With air quality continuing to worsen in the Chicago area, a variety of events have been canceled or moved indoors for the safety of attendees.
The Chicago Park District canceled their “Movies in the Park” event for Tuesday night because of the weather, according to officials.
The district also says they are working to “move programs, including summer camps, indoors to the fullest extent possible.”
Earlier in the day, officials in Evanston announced that they were closing the city’s beaches because of the poor air quality.
In addition, Evanston announced that their Starlight Concert event for Tuesday night had been canceled because of the conditions.
In Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art’s ‘Tuesdays on the Terrace’ concert was moved inside, with limited seating available beginning at 4:30 p.m.
As of 2 p.m., Chicago’s Air Quality Index had risen to 250, with “very unhealthy” conditions gripping the area.
Residents with preexisting health conditions, including heart or lung diseases, are encouraged to avoid outdoor air exposure, and even healthy adults are urged to limit outdoor activity at this time, according to officials.
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Residents are also encouraged to wear N95 or KN95 masks while outdoors at this time.
According to researchers at Northwestern, 24 hours of exposure to this hazardous of air is equivalent to smoking half-a-pack of cigarettes.
