‘AIR POLLUTION SEASON’: The EPA said air pollution this spring has not been as bad as in previous years, due to closed factories in China as a result of COVID-19

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 08, 2020
By Lo Chi / Staff reporter

Many diseases have been linked to air pollution consisting of fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and people should protect themselves, a doctor said yesterday.

Physician Chiang Kun-chun (江坤俊), vice president of the Taoyuan-based Min-Sheng General Hospital, talked about the dangers of air pollution and how people can protect themselves at an event in Taipei’s Daan Forest Park (大安森林公園), which was organized by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).

The EPA has designated this year as “Sustainable Earth Year,” with a campaign to promote changing life habits at events throughout the year, and with the spring events focused on air quality.

“Air pollution season” in Taiwan is from October to March every year, EPA Deputy Minister Tsai Hung-te (蔡鴻德) said, adding that this spring has not been as bad as previous years, which he said was due to the suspended operations of factories in China due to an outbreak of COVID-19.    [FULL  STORY]