For the second consecutive day, students and staffof primary and secondary schools in Port of Spain were sent home early after classes were dismissed as pungent smoke continues to blanket the capital.
Twitter and Facebook lit up earlier todaywith messages posted by students "thanking" authorities for theextra days away from classes.
Several businesses in the city have also shut down operations today.Thehead office of the National Petroleum Marketing Company (NP), located inSea Lots, closed for a fourth consecutive day because oftoxic smoke.
Patrons of the National Library, located in downtown Port-of-Spain, were advised to use other facilities, as the smokeshut down operations for a second day.
There are many reports that several people in Port-of-Spain are wearing face masks, and are concerned about the health risks posed by inhaling the fumes.
However, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) saidthe latest air quality tests reveal that the toxicity levels have stabilised in the Port-of-Spain area.
National Operations Centre (NOC) summonedall relevant agencies to a media conference todiscuss the issue. Among the speakers at theconference werePort-of-SpainMayor Raymond Tim Kee, Office of DisasterPreparedness and Management (ODPM) head Stephen Ramroop, NOChead Garvin Heerah and Solid WasteManagementCompanyLimited (SWMCOL) chair Nalini Sooklal.