Many New Yorkers acted like Thursday was a normal late spring day, but officials warn smoke is likely to rise again.

new york –When I went outside on Thursday, I noticed a big difference from Wednesday.

could actually see George Washington Bridge and on the other side hudson river.

But don’t be fooled, officials say. Better visibility doesn’t mean better air quality.

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Ann Air quality warning It’s still there because of the smoke from the wildfires raging in Canada, but you wouldn’t have noticed it in Times Square.

Thursday’s traffic was normal, with few people wearing masks and the usual lineup, according to the Times Square Alliance.

“It was just too much smoke, so we went back to the hotel,” Manny Cordova, who was visiting from Puerto Rico, said.

He described Wednesday’s trip in an unsuccessful attempt to photograph the Statue of Liberty.

“I took the Staten Island Ferry back and forth trying to get a good photo, but it just wasn’t possible,” Cordova said.

But on Thursday, he said he felt more comfortable outside.

Near Columbus Circle, even more people wore masks…until they ran out.

“I don’t need this anymore. It’s sunny today, okay?” said Larry Gould of Manhattan.

View Alice Gaynor’s report

But officials say they’ll keep the masks on because the smoke isn’t over yet.

“New York State continues to experience poor air quality.” Governor Kathy Hochul Said.

East Elmhurst resident Shirley Watkins said she can still feel the effects of the smoky air even with a mask on.

“I had a headache and actually had a sinus problem,” she said.

She lives a stone’s throw from LaGuardia Airport and is concerned that smoke from Canada is exacerbating pollution from the airport and affecting her health.

“I think we’re kind of in the little hub right in the middle, surrounded by a lot of other factors,” she said.

“Black and dark-skinned communities across Queens are actually feeling the effects of climate change more than others,” said Queens Borough Mayor Donovan Richards.

He praised the city and state for distributing masks to five boroughs on Thursday, but initially found communication difficult.

“The reaction certainly felt flat on all levels. The population didn’t know exactly what was going to happen and I think a lot of the information was disseminated much later than I would have liked,” Richards said. said Mr.

The city hall announced on Tuesday that agencies had begun coordinating.

“We immediately started planning,” said Mayor Eric Adams.

The city’s guidelines have not changed since Wednesday. All city-sponsored outdoor events were canceled on Thursday, as were alternative parking lots, as both the city and state distributed masks across five districts.

With two big events coming up this weekend, the Puerto Rico Day Parade and the Governor’s Ball Music Festival, Adams said it’s too early to tell if they’ll still take place.

“I don’t know what will happen over the weekend. I’m looking forward to marching to the parade weather permitting. But this is a game time decision based on the wishes of both the doctor and the commissioner.” Advice to people We will continue to do that,” Adams said.

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CBS2 noticed that some people are dining outdoors on Thursdays, like a family in Sacramento, Calif., who spent Wednesday indoors.

“We changed our plans to go to the museum so we could stay indoors most of the time,” George Herman said.

However, other restaurants reported no al fresco dining.

Matt Spedan is the manager of Jin Ramen on the Upper West Side. He said he made many deliveries on Wednesday but ultimately lost revenue.

“Delivery charges are high, but they don’t cover in-store food and drink. So that’s pretty bad for a restaurant. I’m puzzled,” he said of Thursday operations.

“Restaurant is still recovering from the pandemic,” said Andrew Riggie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance. I hope,” he said. Or two. ”

Students in public schools have been transitioning to distance learning since Friday. This decision applies primarily to high school students. Elementary and junior high school students were scheduled to take a day off on Friday due to office work.