Published7 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Sebastiao Moreira/EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockBy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsRed alerts have been issued for almost 3,000 towns and cities across Brazil, which have been experiencing an unprecedented heatwave. Rio de Janeiro recorded 42.5C on Sunday – a record for November – and high humidity on Tuesday meant that it felt like 58.5C, municipal authorities said.More than a hundred million people have been affected by the heat, which is expected to last until at least Friday.Officials have attributed it to the El Niño phenomenon and climate change.The city of São Paulo saw average temperatures of 37.3C on Tuesday afternoon, the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) reported. “I’m exhausted, it’s hard,” Riquelme da Silva, 22, told AFP news agency on the streets there. “When I get home, it’s cold water, otherwise I can’t even get up because I’m so tired. It’s even hard to sleep.”Dora, a 60-year-old street vendor, described the heat as “unbearable” for those who worked outside. Image source, ReutersInmet has issued red alerts for a large part of the country. These indicate that temperatures may be 5C above average for longer than five days and could pose a serious danger to health. The heatwave, which comes more than a month before the beginning of summer in the southern hemisphere, has seen Brazil’s energy consumption soar to record levels as people try to keep themselves cool. Inmet research released last week showed that the average temperature in the country had been above the historical average from July to October. Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more intense in many places around the world because of climate change.According to scientists, heatwaves are becoming longer and more intense in many places and this is expected to continue whilst humans keep releasing planet-warming greenhouse gases.Meanwhile, the Earth is currently in an El Niño weather phase, during which time global temperatures typically increase.Image source, AFPMore on this storyExtreme autumn heat sets up 2023 for recordPublished7 days agoStranded boats and dead fish: Amazon droughtPublished12 October

Published1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsMore than 60 children have been taken to hospital in Jamaica after eating sweets containing cannabis, the country’s education minister said. Fayval Williams wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the primary school pupils were from the St Ann’s Bay area – about 80km (50 miles) from the capital, Kingston. She said some children experienced vomiting and hallucinations.None are reported to be in a serious condition. “The doctors & nurses are doing all they can to ensure the students recover,” Ms Williams wrote on X, adding that several of the children had to be put on an intravenous (IV) drip. “One little boy said he only had ONE sweetie. That’s how potent this product is. DANGER!”Ms Williams said the children were from St Ann’s Bay Primary, but local news agencies have reported that students from the nearby Ocho Rios Primary School were affected. The children are thought to be between the ages of seven and 12. The principal of the latter school told the Jamaica Observer that a “lone vendor” had sold the sweets to its students. The head of the St Ann police department, Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, has urged the person or anyone with information about them to contact the authorities. Ms Williams posted photos of the product packaging which is thought to have contained the sweets, which specifies they are not to be sold to minors. Each is said to contain 100mg of the psychoactive substance Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is generally considered to be a high dose for an adult. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Delta-8 has “intoxicating effects”. The sweets, which are not FDA-approved, were produced by a company based in the US state of California, where cannabis is legal. Jamaica decriminalised the possession of small amounts of cannabis, also known as marijuana, for personal use in 2015. However, Health Minister Christopher Tufton told the Jamaica Star that the government did not allow the import of edibles containing drugs. The incident comes more than a week after around 90 children fell ill in South Africa after eating drug-laced muffins that officials said they had bought from a street vendor.More on this storyMen charged after ‘drug muffins’ sold to childrenPublished22 SeptemberJamaica decriminalises marijuana usePublished25 February 2015

Published37 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsA top US health official has warned the country is facing an epidemic of loneliness that is as dangerous to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.The Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, has released an advisory calling for social isolation to be treated as seriously as obesity or drug abuse. It warns that almost half of all Americans from all walks of life are thought to have been affected. Mr Murthy has also unveiled a national framework to rebuild social connection. Loneliness is reported to increase the risk of premature death by almost 30% – through health conditions including diabetes, heart attacks, insomnia and dementia. Lack of social connection is also linked to lower academic achievement and worse performance at work, according to the advisory. The issue has been exacerbated by the Covid pandemic, which led many people to reduce the size of their social circles.One study quoted in the report found a 16% decrease on average in the social network size of participants from June 2019 to June 2020.In order to tackle this, Mr Murthy has called for a collective effort to “to mend the social fabric of our nation” in order to “destigmatise loneliness and change our cultural and policy response to it”. His strategy has six pillars that include efforts to strengthen social infrastructure in communities, in part by utilising public health systems. The advisory calls for more “pro-connection public policies” that are developed with the help of a research agenda to help address gaps in the data surrounding the effects of social isolation. It also highlights the need for more data transparency from tech firms and a reform of digital environments. The advisory is part of the Biden administration’s broader efforts to address mental health, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday. May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the US. While the declaration is intended to increase awareness, no new promises of federal funding to combat the issue have so far been made. More on this storyThe ‘girl gang’ tackling loneliness in young women22 MarchUni students lonelier than other adults – study9 June 2022Black people more lonely than general population13 May 2022Over-60s with only virtual contact ‘more lonely’26 July 2021

Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPABy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsEuropean Union officials are “strongly” recommending that all member states insist on negative Covid tests from Chinese arrivals before they travel.Travel in and out of China gets easier from Sunday, as part of the scrapping of the “zero-Covid” policy.China is currently seeing a surge in Covid cases, with reports of hospitals and crematoriums being overwhelmed.Some EU countries have already introduced testing – despite earlier advice that it was “unjustified”. China under-representing Covid deaths, WHO warnsWednesday’s recommendation on negative tests came from the EU’s Integrated Political Crisis Response group (IPCR), a body made up of officials from the EU’s 27 governments.It also advised that:All passengers on flights to and from China wear face masksRandom testing of flights from China be introduced, andWastewater monitoring be conducted at airports.The recommendation comes a day after the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, said an “overwhelming” number of member states favoured restrictions on Chinese arrivals.France, Spain and Italy have already introduced testing – but others, such as Germany, had been monitoring the situation. England, outside the EU, requires pre-flight testing on China arrivals from Thursday.Despite the recommendation, it’s not known if an EU-wide policy will be introduced – but individual states can set their own policy.The advice from the IPCR is a change in tack from the body’s disease prevention agency, which last week advised against the introduction of mandatory Covid tests.The ECDC said testing was “unjustified”, given the high rates of vaccination in Europe, and that variants circulating in China were already in the European Union.The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said there was no evidence of new variants in China, despite the surge in cases. However, experts warned this could be due to a lack of testing and data. The WHO has also said that China was under-representing the true impact of Covid in the country – in part due to what they said was a “too narrow” definition of a Covid death. Beijing has confirmed only 22 deaths since December, which is at odds with data from analysts. The UK science data company Airfinity estimates there are more than two million Covid cases a day in China, and 14,700 deaths.The Chinese government suggested earlier this week that travel restrictions on Chinese arrivals are politically motivated – and has warned that it may retaliate.More on this storyDo restrictions on travel work against Covid?9 hours agoChina must share Covid data, says WHO30 December 2022Why are some places Covid-testing Chinese arrivals?29 December 2022

Published3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersBy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsThe World Health Organization has warned that China is under-representing the true impact of Covid in the country – in particular deaths.The removal of most restrictions last month has led to a surge in cases. But China has stopped publishing daily cases data, and has announced only 22 Covid deaths since December, using its own strict criteria.”We believe that definition [of a Covid death] is too narrow,” WHO emergencies director Dr Michael Ryan said.Dr Ryan said China’s figures “under-represent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, in terms of ICU admissions, and particularly in terms of deaths”.China last month changed its criteria for what constitutes a Covid death, meaning only those who die of respiratory illnesses are counted. This goes against WHO guidance, which encourages countries to count the number of excess deaths – how many more people die than would normally be expected based on death figures before the pandemic hit.Dr Ryan added that China had increased its engagement with the WHO in recent weeks, and said he looked forward to receiving “more comprehensive data.”But he also suggested individual health workers could report their own data and experiences.”We do not discourage doctors and nurses reporting these deaths and these cases,” Dr Ryan said. “We have an open approach to be able to record the actual impact of disease in society.”The UK science data company Airfinity estimates more than two million Covid cases a day in China, and 14,700 deaths.Since China abandoned key parts of its “zero-Covid” strategy almost a month ago, there have been reports of hospitals and crematoriums being overwhelmed.More than a dozen nations have introduced travel restrictions on travellers from China. Beijing has criticised these as politically motivated and threatened to retaliate.On Wednesday, the European Union issued new guidance “strongly” recommending that all member states introduce the requirement that passengers flying from China provide a negative Covid test before their departure. No new Covid variants have been detected in China, despite the surge in cases. However, the WHO has warned this could be due to a decrease in testing. The Chinese authorities have announced they are sending medical supplies to rural hospitals before an expected wave of coronavirus infections in the countryside – where vaccination rates are patchy. Dr Abdi Rahman Mahamud, director of the WHO’s alert and response coordination department, has warned China may see another wave of infections as families gather for China’s Lunar New Year in a few weeks – one of the country’s busiest travel periods. More on this storyChina must share Covid data, says WHO30 December 2022Covid test to be required for China arrivals in England31 December 2022France, Spain and others bring in China Covid tests30 December 2022

Published21 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsHong Kong is dropping almost all its Covid restrictions this week, following a similar move by mainland China.From Thursday, people arriving in the city – a special administrative region of China – will no longer have to do mandatory PCR tests.The vaccine pass system will also be scrapped – but compulsory masks in public places will continue. It is a dramatic move by the city, which once had some of the toughest restrictions in the world. Also being scrapped from Thursday is the rule that limits the number of people allowed to gather outside to 12. This was increased from four people in October as part of measures to begin reopening the city.From September: Hong Kong to end Covid hotel quarantine policyHong Kong’s leader, John Lee, cited high vaccine rates as one of the reasons for lifting restrictions. According to government figures, 93% of the population have had two vaccine doses, while more than 83% have received three.But only 64% of people over 80 – the most vulnerable age group – have had three doses.Unlike mainland China, which has developed its own vaccines, Hong Kong has also used mRNA vaccines – including the BioNTech jab made in Germany – that have been shown to be more effective.”Hong Kong has a sufficient amount of medicine to fight Covid, and healthcare workers have gained rich experience in facing the pandemic,” Mr Lee said on Wednesday.”The society has established a relatively extensive and overall anti-epidemic barrier.”Mr Lee added that instead of the vaccine pass, which has limited access to public places for unvaccinated since it was introduced in February, the city would take “more targeted measures” – including promoting vaccination for the elderly and children. More than 11,000 people have died with Covid in Hong Kong, according to official numbers, from more than 2.5m cases.Since the pandemic began, the city has largely followed mainland China’s lead in efforts to tackle the virus, including attempts to eliminate it with a “zero-Covid” strategy. This has been criticised by some residents and business owners – who said the policy damaged Hong Kong’s economy and international standing.The scrapping of the Hong Kong’s Covid restrictions comes weeks after mainland China made a similar move following landmark protests against the strict controls. On Monday and Tuesday, Beijing announced further plans to ease travel restrictions. Hong Kong has said that it will fully reopen its borders with the rest of China before mid-January.The mainland is currently experiencing a surge in cases, with reports suggesting hospitals are overwhelmed and elderly people are dying. Hong Kong is part of China and is governed by the “one country, two systems” principle, but Beijing has tightened control in recent years.Covid and Hong Kong’s cage menThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.More on this storyHong Kong shortens Covid hotel quarantine8 AugustChinese rush to book travel as Covid rules lifted1 day agoHow is China trying to beat its latest Covid surge?6 days agoHow is Hong Kong run?1 July

Published18 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsA top Chinese health official says he believes China is experiencing the first of three expected waves of Covid infections this winter. The country is seeing a surge in cases since the lifting of its most severe restrictions earlier this month. The latest official figures appear to show a relatively low number of new daily cases. However, there are concerns that these numbers are an underestimate due to a recent reduction in Covid testing. The government reported only 2,097 new daily cases on Sunday. Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou has said he believes the current spike in infections would run until mid-January, while the second wave would then be triggered by mass travel in January around the week-long Lunar New Year celebrations which begin on 21 January. Millions of people usually travel at this time to spend the holiday with family.The third surge in cases would run from late February to mid-March as people return to work after the holiday, Dr Wu said.He told a conference on Saturday that current vaccinations levels offered a certain level of protection against the surges and had resulted in a drop in the number of severe cases. Overall, China says more than 90% of its population has been fully vaccinated. However, less than half of people aged 80 and over have received three doses of vaccine. Elderly people are more likely to suffer severe Covid symptoms.China has developed and produced its own vaccines, which have been shown to be less effective at protecting people against serious Covid illness and death than the mRNA vaccines used in much of the rest of the world. Dr Wu’s comments come after a reputable US-based research institute reported earlier this week that it believed China could see over a million people die from Covid in 2023 following an explosion of cases. The government hasn’t officially reported any Covid deaths since 7 December, when restrictions were lifted following mass protests against its zero-Covid policy. That included an end to mass testing. However, there are anecdotal reports of deaths linked to Covid appearing in Beijing. Hospitals there and in other cities are struggling to cope with a surge, which has also hit postal and catering services hard.Meanwhile, China’s largest city, Shanghai, has ordered most of its schools to take classes online as cases soar.More on this storyHow is China tackling Covid?4 days agoChina abandons key parts of zero-Covid strategy7 December