From 8pm on Friday, half of Beijing’s private cars will be ordered off the road, with an odd-even number plate system in force, according to a notice posted on the official website of the Beijing municipal government.
Construction sites will be closed, and some industrial plants and enterprises will limit or stop production, the notice added.
The alert came on a rare blue sky day in the city.
“Enterprises and public institutions can adjust office time or ask employees to telecommute,” the notice said.
“Kindergartens, primary and middle schools can work on flexible teaching schedules or close.”
A red alert, issued when severe smog is expected to last more than 72 hours, is the highest of Beijing’s four-tiered, colour-coded warning system.
