Air quality warning issued for New York City and parts of New Jersey

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality alert on Tuesday regarding ozone levels in New York City and other parts of the state.

“Children, older adults and people with heart or respiratory conditions should avoid strenuous and prolonged outdoor activities,” the city’s health department said in a statement on social media.

The warning is in effect in the city and the counties of Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Putnam until 11 p.m.

For more information, residents can call toll-free at 1800-535-1345.

A similar warning was given by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren.

The warning came nearly a year after New York City experienced dangerous air quality due to smoke from Canadian wildfires moving south.