New York’s essential workers bear the brunt of poor air quality from wildfires

Many bicycle delivery workers have no choice but to work as smoke from Canada’s wildfires has made New York City air quality the worst in the world. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Thousands of essential workers have had no choice but to work through the hazardous air from Canada’s raging wildfires that have triggered air quality alerts across the north-east US.

“We cannot afford not to go out to work,” said Antonio Solis, a delivery app worker and organizer with Los Deliveristas Unidos in New York City. “Because of this necessity, we’re forced to go out to work and take the risks.”