eight counties to remain indoors due to smoke impacts from the California wildfires raging in the north part of the state.
The district said elevated particulate matter and gusty winds will bring dusty conditions that can pose health concerns to San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kings counties.
The alert and health caution will remain in effect until all nine fires currently raging are extinguished, the district said.
Particulate matter, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is a term for the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Found in wood smoke, it is smaller than a human hair and is not visible to the eye.
According to the Valley Air District’s Real-time Air Advisory Network, the amount of particulate matter in Lodi’s air was the highest at 11 a.m. Wednesday, at 113 micrograms per cubic meter.
In “normal” air conditions, particulate matter levels should be between 12 and 15 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the EPA.
The Valley Air District predicted Thursday’s air quality to contain 95 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter.
Particulate matter can trigger asthma attacks, aggravate chronic bronchitis and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Individuals with heart or lung disease should follow their doctor’s advice for dealing with episodes of PM exposure, the district said.
Those with respiratory con
istrator whose pay is docked as punishment for requiring masks.
Biden noted that vaccine requirements “have been around for decades” and long protected Americans from a host of viruses. He urged the private sector to go further in requiring workers to be vaccinated, saying that the country’s continued economic recovery depends heavily on its ability to get the pandemic under control.
“It’s time for employers to stand up,” the president said. “Do the right thing for your employees.”
Ahead of Biden’s remarks, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the plan for booster shots, explaining why a third shot would be necessary.
“Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among people who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout,” according to a statement issued by Biden administration health officials. “For that reason, we conclude that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.”
Boosters will not be rolled out until they receive expected authorization by the Food and Drug Administration, which is evaluating the effectiveness and safety of the supplemental shots, the statement said.
The initial round of boosters will be given to health care workers and nursing home residents, who were among the first to be vaccinated.
Health officials said they expect boosters will also be needed for those who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
That vaccine did not roll out until March, and Biden administration officials said more data were needed to assess when those shots might be necessary.
“Our top priority remains staying ahead of the virus and protecting the American people from COVID-19 with safe, effective and long-lasting vaccines especially in the context of a constantly changing virus,” the statement said.
The medical community is not entirely convinced vaccinated adults need a booster shot.
Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease expert at Bellevue Hospital in New
York City, said on Twitter that she did not understand the urgency of deploying booster shots because data have shown that COVID-19 vaccines continue to be effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths. Rather than starting a widespread booster campaign, she said, it would be more effective to focus on giving boosters to those who have weakened immune systems, nursing home residents and those older than 80.
Health experts have said the Biden administration would be better off improving overall vaccination rates in the U.S. and abroad. Such a campaign has the best chance of beating back the virus and preventing it from mutating, they have argued.