Jakarta, Oct. 19 -- The Jakarta provincial government urged residents not to panic but to remain alert to smoke from forest and land fires affecting the capital.

Chico Hakim, a Jakarta governor's special adviser on social communications, said updates would rely on data from Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and urged residents to stay calm and alert.

Residents were also urged to check air quality through official channels of BMKG, the Ministry of Environment or the Jakarta Environmental Agency.

Residents were advised to wear N95 or KN95 masks outdoors. Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with respiratory or other underlying conditions should limit strenuous outdoor activity.

"Seek care at...