NEW YORK (PIX11) — A number of high-profile events happening around New York and the surrounding area face cancellations — from the Governor’s Ball Music Festival to the Belmont Stakes, due to concerns about unhealthy air quality.
Although the air quality is improving each day, wildfire smoke from Canada continues to blanket the tri-state area.
The New York State Gaming Association ordered Belmont Park to cancel all races Thursday.
The Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, could be affected if conditions don’t improve by Saturday, said Gov. Kathy Hochul.
200 is the Environmental Protection Agency benchmark for unhealthy air. If the air quality is measured at 150 to 200, only horses that pass an additional pre-race veterinary examination will be permitted to race.
Also up in the air, is the highly anticipated Governor’s Ball, but it’s likely it will start on time Friday. A tweet from the music festival’s official Twitter on Thursday stated:
“We’re closely monitoring the Air Quality with weather experts and are in close contact with city officials. As always, the health and safety of New Yorkers is our top priority. At this time, the festival is continued as planned. We are hopeful that conditions will improve in the coming days and are looking forward to a great weekend.”
The governor and mayor continue to face criticism that they could have done more sooner, including better communication and mask distribution.
But the mayor brushed off any suggestion his administration did not put out alerts in a timely manner, calling the smoke event unprecedented.
