Month: April 2020

Armed forces can disinfect the establishments and CEMGFA guarantees perfect coordination with the PSP and GNR in combating the pandemic.

The military will have an important role in the process of reopening high schools for the 11th and 12th years of compulsory schooling, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (CEMGFA), admiral Silva Ribeiro, revealed this Tuesday.

“Sixty teams from the Army and Navy will participate in security measures in schools, from the training of teachers and staff to raising students’ awareness,” said CEMGFA, in a hearing at the parliamentary defence committee.

The military chief said that this intervention will be carried out in 800 schools with the preparation of a manual, which in some cases will involve disinfection operations, and was coordinated between the ministries of Education, Health, Defence and the branches.

“This is not a security crisis in the country, the security forces have complied perfectly,” he repeated several times about the need for greater involvement of the Armed Forces in measures to prevent the coronavirus pandemic.

As for the mobilization of military personnel for border control, “If that becomes necessary… But in these circumstances, from what we have seen, there is no need,” he said.

“The articulation of the Armed Forces with the Security Forces has been perfect”, he reiterated, and revealed that during the covid-19 crisis he has already held two meetings with the Secretary-General of the Internal Security System (SSI), Helena Fazenda, one of which happened this Tuesday morning.

About the 7800 volunteers who responded favourably to CEMGFA’s appeal, mostly military personnel in the reserve or family members of military personnel, Admiral Silva Ribeiro explained his initiative. “It has nothing to do with a shortage of personnel, but with the spirit of solidarity and the sense of service of the military family,” he said.

In fact, he maintained that the military will be available for the diversity of actions required: from logistical support to civil protection to searches. At this point, the Air Force will deploy 12 drones for the next forest fire campaign.

Lisbon, April 20, 2020 (Lusa) – About 700 thousand individual protection equipment were sent today from the Military Laboratory, in Lisbon, where they were stored, to reinforce care homes across the country, being distributed by the district Social Security centers, announced the minister.

The Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, was today at the Military Laboratory of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Products, in Lisbon, together with the Minister of National Defence, João Gomes Cravinho, and with the Assistant Secretary of State and Health , Jamila Madeira, to watch the lifting of the equipment, which were in the custody of that institution.

“These trucks come to serve as support and reinforcement for care homes, for all professionals who work in care homes and residential homes where people with disabilities live”, explained Ana Mendes Godinho, adding that the goal is to reinforce care homes with personal protective equipment, which they include not only surgical masks but also full equipment to deal with people who have tested positive for covid-19.

According to the minister, “today, about 700 thousand individual protective equipment are part of this cargo”, having already had a first delivery two weeks ago with around 200 thousand, the goal being “to reach the whole country”.

“They will be distributed through the district social security centers, which will make the distribution by the institutions at the level of each district and that will happen today with this transport that is happening, with the three trucks that will be taken across the country”, she added.

According to Ana Mendes Godinho, “two more distributions are planned to be made due to this permanent articulation that has been taking place with Infarmed and the Social Security Institute and with associations representing the social sector”, which identified the needs in the different institutions.

In the perspective of the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, “the Armed Forces have played a key role in supporting this entire population that is in homes”.

For his part, Jamila Madeira explained that it is material purchased “within the scope of the acquisitions that the Ministry of Health makes for the National Health Service and for the ministries and the State that provide essential services to the pandemic operation covid-19”.

“All the material is aggregated here and then distributed to different entities”, he explained.

“The National Health Service is our biggest consumer and our biggest concern because it is people who are in the first line of combat, but the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security is also the one that deals with the group at greatest risk, the elderly, and to protect home professionals ”, he justified.

The Prime Minister revealed to Expresso the intention of “announcing the calendar and  program of progressive reduction in measures” at the Council of Ministers on April 30^th .

In an interview with the weekly Expresso, released today in full, António Costa states, that the economic recovery plan after the Covid-19 pandemic “must be based on a very strong investment programme”, highlighting areas such as railways and hospitals, and “an employment program that encourages using as much of the available labour as possible”, both in the area of ​​public and social employment.

“We had huge issues in the area of construction concerning lack of manpower, I believe it is a problem (which due to the unfortunate issues raised by the pandemic) that will no longer exist. We have the forest restructuring program, which required intensive labour, because we have the possibility of fires arising later in the year. We also need to fully reinforce the conditions of personal support, because the fragility of human resources of many social organisations has become evident “, he continued.

The prime minister reiterated that “the country does not need austerity”, but rather needs to relaunch the economy, but he refuses to give a definitive answer on how this can be achieved: “I have been working on this for many years and will not give today an answer that I cannot guarantee tomorrow”

On the reopening of businesses at the end of the next emergency period, which will remain in effect until May 2^nd  – the date chosen to prevent the long weekend of May 1^st  from being “another moment of risk” – the first-minister confirms that there will a further meeting April 28th between political representatives and the team of scientists working for the General Directorate of Health (DGS).

“What we are hoping is, in the Council of Ministers on April 30^th, to be able to announce the calendar and the program of progressive reduction of the current measures concerning the education system, along with commercial, catering and cultural activities “, he says.

Asked if there could still be some kind of re-opening in April, Costa did not discount this: “As soon as possible, we will take the first steps. We will not be delaying measures.”

As for the use of beaches this summer, the Prime Minister admits that there may be restrictions in place, particularly on those beaches which are known for large crowds.

“These large gatherings will not be permissable. Municipalities and councils will have to take the necessary measures so that the public can go to the beach but not in large numbers,” he said.

To Expresso, Costa reiterated the ‘re-opening’ script that he had drawn up in the Assembly of the Republic and which, with regards to the economy, will start with small commerce and, in the educational system, with daycare centres – explaining that this will not impact on the eventual restart of the 11th and 12th year classroom classes – and warns that in schools and public transport “the use of a community mask will be mandatory”.

The Prime Minister points to returning to work in June – most certainly implementing different working patterns in terms of hours per day and days per week – and, regarding cultural activities, he does not commit himself to a date for the holding of major festivals, or managing cinema outings”.

“In a cinema currently, seating is restricted, seats are all booked and they can only sell tickets in two rows, using every third seat”, he confirmed.

On the return of the football championships, Costa admits that it is possible to conclude them “behind closed doors or only with the restricted seats managed by the stadium”

Asked if the North region, where there are more cases of Covid-19, could have a later reduction in measures, he replies: “We would not like to make regional differences”.

The prime minister also rejects the possibility that people can be monitored electronically, admitting only that citizens can voluntarily download applications that serve to share “warnings among themselves and without intervention by authorities”.

António Costa stresses that all measures will be taken gradually and the resulting impact on the evolution of Covid-19 will be measured in order to “not run the risk of having to reverse the steps”, although this cannot be ruled out: “The first priority was to contain the pandemic without killing the economy. The new priority we have now is to revive the economy without allowing the pandemic to get out of control”.

At a political level, Costa highlights the “huge political and social consensus” that has existed in the country, disputing any disagreement with the President of the Republic regarding this latest decree on the state of emergency and gave a word of “recognition for the position” of the leader of the PSD, Rui Rio.

Regarding the European Council that takes place on April 23^rd, António Costa hopes that clear answers will be given to the global pandemic problem

“Are we going to have a recovery fund or not? What form will this fund take? Will it be integrated into the next multi-annual framework? Will it be financed by reinforcing transfers, by issuing EU debt, or by boosting resources by creating new rates? “, are all questions that need to be addressed.

The President of the Republic enacted this Friday the decree that regulates the extension of the state of emergency and two other Government diplomas with exceptional measures applied to the purchase of medical equipment and the tourism sector.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also promulgated two diplomas from the Assembly of the Republic, originating from Government law proposals, which establish exceptional and temporary regimes of budgetary and postal notification processes in the current Covid-19 pandemic situation.

This information is contained in two notes published on the website of the Presidency of the Republic on the Internet.

The three Government diplomas were approved by the Council of Ministers and the two from the Assembly of the Republic also went this Friday to the Palace of Belém and were promulgated on the same day.

Communiqué of the Council of Ministers of April 17, 2020

The Council of Ministers approved today, electronically, the decree that regulates the extension of the state of emergency decreed by the President of the Republic, making adjustments to the measures already approved and adopting other measures that are considered necessary, among which:

• The participation in activities related to the official celebrations of May 1st, only by observing the recommendations of the health authorities, namely in terms of social distance, and through coordination between the security forces and the social partners;
• The suspension of the mandatory publication in the Labour and Employment Bulletin of legislative acts to be approved by the Government under the terms of the labour legislation, promoting direct consultation of the social partners, through electronic means, with a deadline for pronouncement of 24 hours;
• The removal of the health cordon to the municipality of Ovar, by applying, however, special limitations in the municipality of Ovar, including specific duties of compliance with hygiene and safety rules by industrial, commercial and business services establishments authorized to operate and located in this municipality.

The Council of Ministers also approved a new set of extraordinary measures to respond to the epidemiological situation of the new Coronavirus – COVID-19, namely:

1. Decree-law that establishes exceptional and temporary measures seeking to respond to the constraints caused by the current pandemic in the tourism sector.

Following the measures already approved for this sector, the present diploma improves on the travel of finalists (students celebrating final year of study) and defines a specific regime directed at trips organized by travel and tourism agencies, the cancellation of reservations in tourist developments and accommodation establishments, and the relationship between travel and tourism agencies, tour operators and tourism enterprises and local accommodation establishments.

2. Decree-law that establishes an exceptional and temporary regime for the financial rebalancing of long-term contracts, namely public-private partnerships.

During the state of emergency, contractual clauses and legislative provisions that provide for the right to contractual rebalancing with any contract to which the State or another public entity is a party are suspended, including public-private partnerships.

Outside the period of the state of emergency, in contracts that expressly provide for the private contractor’s right to be compensated for breaks in use or the occurrence of a pandemic as a basis that could give rise to a claim to restore the financial balance, these can only be carried out by extending the term for the performance of the services or the term of the contract.

3. Decree-Law establishing exceptional and temporary measures related to the COVID-19 disease pandemic, namely:

– The extension of the reception period for victims of domestic violence, either in shelters or in emergency reception responses from the National Victim Support Network.

– The establishment, in addition to the exceptional contracting measures already approved, of an exceptional simplified regime of direct adjustment for the conclusion of contracts whose object is the acquisition of equipment, goods and services necessary for the prevention, containment, mitigation and treatment of infection by SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 disease.

4. Expenses related to the following procedures were also authorized:

• Acquisition of vaccines for the National Vaccination Plan, hygiene and cleaning services and surveillance and security services, by the Regional Health Administrations of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, in the North and Center;
• Contract signature for the management and provision of health care at the Cascais Hospital.

The Director General of Health recommends masks to be worn in all enclosed spaces where they may be a concentration of people. This includes shops, pharmacies, public transport and shops generally.

It is stressed that wearing masks must be accompanied by other measures, already recommended, such as social distancing, frequent hand washing and respiratory hygiene.

A complete guide to the proper wearing of face masks, which is key for their effectiveness and safety, provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (EPDC), as well as DGS detailed advice can be downloaded here

STEP BY STEP GUIDE

The Prime Minister revealed yesterday afternoon in Parliament how the Government wants to get the economy moving again. It will only be in May. Until then, there are 15 decisive days to restore people’s confidence so that they can gradually return to the streets.

The goal is to “revive the economy, without letting the pandemic go uncontrolled”, explained the chief executive in a debate in which he challenged the Portuguese to take a vacation inside, and left the wish that this was the last debate to renew the state of emergency. Here is the executive’s strategy based on information left by António Costa.

What must be guaranteed in the next 15 days:

• Make means of personal protection, such as community masks and alcohol-based gel, abundant on the market;
• Have hygiene standards in workplaces, public spaces and, in particular, public transport. This is the “greatest logistical difficulty” the Government has to respond to, says Costa;
• In the particular case of public transport, the executive wants to find ways of having “different schedules, having a new organization of work” that avoids creating rush hours, but also “increasing on the supply side” so that “everyone can safely begin using public transport again”;
• Have the confidence that the robustness of the National Health Service (SNS) is able to support itself in the face of, “necessarily, an increased risk of transmission whenever we relieve the contention”.

What the Government wants to start doing in May:

• Face-to-face classes, even if partial, in years 11 and 12;
• Reopen day care centres to support families, many with income losses or increased effort when teleworking. The idea of reopening day care centres is not new, and had already been considered at the meeting with health technicians where the date of May 4 was proposed as a limit for resuming face-to-face classes. This is because the virus affects younger children very little. A study by the Escola Superior de Saúde Pública, presented this Wednesday at the meeting at Infarmed, revealed that other countries started by reopening schools with young children due to the “low risk of transmitting to many people: children of that age return home from school and have little social life independent of their parents. This has a high economic impact: parents can go back to work ”;
• Open pre-school, at least during the beach/countryside period, so that children can get back together;
• Restore the face-to-face service in the Public Administration services and end the suspension of procedural deadlines;
• Gradually reopen the economic activities where the Government decreed the closure. Start with the small neighbourhood trade – “the one that brings fewer people together, requires less travel distance, which best serves the local economy”, explained Costa -, to then move on to “small shops with open doors to the street” and only reach the large commercial spaces after;
• Set specific safety standards for professionals and users of personal care activities, such as hairdressers and barbers. The aim is to create conditions to have these services open;
• Begin opening cultural facilities for those which have a fixed capacity and marked seating, to allow reopening with the necessary social distancing, “although it may be required, as in public transport and schools, to use a community mask”;
• Create distancing rules for sports venues and open-air shows, similar to what will be done by the union centrals in the celebrations of the 1st of May and which the Church intends to guarantee in ceremonies;
• Continue teleworking for those who can do it. These people will have greater freedom of movement to take their children to day care centres, use the shops that are gradually reopening, public transport and cultural facilities, even if they have to wear a mask. The Prime Minister considered teleworking essential, for instance to allow “the operation of public transport to run as smoothly as possible”.
• The Government also wants to work with companies to find better ways of organising working time: “some working in the morning and others in the afternoon, some working a week and others another week”. The aim is to progressively free people from domestic confinement.