Year: 2020

Lisbon, 10 Apr 2020 (Lusa) – Infarmed has asked the pharmaceutical industry to increase production of the medicines, most used in the context of the pandemic, by 20% and two in particular, which have not been recommended therapeutically against covid-19, but are in use for the most severe patients.

At the daily press conference at the Direção-Geral da Saúde DGS (The Portuguese Health Authority), Rui Ivo, the president of Infarmed (the National Authority for Medicine and Health Products),  indicated that a request had been made to the pharmaceutical industry to increase the production of medicines as has happened in other European countries and that this request had been reciprocated.

“The increase requested is that for those medicines that can be more used in this context, we increase stocks by 20%. Additionally, we also want to create some strength in terms of strategic and additional reserves, to be stored centrally”, said Rui Ivo.

The president of Infarmed specified that the issue of strengthening the strategic reserve focuses mainly on two drugs, which are for now being used “with caution”, based on the available scientific evidence and associated caution.

The drugs concerned are hydroxychloroquine and the combination of two anti-retrovirals: Lopinavir and Ritonavir.

“We are even making these two drugs available, in a centralised way, according to when the hospitals indicate a need, namely for those that are treating the most serious cases; it is in those cases that they can be used, according to individual requests, as we are talking about drugs that are not approved for these clinical signs. It will always have to be the doctor who takes this initiative.” said Rui Ivo.

The president of Infarmed also referred to a decree issued on Thursday, which aims to avoid unnecessary trips, especially by chronically ill patients to health centres to renew prescriptions, and an exceptional system of electronic prescription and extension of the validity of prescriptions for the duration of the emergency period was created.

Lisbon, April 10th, 2020 (Lusa) – The President of the Republic today disapproved of “false news” and “unjustified alarmism” about the exceptional regime of pardons and partial pardon of sentences, arguing that attention should not be distracted from this matter and the Portuguese people should indeed be aware of the facts.

In a statement at the Palace of Belém, in Lisbon, after which he answered questions from journalists, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa reiterated that this exceptional regime, which came into force on Thursday, “does not cover homicides or sexual crimes of all kinds “, or “crimes against persons, abuse of minors, domestic violence, violence against women, crimes against cultural or gender identity, theft with violence, fire crimes (namely forest fire) and criminal association “.

“It does not cover drug trafficking, crimes of active or passive corruption or money laundering, or crimes committed by political or public office holders. All of this is out of the question,” said the head of state.

“The cases that will come to the attention of the President of the Republic will be on an individual basis, taking into account the age and the health of any person who asks to be  pardoned, or has been proposed by a director or prison warden”, he added.

According to the President of the Republic, with regards to “news related to the legislation passed in parliament” and “doubts and speculations” that have arisen, it is important to provide this clarification, in order that inaccurate, sensationalised information is not taken as fact by the public, at a time when the Portuguese already have many concerns about the spread of Covid-19.

“We cannot be distracting attention from the true facts with false news and unjustified, alarmist statements. There is no reason for these alarms concerning those who may deserve pardon,” reinforced the head of state.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who today published a note on the Presidency of the Republic’s website on the Internet about this exceptional regime approved by parliament, based on a proposal for a government law, considered that “the content of this legislation adopted in the context of the pandemic is clear concerning Covid-19”.

“I think it is clear that the President of the Republic is going to pardon on a case-by-case basis, there are no mass pardons, he is going to look at each individual case, taking into account the age and health condition of each person.” he stated.

The head of state stressed that “a very wide range” of crimes is excluded from this regime and argued that “there there is a specific, ethical, humanitarian, public health reason to be taken into account in each case”, which he will attend to “in an open manner that does not allow speculation or misinterpretation” .

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Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke to the country, in an Easter message that is not tradition, but that is related to the exceptional period that Portugal is going through, with the state of emergency in force until April 17th.

The President of the Republic considered the renewal of the state of emergency practically guaranteed until the 1st of May, but considers it premature to think about a fourth renewal until the middle of next month.

“It depends on what the situation is, on how much we won this fight in April,” he told reporters at the Palace of Belém. “We have to do the monitoring day by day, because we want our recovery to be continuous and without risk of relapse, which is always more difficult “, he stressed.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa repeated the idea that it is necessary to win April to see a light in May, but under one condition: “If we want perspectives in the month of May, we must guarantee, until the end of April, a decrease in absolute numbers of the infection “. For that, he stressed, “we cannot slack or let our guard down”.

The President of the Republic thanked the “effort of the Portuguese to have a different Easter” and to deprive themselves of the “company of family members”.

The President stressed that, considering all the measures imposed, “there are no perfect proposals” but that the “possible solution” has been sought.

“We are on the eve of formalizing the [second] renewal of the state of emergency. We hope and are working to make it as smooth as possible, but a realistic assessment will only be made at the end” of that period, added the head of state.

Next Wednesday, after a new technical session on the evolution of the Portuguese situation, the President will hear the Government on the proposal to renew the state of emergency once more, which will have to be voted on in parliament on Thursday.

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In an interview with TVI’s “Você na TV” program this Friday, António Costa stated that if the country is managing to control the Covid-19 cases, it is because the restrictions are being complied with by the Portuguese.

He added says that it is necessary to continue, at least for now, recognizing the efforts of the Portuguese who, even before the enforcement of the State of Emergency, accepted the measures of social restraint.

At this moment, the Prime Minister understands that “it would be a wrong signal for the country to lift the State of Emergency”, clarifying that it is an initiative of the President of the Republic, which he should propose next week.

Costa acknowledges that “it is the most difficult moment, when the signs of fatigue and the costs of stopping are starting to be felt harder”, but he also warns that the risk of easing control woul see the cases rise.

As for a second wave, he understands that it is real and even considers himself “pessimistic” because as long as a vaccine does not exist, the virus will continue to circulate.

António Costa also revealed that he never got tested for the new coronavirus because he understands that “tests should be used when they are necessary” and having had no symptoms nor contact with people of risk, he reveals it would be something that would only satisfy his curiosity fleetingly.

Prime Minister António Costa announced this afternoon that distanced learning will continue throughout the third period, which will begin on April 14.

Teaching will have the support of daily broadcasts on the RTP Memória channel starting on April 20, only with content from the 1st year onwards.

The assessment will be made in each school group, by the teachers, who have access to the educational path of each student, with the possibility for both the approval and retention of students.

There will be no assessment tests or year 9 exams.

The Prime Minister also announced that the special support regime for families with children under 12 years old will therefore be maintained.

When it comes to years 11 and 12 students, the conditions for returning to face-to-face classes will be assessed during the month of May, without prejudice to a plan B of maintaining distanced learning if the pandemic requires it.

António Costa defended that “it is particularly important” that it is still possible to “resume classroom teaching activities, especially since the diversity of subjects is such that one cannot resort to the support of television broadcasting”.

“We will therefore work on two plans. The one we prefer, to be able to partially resume face to face classes for years 11 and 12 during the month of May, without excluding, as a plan B, having to continue the academic year exclusively with distanced learning, if the evolution of the pandemic requires it. In any case, to ensure greater social distance, less time spent in school and better hygiene, face to face classroom activities will always be very limited “, he said.

Even if face to face classes return, these will always be limited to students from years 11 and 12; for those in year 10, distanced classes will remain via digital media.

Face-to-face classes will also be limited to 22 subjects that require exams for access to Higher Education. Lessons may continue until June 26th.

Exams will only be carried out for subjects of access to Higher Education, the other marks will be given in school.

Activities in kindergartens will only be resumed when the rules for social distancing are raised. The RTP2 channel will have content and activities for pre-school education.

Day-care centers will remain closed, and the monthly payment will have to be agreed upon between the parents and the owners of the establishments.

Professional and artistic teaching will have to adapt their assessments, “most likely from a distance and from home”, said António Costa.

At the end of a meeting at Infarmed (National Authority for Medicine and Health Products) this afternoon 7^th April, which brought together several political leaders and health specialists, the President of the Republic indicated that data in Portugal on the pandemic curve showed a sign of “positive steps”, both in terms of daily growth in the number of cases, as in reduction of spread.

A “slow but positive” trend, stressed Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

The President drew attention to the importance of maintaining preventive measures in April: “If we want to gain back our freedom in May, we need to gain freedom in April”.

“In order to take steps in May towards a progressive return to normality, in economic and social activity and school activity, it is necessary to secure May while still in April”, he added.

Therefore, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa asked the Portuguese for “a supplement of effort beyond what they have been doing” so that one can “turn a page at the end of April”.

“We have good news here, but one that doesn’t leave out the need for a complementary effort in the weeks that follow,” he added.

For this reason, the President of the Republic anticipated what the Prime Minister will announce, the day after tomorrow, in the sense that schools should remain closed during this month of April, insisting that the good indicators do not “dispense with a complementary effort in weeks ahead.

AMAL – Algarve Inter-municipal Community has confirmed it will ensure, as a Transport Authority, compliance with the minimum public road transport services for passengers, under the current State of Emergency conditions, in order to match supply to demand.

The operators of public road passenger transport in the Algarve – EVA Transportes and Frota Azul – have taken the decision to reduce the kilometres travelled daily on their routes, in order to adapt service supply to demand, which has been affected by the reduction in the number of users of this service due to the current lockdown situation. These operators are responsible for operating intercity and municipal services, with the responsibility of the Transport Authority, delegated by the Municipalities to AMAL.

In view of the difficulties experienced and the reduction in revenue in their operations, EVA Transportes and Frota Azul have been forced to put into place a ‘lay-off regime’ for 50% of their employees, effective since April 1^st 2020. In addition, considering that the current revenue does not cover the expenses associated with the performance of the services it operates, they also gave due consideration to the future possibility of the total stoppage of their operations, in the absence of any financial compensation.

As passenger transport is an essential public service, AMAL, at its last meeting on April 3rd, decided to transfer the finances available from the non-use of municipal funds allocated to school transport (currently suspended) from each municipality to AMAL. In this way, the diverted finances will provide payment of the necessary compensation and therefore will enable the supply of a reduced public road passenger transport services, to the meet the current demand.

AMAL considers it essential to adopt these urgent and extraordinary measures to minimize the negative impact on the activity of public road passenger transport operators during the State of Emergency, maintaining the minimum transport services that will ensure the mobility of citizens, whilst being compliant with the current regulations.

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa warns that the covid-19 pandemic clash “can last for a few years”, so “you have to think ahead”.

In a testimony transmitted at the beginning of the “Prós e Contras” RTP channel program on 6th April , the head of state considered that there is now “convergence in the essential” at a political level, but that later “naturally, the proposed paths will be different – as they already are today – to face the economic and social effects of the pandemic”.

The President believes the Portuguese are united and show courage and commitment to “overcome the current outbreak until the summer and, if it reappears more faintly next winter, until spring”, and to “endure the economy and society”.

“And to consistently overcome afterwards the blow to society and the economy, which may last for a few years, but which cannot be interminable and which should not be just about plugging holes, but thinking about the future in the long term”, he added.

Marcelo also left an alert: “There are direct supports and financing that cannot wait months for the end of the health crisis, they are the most urgent of supports (…) After that support, there is a need for public investment and private investment, with European contribution, with national, state, banking and entrepreneurial contributions”.

Picture: JF