Travelers cautioned over smog<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (Agencies): The United States and Britain have
\ncautioned travelers to parts of Southeast Asia hit by an
\nunprecedented haze crisis.<\/p>\n
The pollution, which has spread north all the way to the Thai
\nresort of Phuket and northeast to the Philippines, has been
\ndirectly linked to various health problems.<\/p>\n
The U.S. State Department cautioned Wednesday U.S. citizens
\ntraveling to Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia that air
\npollution had reached unhealthy levels.<\/p>\n
Pollution in affected parts of Indonesia -- southern Sumatra,
\nKalimantan, southern Irian Jaya and Sulawesi -- was classified as
\n\"very unhealthy\" to \"dangerous\", the department said.<\/p>\n
But it said the capital Jakarta and popular tourist spots like
\nBali were not affected.<\/p>\n
The State Department said it had authorized the temporary
\ndeparture of official U.S. government employees and dependents
\nexperiencing health problems because of the air pollution.<\/p>\n
Travelers to affected regions of Indonesia needed to keep in
\nmind that regional airports were often shut because of the haze
\nassociated with the fires, and overland travel might also be
\ndangerous, the department said.<\/p>\n
The British Foreign Office has advised its nationals heading
\nto Malaysia to use precaution in light of the haze.<\/p>\n
It warned travelers with respiratory or heart problems to seek
\nmedical advice.<\/p>\n
\"All visitors should limit outdoor and physical activity,\" a
\nspokesman said. \"We advise the would-be travelers to consult a
\ndoctor if they suffer from chest ailments.\"<\/p>\n
Leading British travel agent Thomas Cook said it was refusing
\nto take new bookings for holidays in affected areas.<\/p>\n
German tour operators also canceled yesterday trips to
\nSoutheast Asian countries affected by the haze.<\/p>\n
Meier's Weltreisen, which operates from the western city of
\nDusseldorf, called off a flight to Borneo scheduled for next week
\nwhile TUI, Germany's principal tour operator, gives tourists a
\nchoice of alternative destinations.<\/p>\n
Many of the fires have been blamed on forestry and plantation
\ncompanies and small farmers using slash-and-burn methods to clear
\nland ahead of the monsoon rains -- which are delayed this year by
\nthe El Nino weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/travelers-cautioned-over-smog-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}