Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 11th December 2024
Good morning everyone. Well at long last has come with temperatures falling just below 0C in areas of the centre and north. However, although colder the temperatures are normal so far for this time of year. As such, unlike the situation in the north and north east of Spain, no low temperature or snow warnings have been raised in Portugal.
However, both the IPMA and Director General of Health have issued cold and health advice to help people, especially the most vulnerable groups such as young children and the elderly which has been echoed by the ANEPC and ourselves on social media. Please follow the advice especially when driving or carrying out physical work outdoors.
Portugal was lucky in that we only experienced relatively minor effects Storm Darragh which caused considerable damage and disruption in the UK resulting in two deaths. Winds of 150 km/h were recorded in Wales, bringing down transmission lines leaving thousands without power. The strong winds also affected France with gusts of up to 159 km/h recorded in Carteret, in La Manche. In Brittany, peaks of over 140 km/h were measured (Ouessant, Groix, Pointe du Raz, etc.). But the record was recorded in the Pyrénées-Orientales: 184 km/h.
A report that captured our attention yesterday, published by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) revealed that in 2022, no less than 240,000 people in Europe died due to a high concentration of fine particles in the air, namely PM2.5 — with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres. This was however less than the previous year and there is a decreasing trend since 2005. (See more in the following press release.)
As I mentioned on KissFM radio last Sunday, It is important to take extra steps to protect your property over the Christmas New Year period. Nothing can ruin the festive spirit faster than becoming a victim of crime. The good news is that many crimes are preventable.
What we are doing at Safe Communities Portugal to draw attention to this, is launching our Twelve Days of Christmas – Crime Prevention Campaign. Based on the song “Twelve Days of Christmas”, the campaign will feature crime prevention tips on our Facebook page starting December 14 (rather than the traditional start date which is December 25) and on Kiss FM Radio. Particularly important are taking common sense crime prevention measure, especially if you are taking a holiday and your property will be empty during this period.
In the lead up to Black Friday and Christmas we have seen an increase in scams/fraud. The main ones are criminals using the name of AT the Finances, EDP and now Social Services. Today Social Security is warning of a new SMS fraud attempt that encourages people to pay “supposed debts”. According to the state entity, the SMS circulates with the following information: ” Sender: Social Security; Entity: 11249; Reference: 506133385 and value: 1469.85 euros “, reads the alert published by Security on the website and social network X (ex-Twitter).
As with all these scams do not click on any links or reply. If you do and have given away personal data to the fraudster, which has resulted in the loss of money, then you should report it to police as soon as possible. We expect these sorts of scam will become more frequent in the lead up to the New Year.
Our team at Safe Communities wish you a safe week ahead.
News
Nearly 240,000 people died in Europe in 2022 due to fine particles in the air
In addition to deaths caused by exposure to fine particles, 70,000 deaths are attributable to exposure to ozone (O3) pollution, mainly due to road traffic and industrial activities.
Air pollution caused by fine particles killed 239,000 people in the European Union (EU) in 2022, a 5% drop in one year, according to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
“At least 239,000 deaths in the EU in 2022 are attributable to exposure to fine particle pollution above the WHO (World Health Organization) recommended concentration of 5 ug/m3,” the Copenhagen-based agency said in a statement.
Italy, Poland and Germany have the highest number of deaths due to fine particles (PM2.5 — with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres, equivalent to one thousandth of a millimetre).
The death toll across Europe is lower than in 2021, when fine particles, which penetrate deep into the lungs, caused the premature deaths of 253,000 people.
This is a confirmed trend: between 2005 and 2022, the number of deaths fell by 45%, the EEA welcomes, considering that this could make it possible to achieve the objective of reducing deaths by 55% by 2030, as foreseen in the EU’s “zero pollution” action plan.
In addition to deaths caused by exposure to fine particles, 70,000 deaths are attributable to exposure to ozone (O3) pollution, mainly due to road traffic and industrial activities.
As for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a gas produced mainly by vehicles and thermoelectric plants, it was responsible for 48,000 premature deaths.
The agency, which does not add up the death toll as it believes this would lead to double counting, stresses that air pollution remains the most significant environmental threat to the health of Europeans.
Scientists warn of risk of Dengue Mosquito in Portugal – Mosquito Alert App
There are an increasing number of mosquitoes of the Aedes albopictus species (which transmit viruses that cause infectious diseases such as dengue fever) in the districts of Lisbon and Faro.
Researchers from the Terra Associated Laboratory warned this Monday about the risks to public health posed by the presence of the ‘Aedes albopictus’ mosquito in Portugal, which can transmit viral diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika.
“The mere presence of these mosquitoes increases the risk of outbreaks of these diseases with direct implications for public health”, says scientist Hugo Osório, from the Terra Associated Laboratory, linked to the Universities of Lisbon and Coimbra, as quoted in a news item on the Terra website.
Invasive mosquitoes of that species transmit the viruses of those diseases if they are infected and their increased presence in Portugal, especially in the regions of Faro and Lisbon, has raised concerns.
Hugo Osório, also linked to the Institute of Environmental Health (ISAMB), explains in the news released today that the species ‘Aedes albopictus’ has a great capacity for adaptation, which facilitates its spread, especially in urban areas such as Lisbon and Faro, where ecological conditions and climatic factors favour its establishment and increase in populations.
César Capinha, also a member of the laboratory and researcher at the Centre for Geographical Studies (CEG), highlights that the establishment of ‘Aedes albopictus’ in the country and its “probable future expansion to other urban areas (…) was predictable”, taking into account “the favourable climatic conditions and (…) accidental dispersal associated with the movement of transport and goods”.
To minimize their proliferation, this researcher considers it crucial to take measures such as “avoiding the accumulation of water in containers that could serve as breeding grounds”, as well as “strengthening monitoring to prevent the introduction of invasive species and intensifying efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”, which he considers to be one of the main factors currently driving the redistribution of species.
The researcher also believes that “citizen science” can also be a “valuable tool”, by allowing the expansion of mosquitoes to be monitored, contributing to risk assessment and anticipation of possible outbreaks of the diseases they transmit.
With the Mosquito Alert app, available for download on the Play Store and App Store, anyone can photograph a mosquito and send the image. The information is analysed by experts from the National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge (INSA), who identify the species and confirm the location, returning the result.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details…
The Terra Associated Laboratory brings together more than 450 scientists from five research units at the Universities of Lisbon and Coimbra.
Note: Aedes albopictus has been reported in the following areas: Albania, Austria (not established to date), Belgium (not established to date), Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic (not established to date), France (including Corsica), Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy (including Sardinia, Sicily, Lampedusa, and other islands), Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands (not established to date), Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia (not established to date), Slovakia (not established to date), Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and Vatican City