According to the weekly report from the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (CETESB), 61 beaches along the São Paulo coast are reported as unsuitable for bathing due to elevated bacterial counts. The findings were published on Thursday, highlighting Praia Grande and Itanhaém as the cities with the highest number of beaches affected, each having ten unsuitable beaches. In contrast, cities like São Sebastião, Cubatão, Iguape, and Ilha Comprida reported that all their beaches are currently safe for swimming.

CETESB monitors the water quality weekly, measuring the concentration of bacteria present. A beach is classified as unsuitable for bathing when more than 100 colonies of bacteria are detected in a 100 milliliter sample of water. The organization issues warnings and flags those beaches with a red flag indicating the risk for bathers. The next update on beach conditions is scheduled for March 5.

This report serves not only as a public health alert but also raises concerns regarding the environmental conditions affecting the coastal areas of São Paulo. The implication of having such a significant number of beaches marked as unsuitable may affect local tourism and community health, necessitating further environmental assessments and potential corrective actions.