hotspots | Common News Update

Nov112020 by adminNo Comments

Study: 311 calls may predict opioid overdose hotspots

Health

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Call volumes to 311 -- used by many cities to report non-emergency issues -- for nuisance code violations accurately predicted future opioid overdose hotspots more than 90% of the time, a study published Wednesday by Scientific Reports found. Residents of neighborhoods with high rates of opioid-related overdoses make more calls to non-emergency hotlines reporting code violations, abandoned vehicles, darkened streetlights and other public nuisances, according to researchers. Advertisement Similarly, calls regarding public health problems -- including pest management and unsanitary conditions due to animals -- and streetlight outages were accurate predictors of future overdose hotspots more than 80% of the time, the data showed. The findings are based on an analysis of 311 ...

May42020 by adminNo Comments

European virus hotspots see record lows in numbers of new cases

World

Some countries are preparing to ease coronavirus restrictions after record lows in the numbers of new cases.France, Italy and Spain have registered the lowest daily death tolls for weeks: France reported 135 deaths; Spain's 164 was the lowest figure since mid-March; and Italy's 174 was the lowest in two months. In Italy, which had some of the world's most severe restrictions, one of the first steps towards normal life comes today, with the reopening of parks and public gardens. ...

Apr112020 by adminNo Comments

Rural areas may be ’emerging hotspots’ for COVID-19, CDC figures suggest

Health

April 10 (UPI) -- Thus far, New York and New Jersey have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, and researchers say the way state and local governments have prepared will determine where it strikes next. An analysis of data published Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests there could be two types of problem area in the United States going forward -- densely packed downtown areas, like New York City, and less populated areas in the midwest, for example. By Tuesday, there were nearly 400,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, across the country, with all 50 states reporting at least one case, according to the new CDC figures. However, prevalence of the virus varied widely between states, with places like New York City ...

Apr62020 by adminNo Comments

Coronavirus: Trump voices hope for ‘levelling-off’ in US hotspots

World

President Donald Trump has expressed hope coronavirus cases were "levelling off" in US hotspots, saying he saw "light at the end of the tunnel". On Sunday, New York, the epicentre of the US outbreak, reported a drop in the number of new infections and deaths.Mr Trump described the dip as a "good sign", but warned of more deaths as the pandemic neared its "peak" in the US."In the days ahead, America will endure the peak of this pandemic," Mr Trump said at his daily coronavirus briefing.He said more medical personnel and supplies, including masks and ventilators, would be sent to the states that are most in need of assistance.Deborah Birx, a member of the president's coronavirus task force, said the situation in Italy and Spain, wh...

Jun122017 by adminNo Comments

Scientists map invasive species hotspots

Science

June 12 (UPI) -- Where are alien, or invasive, species most abundant? Where do they have the most success?According to new research by an international team of scientists, foreign invaders -- both plants and animals -- most frequently take root on islands and among the coastal regions of continents.In an effort to identify geographical patterns, scientists mapped the distribution of different types of invasive species, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, spiders, ants and vascular plants. Their analysis identified 186 islands and 423 mainland regions with high concentrations of alien species.Scientists measured the largest number of invasive species -- from all groups -- in Hawaii and New Zealand."Both regions are remote islands that used to be very isolated, lacking so...