Alert Urging People to Check Themselves for Coughs Remains in One State [Video]

Officials in Maine are urging people to monitor themselves for symptoms such as coughing as poor air quality persists across parts of the state on Monday from Canadian wildfires.

National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Greg Cornwell, who works at the Gray, Maine, office, told Newsweek that the smoke might dissipate from Maine on Tuesday but looks like it will return by Tuesday night.

Why It Matters

Experts and public health authorities have pointed to the increased frequency and distribution of air quality alerts as evidence of persistent and growing challenges posed by air pollution in the United States. Nearly half of Americans currently live in areas receiving failing grades for particulate or ozone pollution, according to the American Lung Association’s (ALA) “State of the Air” report.

Over the past few weeks, wildfire smoke from Canada has descended into the U.S. and further worsened the air quality in some states. Among them, Maine has been on high alert, with residents advised to monitor themselves for symptoms …