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The Algarve Situation Report 23 November 2022

 

by Mike Evans

Good day to you all, since the last report we have seen a dramatic change in the weather here in the Algarve with cooler days and rain. However, despite the rain a recent report from the IMPA shows that the Algarve continues to experience meteorological drought, but with a decrease in intensity, now being in the moderate drought class.

We can only hope that the usual rains we experience over the next few months will help fill up the reservoirs.

Now a look at some of the other stories that have been happening in the region.

Rail Plan with two high-speed alternatives in the Algarve

The National Railway Plan, which was launched on Thursday, November 17th, for public discussion, is studying two high-speed alternatives for the Algarve region that intend to compete with the plane and the car.

The plan is looking at the possibility of modernising the existing line to reduce the journey by about 30 minutes or the construction of a new axis that includes Évora, Beja or Faro, with the journey time between Lisbon and Faro becoming less than two hours.

With regard to freight transport, new international corridors are planned through the Algarve and Trás-os-Montes, in addition to a pilot corridor for longer trains (1,500 metres) between Sines and the border. This plan foresees the high-speed line serving the 10 largest cities in the country, as well as several connections to Spain.

“At the end of all this, we would have high-speed service serving the 10 largest cities in the country”, said the coordinator of the working group responsible for the National Railway Plan (PFN), Frederico Francisco, presented at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC), in Lisbon.

The PFN also foresees “several connections to Spain, from all over the territory”, pointed out the official, thus competing with the plane and the car.

Largest nativity scene in the country celebrates 20 years

The largest nativity scene in the country is back at the António Aleixo Cultural Centre, in Vila Real de Santo António, between December 1st and January 8th, announced the municipality.

In the year it celebrates its 20th anniversary, this nativity scene grows again, now occupying an area of ​​240 square metres and more than five thousand pieces. This year’s edition continues to break records, with the presence of 5700 pieces that occupy the entire exhibition area of ​​the António Aleixo Cultural Centre, many of them made from scratch and others that reach a value of several hundred euros.

The construction of the nativity scene took more than 40 days and 2500 hours of work, since several months ago, using more than 20 tons of sand, four tons of stone dust, 3000 kilos of cork and hundreds of props.

About one hundred pieces are animated and motorised, in addition to the lakes and lighting that are considered the secret of the event, which are on top of a base with kilometres of cables that guarantee the circulation of water, lighting and scenic effects.

The nativity scene also has elements evocative of the region, such as the Praça Marquês de Pombal, the old beach huts of Monte Gordo, the salt pans, the traditional Algarvian waterwheels and other local monuments. Most of the materials are natural or reused, such as cork and moss, focusing on the ecological aspect with the implementation of led lighting systems and reuse of water used in ornamental lakes.

This nativity scene, with the signature of Augusto Rosa, Teresa Marques, Joaquim Soares and António Bartolomeu, can be visited daily between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm and from 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm, with entrances between 0, 50 and 1 euro.

Young people remove invasive plants on the beach of Santo António

Several young people from the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António participated on Sunday, November 20, in an initiative to clean and remove weevils next to the beach of Santo António, announced the Parish Council.

As part of the “Ambienta-te” project, promoted by the Parish Council of Vila Real de Santo António and the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth, young people removed this invasive plant during the environmental action, with the support of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry and Environment Division of the City Council.

Known as beach weevil, this invasive species is easy to find in the dunes and is a creeping, succulent plant.

Faro and Portimão with restrictions on Christmas lighting

The energy crisis is leading municipalities across the country to plan to have Christmas lighting turned on for shorter periods than in other years and to resort more to the use of low-consumption technologies .

In Faro, Christmas lighting will be on for a significantly shorter period than in previous years, starting to work at dusk and being turned off from 00:00, while in 2021 it was on daily from 17:00 to 02:00: 00.

The municipality of Portimão will also reduce this year the period of Christmas lighting by 10 days compared to previous years – turning on the lights between December 6th and January 6th – and by two hours daily.

Like other municipalities, Portimão City Council will also use low-consumption luminaires with LED technology, with the lights being turned off for every two hours of operation.

Faro Camara Systems  hacked

The Câmara de Faro announced that it had been the target of a computer attack that affected all of its servers, compromising the normal functioning of the services, which will be gradually resumed in the coming days.

In a statement, the municipality specified that the ‘ransomware’ attack was registered last Saturday, having been reported to the National Cybersecurity Centre, Judiciary Police and the Attorney General’s Office.

The municipality admits that there may be constraints over the next few days in the services, namely in the ‘back office’ system and in the email service, which are currently inactive.

Four of the suspects arrested for drug trafficking are in custody

Four of the 10 suspects arrested for drug trafficking on Tuesday by the Public Security Police in Lagos will be remanded in custody, the Faro District Attorney’s Office announced this Thursday.

The most serious measure of coercion was determined by the Juiz de Instrução Criminal de Portimão to four of the detainees, leaving another five suspects obliged to report periodically to the police authorities and another prohibited from contact with the remaining defendants in the process.

According to a note published on the Attorney General’s website, the suspects, eight men and two women, aged between 21 and 47, are indicted for the crime of drug trafficking. According to the prosecution, one of the detainees, aged 26, had been buying, since August 2017, cocaine, heroin, hashish, marijuana and pastilles (‘MDMA’ and ‘ecstasy’) from another of the detainees, this one aged 47, who later sold to consumers directly or through other elements.

The judicial entity adds that, “also at the indication of the 26-year-old detainee, the rest were responsible for disguising the drugs and money in various hiding places”.

During the searches and searches carried out, the police authorities seized various narcotic products, namely cocaine, heroin, marijuana, hashish and ‘ecstasy’, four weapons and ammunition, material for weighing and packaging the drug and 28 thousand euros. The case was investigated by the Public Security Police of Portimão and Lagos and supervised by the magistrate of the 2nd section of the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) of Portimão.

And to end this report there is news of an additional health centre opening in the Algarve.

Vilamoura has a new private hospital unit

The Lusíadas private health group will install a new hospital unit in Vilamoura, in the Algarve municipality of Loulé, in 2023, with an investment of 10 million euros and the creation of 250 new jobs.

The project presentation ceremony and the signing of the contract between the Lusíadas health group and the administration of the well-known seaside resort took place on the morning of Tuesday, November 22nd, in the former Lusotur building, designed by the architect Francisco Keil do Amaral, where the new hospital will be located, after “rehabilitation and construction” works.

“The Hospital Lusíadas Vilamoura will reinforce the offer of health care in the most extensive and populous municipality in the Algarve and will make a contribution to the socio-economic development of the region, in a lasting and sustainable way”, said the executive president (CEO) of Lusíadas Saúde, Vasco Antunes Pereira. For his part, the mayor of Loulé, Vítor Aleixo, welcomed this “investment in a very high quality tourist area, which joins others already in operation in the area”, and which will benefit the population of the entire municipality. .

“This initiative will also benefit from public and private investments that are planned and being developed in the area of ​​active and healthy ageing. It is about the formation of an ecosystem in the area of ​​the ‘silver economy’ [people over 65 years old], which is a segment with a future and great opportunities”, underlined Vítor Aleixo.

When operating at full capacity, the new unit will be able to perform around 4,500 consultations and 200 outpatient surgeries per month, according to data provided by the health group.“Vilamoura has year-round demand from a ‘less resident’ population and we consider that the [hospital supply, currently,] is insufficient”, said Vasco Antunes Pereira.

According to Lusíadas Saúde, this unit with 1,700 square metres aims to respond to the interests and needs of the population profile “resident and also tourists”, being the first hospital in the south of mainland Portugal “dedicated exclusively to outpatient surgery”.

“In terms of capacity, the unit will include permanent care, more than 20 consultation offices, treatment and examination rooms, operating and minor surgery rooms, a Gastroenterology unit and an Imaging area, equipped with specialised and cutting-edge technological equipment. , such as magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography (CAT), X-rays, mammography, ultrasound, among others,” according to a statement from the health group.

 

 

Azores Situation Report – Wednesday 9th November 2022 

 

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 28th of October until Thursday 3rd of November there were 86 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 1,343 tests performed. 79 people have recovered, and no new deaths have been recorded with the total at 118. There are 116 active cases, 7 more than the previous week.

There are 7 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 4th of October with Covid, 5 of which are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

121,284 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 50% of the population.

Terra Nostra Garden Hotel distinguished with “Best Countryside Hotel” award by Condé Nast 

Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, known as the reference for tourism and Azorean hospitality, a concept associated with the hotels of the Bensaude Hotels Collection, was distinguished with the award of “Best Countryside Hotel” at the Condé Nast Johansens 2023 awards.

Government of the Azores is preparing for a “good year” for tourism in 2023 

The regional secretary for Tourism said that the region is preparing to have a “good year” for tourism, despite the “clouds on the horizon” dictated by the current unfavourable economic and financial situation.

“We are preparing to have a good tourist year, as we are preparing for 2022, after coming out of a pandemic and in which we had a great tourist year. It is obvious that there are clouds on the horizon, problems that directly impact household income, such as the inflationary issue that is currently being experienced around the world and in Europe, along with the armed conflict in Ukraine”, said Berta Cabral.

The regional secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure spoke to journalists, in the municipality of Ribeira Grande, in the Archipelago – Centre for Contemporary Arts of the Azores, on the side-lines of the international conference “Creative tourism, regenerative development, and destination resilience”.

This is an initiative organized by the Tourism Observatory of the Azores, University of the Azores and Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra together with the Guangzhou International Sister Cities University Alliance (GISU), within the scope of the CREATOUR Azores project.

Berta Cabral highlighted that the Azores are “somewhat removed from the conflict stage, which further protects the region’s tourist destination”, and the archipelago will “continue to work and promote itself”, noting that “differentiation will be always very positive” in 2023.

 

 

 

The Algarve Situation Report 9th November 2022

 

By Mike Evans

Good day to you all. Welcome to this Algarve report as the Christmas Season has started in many shopping centres around the region. We are blessed with the fact that our climate is still warm but don’t forget that crime is still around especially with houses stocked full of Christmas presents. Be especially vigilant for any unusual things in your neighbourhood and don’t forget to call the GNR or PSP if you feel something is not right. Remember Thieves need Christmas presents as well and they would rather not have to buy them!

Deterring would-be criminals is one of the most effective forms of crime prevention. Invest in a motion sensor flood-light or even some outdoor Christmas lights to highlight your home’s exterior. This often makes approaching your home too conspicuous for a burglar. Also, highlighting the fact your possessions are security marked and registered on Immobilise using window decals provide a further warning that your goods are traceable and not worth the risk of stealing!

Festive lighting – be secure. A common mistake of many festive decorators is to feed extension cables through partially open windows, criminals know to look for this vulnerability. When it comes to outdoor lighting, opt for solar or battery operated lights or install outdoor electrical outlets.

Be careful not to advertise your home to burglars on social media! According to one recent study, social media is a commonly used tool for scouting potential targets. Social media savvy families have a tendency to publish their whereabouts during the holiday season, including any vacation plans. This can let burglars know when your house is going to be empty. Uploaded photos of pricey Christmas gifts can also be a problem as if privacy settings aren’t tied down, it can allow burglars to go shopping just by viewing your Facebook profile.

Here is a look at some of the stories around the region in the past week or so.

 

 Government to implement contingency plans in 2023 for those without a family doctor in the Algarve.

Next year, a “contingency plan will be established for each of the regions of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, Algarve and Alentejo, where at the end of September 2022, 82.7% of users lived without a family doctor assigned in the country”, advances the explanatory note of the Ministry of Health on the State Budget for 2023.

According to the document published on the parliament’s website, Manuel Pizarro’s ministry intends to develop an “integrated plan to facilitate access to primary health care for users who do not have a health doctor assigned”, by expanding the training of the specialty. of general and family medicine to the limit of existing training capacity.

“Innovative responses are also planned for sparsely populated areas where it has been difficult to attract” health professionals, says the ministry, adding that the “retirement potential” of general and family medicine (FGM) specialists is higher. that of clinicians in hospital specialties.

At the level of doctors from the National Health Service, the data accumulated until September indicate a total of 1,639 retired clinicians during this year, a value slightly higher than that recorded in the same period of 2021 (1,508), but close to the one verified in 2020 (1,667) , outputs that “may be compensated by the entry of new doctors into the system”, the document advances.

To improve the coverage of primary health care, the Government plans to increase the number of professionals, following the calls for tenders scheduled for 2023, update the performance incentive model, and progressively provide all groups of health centres (ACES) with the capacity to provide mental health care.

According to the ministry, the ACES will also see their “service portfolio” expanded, through the expansion of the capacity to carry out complementary diagnostic and therapeutic means, the follow-up of chronic patients and the availability of emergency equipment for basic support. of life.

In order to improve the access and efficiency of public hospitals, the Ministry of Health intends to review the hospital referral networks and the model of organisation and operation of emergency services.

The document also points out that the implementation of new organisational models for metropolitan emergencies in Lisbon and Porto is planned, within the scope of modernization and reform of the functioning of hospitals, as well as the internal organisation of hospitals in Integrated Responsibility Centers.

It is also planned to reinforce the autonomy of hospital management, ensuring the timely approval of budgets, program contracts and activity plans, “in order to speed up the hiring of health professionals and the realisation of investments, with greater accountability and satisfaction”. for users and professionals”, indicates the explanatory note.

After approval in general, the Government’s proposal for the State Budget for next year is being examined in detail in parliament and the final global vote is scheduled for 25 November.

 

Preventive arrest for false police suspected of rape

The Portimão Criminal Investigation Court ordered the preventive detention of a man who posed as a policeman and who is indicted for the crimes of rape, possession of a prohibited weapon and damage.

According to a statement from the Attorney General’s Office for the District of Faro, the court carried out a first interrogation of the accused, who was arrested on Thursday, November 3, and applied the coercive measure requested by the Public Ministry, with the man being 48 years old. years, as well as the investigation of the case, in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department of Portimão of the Judiciary Police.

The prosecutor explains that “in June 2022, around 9:30 pm, the detainee called a 35-year-old foreign woman who was engaged in prostitution, and in that sequence he arranged a meeting with her in a house located in Portimão”.

Then, inside a room, the detainee identified himself as a policeman, showed a pistol and handcuffs, took possession of the woman’s identification documents and, using a stamp pad, collected the victim’s fingerprints, which printed on a print with the logo of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF).

Then, he had sex with the woman and “took her SIM card from her cell phone, broke it and told her that she should keep silent because what she was doing was a crime”, adding that “if she had sexual relations with him, she would not hand her over to the SEF”.

The Attorney General’s Office of the District of Faro also informs that the detainee works in the restaurant and that the victim “accepted the detainee’s purpose with fear that he would report her to the judicial authorities”.

The Judiciary Police (PJ) had already revealed on Thursday the arrest of this man “on suspicion of rape and other crimes that will have occurred at the end of June”.

In a statement, the PJ said that the detainee is suspected of “rape, possession of a prohibited weapon, usurpation of functions, abuse of designation, sign or uniform and damage”, crimes that took place in an apartment where the victim was staying.

 

Algarve under yellow warning due to rough seas

The Algarve is one of the ten districts on the mainland that are currently under yellow warning due to the forecast of strong seas , in addition to the North Coast of the island of Madeira and the island of Porto Santo, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) .

The districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Coimbra, Leiria, Lisbon, Setúbal, Beja and Faro will have a yellow warning due to the forecast of northwest waves with 4 to 5 metres until 12:00 on Wednesday .

Also the North Coast of the island of Madeira and Porto Santo are under yellow warning until 12:00 today, with northwest waves of 4 to 5 metres expected.

The yellow warning is issued by the IPMA whenever there is a risk situation for certain activities dependent on the weather situation. On the south coast, southwest waves of 1 to 1.5 metres are expected.

Albufeira to have a third permanent firefighting team

The Albufeira City Council will support the hiring of a third permanent intervention team (EIP) of volunteer firefighters to provide assistance to the population in various areas, it was announced this week.

The protocol of conditions for hiring the EIP was approved at a meeting of the executive on the 2nd, with the municipality supporting 37,000 of the 74,000 euros needed for the functioning of the permanent team, says the municipality in a statement.

According to the mayor, José Carlos Rolo, quoted in the note, providing Albufeira with a new team permanently at the fire station “is an operational need that has already been identified, so its constitution was urgent”.

The EIP will reinforce and improve the rescue capacity in multiple areas, including fires, floods, landslides, collisions, accidents, catastrophes, shipwrecks and complementary assistance, concludes the note.

Minister commits to reducing road Tolls in the Algarve

The Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa, made a commitment this Thursday to continue to reduce tolls on highways in the interior territories and on the A22 – Via do Infante , saying that the ideal was “abolition”.

“The objective is to continue to reduce tolls in the interior and on the A22 [highway 22]”, said Ana Abrunhosa, at a hearing in the Assembly of the Republic , regarding the proposed State Budget for 2023 (OE2023).

I never hid that the interior deserves the tolls to be abolished, as well as the A22. I’ve never hidden that it’s a difficult path to take. It’s a very difficult path to take. Nor do I hide that we maintain the objective, in 2023, of continuing to reduce tolls”, declared Ana Abrunhosa, explaining that the commitment included in the OE2023 includes the consideration of the reduction of tolls and the commitment to mobility, namely in the Support Program the Fare Reduction (PART) and the Program to Support Densification and Reinforcement of Public Transport Offer (ProTrans).

“The commitment I leave here is that, in this program, we work on reducing tolls”, reiterated the minister, defending that “the ideal is what people demand”, supporting the abolition of tolls.

From the PSD bench, deputy Patrícia Dantas questioned the minister about the 75% discount provided for electric vehicles on the ‘scuts’ (roads free of charge for users), which came into force on July 1, 2020 and that, “ 18 months later, it still hasn’t been implemented.”

The new toll fee discount model came into force on July 1, 2021, with the application of a 50% reduction on some sections of highways 17, 25, 29, 4, 41, 42, 28, 22, 23 and 24.

Among the motorway sections and subsections covered by the 50% discount on the toll fee are: A22, which is part of the Algarve Concession; A23, of the Estradas de Portugal concession; A23, from the Beira Interior Concession; A24, from the North Interior Concession; and A25, from the Beira Litoral/Beira Alta Concession.

The OE2023, under discussion in the specialty in the Assembly of the Republic, contains 1,204 million euros for the Financing Fund for the Decentralization (FFD) of competences, with an increase of 208 million in relation to the current year.

The final global vote on the document is scheduled for November 25.

Pilot Project to control Mosquitos starts in Faro

Environmental health researchers are developing a pilot project in Faro to biologically control the population of the Asian tiger mosquito, a species that can transmit dengue and zika.

The project, unique in Portugal, aims to test the sterile insect technique (SIT) to reduce the population of the “Aedes albopictus” mosquito , a species that poses a potential threat for the transmission of several diseases, including dengue, zika and chikungunya.

Recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to reduce the population of these mosquitoes and prevent the emergence of diseases, the SIT technique consists of releasing sterile males that, when mating with females, make new generations unfeasible.

The two-year project is led by researchers from the Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA) in collaboration with the public health service of the Regional Health Administration (ARS) of the Algarve, within the scope of the National Health Network. Vector Surveillance (REVIVE), funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The regional coordinator for the Algarve of the REVIVE program, Nélia Guerreiro, said that monitoring of the population of those insects is being carried out in a specific area of ​​40 hectares in the Gambelas area, near Faro international airport, where the species was identified in 2020.

“For three weeks, field activities were carried out, with the release of about 90,000 insects sterilised in the laboratory and marked, so that the SIT technique can be validated, as a complementary ecological tool for vector control”, he pointed out.

The results to understand whether the eggs that are produced by mosquitoes released into the environment “are sterile or not should only be known near the end of the year”, said the official.

Nélia Guerreiro said that monitoring carried out since 2020 on the mosquito population in the Gambelas area “has enabled the collection of very robust data, namely its density, when the mosquito is active and when it loses activity”.

“Due to the data collected, it was possible to submit a project of this type that aims to validate the sterile mosquito technique as a complementary ecological tool for a vector control program, so that in the future it can be used to suppress the existing mosquito population. in a given region”, he concluded.

Originating in Southeast Asia, “Aedes albopictus” has been spreading globally through the passive transport of eggs originated in commercial activities, namely, the global trade of used tires and ornamental plants.

The Asian tiger mosquito arrived in Europe via Albania in 1979, and since then has been detected in several countries, such as Italy, France or Spain, being capable of transmitting diseases such as dengue, zika and chikungunya, as well as filarial parasites,

The invasive species was first detected in Portugal in September 2017 at a tire factory in the north of the country, which triggered a surveillance response by public health authorities at local, regional and national levels.

A year later, the same species was detected in the Algarve in very specific areas, and it is not known precisely how it was introduced.

 

Lagoa comes out top in a safety, Diversity and Tolerance Report

And to end this report some good news for Lagoa, In A study carried out by the Institute of Behavioural Technology ( INTEC ), to assess the quality of life of the Portuguese, concluded that Lagoa is the municipality in the country where citizens best evaluate safety, tolerance and diversity indices.

Rounding out the podium, behind Lagoa, are the municipalities of Caminha and Bragança, in 2nd and 3rd places, respectively.

The INTEC study brings together statistical data and surveys made to the population to assess the quality of life of the Portuguese. INTEC’s work is based on three pillars: objective living conditions, subjective well-being and the perceived quality of relationships between different social and cultural groups. Thus, in this study, environmental conditions, infrastructure, opportunities offered by the municipality , general satisfaction with the objective conditions of life and happiness with life in general are taken into account.

In the study presented, the municipality of Lagoa is distinguished from the others “by the tolerance that its population has towards each other, by the way in which it integrates the foreign community and how it welcomes immigrants. It stands out for accepting and respecting differences”.

Finally, if you would like to join us at our first Inaugural lunch in Loule on the 30th November where you will be able to meet some of the team from Safe Communities and hear from our Guest Speaker Clive Jewell, the British Vice Consul based here in Portimao, places are still available although they are going fast!

The cost is 30 euros payable in cash on the day and will include a three course lunch with wine or beer or soft drinks. To book a place send your name with your email address and contact phone number to newsletter@safecommunitiesportugal.com

 

 

 

 

 

Portugal Safety and Security report Wednesday 9th November 2022

 

Good morning – The 9th November is the date for this year’s Seismic risk awareness exercise which will take place at exactly 1109 hrs.

This has been widely publicised for a very good reason, that is because know what action to take in an earthquake can save your life and those of your family. We never know when a major earthquake may occour the, last major one being in 1967 when a 7.9 major earthquake caused loss of life and extensive damage in the Algarve.

Never adopt the attitude “it will never happen to me”. Even though major earthquakes are infrequent, depending on where the epicentre is, the magnitude and depth, all determine the extent of damage and potential loss of life. So “A Terra Treme” and practicing Drop Cover Hold, especially if you have young children and those with disabilities, is very important. Details here; https://www.aterratreme.pt/

Later this morning safe Communities will be undertaking the exercise and we will publish the photos on social media afterwards.

With some very wet weather around at present a reminder of safety on the road especially motorcyclists. Always wear protective gear, helmet, tough protective clothing and reflective material.  Always ride with the lights on, to be seen; do not ride between queues or moving vehicles; – move away from blind spots of vehicles and adjust your speed to the state of the road and ensure a safe distance.

We also ask everyone to regularly check the weather warnings issued by the IPMA. These can change from time to time and what is issued at the start of the day may well change in accordance with changing weather forecasts. Yesterday he Alcântara area, in Lisbon, was affected by “a low intensity tornado”, which caused damage to the roof of the Food Bank Against Hunger, official sources confirmed.

Patrícia Marques, meteorologist on duty at the IPMA, explained that it was “a supercell, which passed with a lot of activity and made a rotational movement that will have resulted in the image similar to a funnel”.

The “extreme wind phenomenon” was detected by IPMA radar data and was “short-lived in time”. The meteorologist said that the country is being crossed “by a cold frontal surface with a lot of activity”, which is making the Lisbon-Castelo Branco route, on the way to Spain. It is therefore important to regularly check the weather forecasts and warnings in place when planning your outdoor activities.

Civil Protection recorded 182 occurrences in mainland Portugal, between 00:00 and 15:00 yesterday, due to heavy rain and wind, with the districts of Lisbon and Aveiro being the most affected. These were essentially due to flooding on public roads and in urban areas with fallen trees, not counting those referring to the city of Lisbon”.

At around 2:30 pm, in a first assessment, Paulo Santos said he had recorded 106 occurrences, between 00:00 and 13:00 today, across the continental territory, due to heavy rain.The Civil Protection commander also said, at the time, that the districts most affected were those of Porto and Aveiro, mainly due to flooding in urban roads and falling trees.

“There was also a record of an occurrence of an extreme wind phenomenon, in the middle of the morning, around 10:50 am, in Marinha Grande [district of Leiria], which led to the fall of several trees, damage to 14 vehicles and a structure metal that flew and damaged high voltage lines, which led to the intervention of E-Redes”, said Paulo Santos.

With that have a good day and remember the “A Terra Treme” exercise at 1109 hrs!

 

News

October 2022 was the hottest month on record in Europe

October 2022 was the warmest month ever recorded in Europe, the European Union’s Earth Observation Program Copernicus said today, after a summer with record temperatures.

Average temperatures were “almost 2ºC above the reference period, 1991-2020”, the statement said.

The European service, which does not have comparable data before the period 1991-2020, had already announced that the summer of 2022 was the hottest on record (1.34ºC above normal).

“The serious consequences of climate change are evident and we need ambitious climate action at COP27 to ensure that emissions are reduced with the aim of stabilizing temperatures at a level close to the 1.5 degrees set by the Paris agreement”, said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the EU programme, quoted by Agence France-Presse.

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to try to stop global warming, is taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, until the 18th.

According to Copernicus, “a heat wave led to record daily temperatures in western Europe and an unprecedented month of October in Austria, Switzerland and France, as well as in much of Italy and Spain.”

The European continent is the one that registers the fastest heating on the planet.

In the last 30 years, Europe has seen an increase in temperatures of more than double the global average, with an average warming of about +0.5 degrees Celsius (ºC) per decade, according to a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and of Copernicus released a week ago.

In October, in some parts of the continent, the abnormal heat was added, as in summer, to the lack of rain. “The climate was drier than average in most of southern Europe and the Caucasus,” the statement said.

“Colder-than-average temperatures were recorded in Australia, far eastern Russia and parts of West Antarctica.”

Since the end of the 19th century, the Earth has warmed by almost 1.2°C, with about half of the increase occurring in the last 30 years. This year could be the fifth or sixth warmest on record, despite the impact since 2020 of the climate phenomenon “La niña” — a periodic and natural event in the Pacific, which cools the atmosphere, according to AFP.

 

DiCaprio’s film documentary about the Pedrógão Grande fire opens this week in Portugal

The documentary “From Devil’s Breath”, by Orlando Von Einsiedel, produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, which deals with the great fire of Pedrógão Grande in 2017, will be shown this week in Portugal, revealed the US Cinemas.

According to the exhibitor, the film will be shown between Friday and Sunday in Lisbon, Loulé, Viseu, Funchal, Aveiro, Braga, Matosinhos and Coimbra, in a total of 24 sessions.

The tickets have “a symbolic cost of five euros and part of the revenue will be donated to a reforestation project to be selected by Casa do Impacto”, which is an innovation hub promoted by Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, says the exhibitor.

“From Devil’s Breath” is a 40-minute documentary short film that tells the story of survivors of the great Pedrógão Grande fire in the summer of 2017, which killed 66 people.

The film’s production and co-production team brought together several people, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and journalists Tiago Carrasco and Catarina Fernandes Martins.

The recordings for the documentary took place in early 2020 and portray the story of Nádia Piazza, who lost her son and who was president of the Pedrógão Grande Fire Victims Association, one of the seriously injured, Vítor Neves, firefighter Sérgio Lourenço and by Sofia Carmo, who promotes reforestation projects in the affected area, journalist Tiago Carrasco told Lusa at the end of 2021.

The story of the survivors and what happened in Pedrógão Grande is crossed with the work and perspective of the English ecologist Thomas Crowther, with work in the restoration of ecosystems, who was also in Pedrógão Grande and who proposes solutions to the problem, he explained. According to the journalist, the production came to the idea of making the film in California (United States) or in Australia, but ended up choosing the case of Pedrógão Grande, “because it was so devastating, so concentrated and a tragedy with a huge loss of lives”.

“From Devil’s Breath”, which has already been shown at the Palm Springs Film Festival (USA) and at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), will be shown on Sunday, the 13th, on the North American channel MSNBC and is available on the Peacock streaming platform. The film is shown as part of the documentary series “Tipping Point”, by presenter Trevor Noah and production company Time Studios.

Orlando Von Einsiedel, who wrote “From Devil’s Breath”, won an Oscar for best documentary short in 2017 for the film “The White Helmets”, about volunteers from relief teams in the Syrian war.

According to exhibitor Cinemas NOS, the session of “From Devil’s Breath” at the Amoreiras cinema, on Friday, in Lisbon, will include a debate on climate change with deputy Miguel Costa Matos (PS), with co-producer Catarina Fernandes Martins. , Sofia Carmo, responsible for the reforestation program in Pedrógão Grande, and with moderation by Inês Sequeira, director of Casa do Impacto.

 

 

 

 

Madeira Situation Report Wednesday 2nd November 2022

Free prostate cancer screening

Hospital Particular da Madeira will carry out prostate cancer screening on every Monday of November (7th, 14th, 21st and 28th). It will be free of charge. This campaign is taking place in recognition of this month’s Prostate Cancer Prevention Month. According to Liga Portuguese Contra o Cancro (Portuguese League Against Cancer), prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.

Start of Winter eastJet flights between Lisbon and Porto Santo

EasyJet’s Winter season started on October 30th. It will continue to operate flights  between Lisbon and Porto Santo. These will take place on Wednesdays and Sundays. The flights will be operated by an Airbus A321neo with 235 seats. A total of 9,900 seats will be available.

Start of Caracas flights postponed

The start TAP route between Lisbon and Caracas with a stop in Funchal has been postponed again. It had been scheduled to start on August 21st. Since then, its start has been postponed several times. Miguel Albuquerque (President of the Madeira Regional Government) regretted the postponement. He reminded that TAP had previously operated this route, and it had been very successful. There is not only a big Madeiran expat community in Venezuela but also a large number of Madeira residents who used to live in Venezuela.

 53 cruise ship stops in November

This month is set to be the busiest month of the year in the Port of Funchal, as 53 cruise ships stops are scheduled to take place. There are already 3 cruise ships (Emerald Princess, Silver Moon and Hebridean Sky) docked.

Power cut

Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira (Madeira power supplier) announced there will be power cuts due to scheduled work on the electricity supply network. These cannot be postponed and will take place in the following days and places.

FUNCHAL 

October 3rd – 09h00 to 11h30

– Rua do Fontenário (numbers 8, 12C and 16)

– Travessa do Caetano (numbers 3 to 21)

– Beco do Fontenário (numbers 7 to 13)

PONTA DO SOL – MADALENA DO MAR 

October 4th – 00h00 to 05h00

– Túnel da Madalena (Madalena Tunnel)

– Túnel Madalena-Arco (Madalena Tunnel-Arco)

However, power could be restored during the time frame mentioned above. So, for safety purposes, it should be assumed that there will be power at any time during this period of time.

If necessary, customers can contact the free Customer Support Service number (Serviço de Apoio ao Cliente): 800 221 187.

 

Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 2nd November 2022

Good morning – Firstly thank to all of you who visited our stand at the Mediterranean Garden Fair at Estoi last weekend.

We were certainly kept busy particularly so on both mornings. A broad variety of topics A number of topics were raised but the most common were, land cleaning, rural fire preparedness, firescaping gardens, residency cards, GNR Safe Residence Program, crime levels, the work of Safe Communities, our Facebook page and our work during Covid-19.  I thank those of you who kindly made donations, which helps us a great deal in maintaining our services to the benefit of the community.

My thanks to Jane, Antonia, and Mile for being there to run the stand and to the organizers, Mediterranean Gardening Association, for organising once again such a great community event.

A reminder that the National Earthquake Awareness Exercise “A Terra Treme” will be conducted on Wednesday 9thNovember at precisely 11.09 hrs.

This is conducted each year with the aim of creating awareness and being prepared for, and what to do should an earthquakes take place. The last major earthquake one was on February 28, 1969 Portugal resulting in two deaths in the Algarve plus 11 more in Morocco. The epicentre was at sea, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) southwest of Lisbon and about 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the Cape of São Vicente, the south westernmost point of Portugal and of mainland Europe. The earthquake occurred at dawn, at 3:41AM, on a cold night after a rainy day in Lisbon. It registered a magnitude between 7.3 and 7.9 degrees on the Richter scale.

Every day around 10-15 very small earthquakes occur, mostly to the south west/south of Portugal and are seldom felt. However, Portugal is a high risk area hence the importance of awareness, as well of that of tsunamis. To participate simple register on the A terra Treme website and outline how many people will participate and the actions you are taking. This can be at the simplest level with the practice of the 3 gestures (Drop, Cover, Hold), to practicing a more complete exercise that even tests the Emergency Plan, involving different entities. More details here:

https://www.aterratreme.pt/

We are now into November and with the change of weather conditions, higher humidity, wetter and cooler, this is the time of the year when garden waste can be burned in small piles.

Unfortunately sometimes such burnings have become out of control as a result of those responsible not following the law concerning registration/authorisation or safety advice. As a result this has led to damage to rural areas and property and places the community and those who have to deal with such fires at risk.

It is important therefore to follow the law and adhere to the established safety guidelines in burning debris. During the whole year, on days of Very High or Maximum Risk, waste-burning is prohibited unless prior authorisation is obtained from the Câmara Municipal. From 1st of November till 31st of May, whenever the risk of fire is High, Moderate or Low, all that is required is for the Câmara Municipal to be given advance notification.

Lastly as we have now finished the official bathing season a reminder that beaches do not have life guards. So for those of you visiting the beaches and going for a dip in the sea please take extra care. The number of deaths from drown is at an all-time high this year. Please take heed of the presence of rip currents and warning flags that maybe in place. As we have mentioned before some cliffs along the Algarve and west coast are unstable and warning signs are in place. With the rains recently this may have exacerbated the situation. People have been warned!

With that please have a safe week ahead

News

The Mediterranean heats up faster than the rest of the planet and is one of the areas that will “suffer the most” from climate change

The Mediterranean is warming faster than the rest of the planet and a considerable rise in temperatures is expected even in places where the effects of climate change are mitigated, according to projections from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center.

The problem is more complex in the Mediterranean, which “heats faster than the rest of the world and is the hotspot for climate change,” said Francisco Doblas-Reyes, director of the earth sciences department at the National Supercomputing Center in Barcelona.

The conclusion is contained in the report “Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change”, published by the center last week, with the collaboration of more than a hundred experts who analyze the evolution of climate change and the impact on the health of citizens.

Projections of temperatures in Spain and the Mediterranean until 2100 indicate that they could rise between two and eight degrees, numbers “especially worrying due to the water pressure in this area”, he said.

Another conclusion is that heat waves and high temperatures will be more and more frequent, which will affect the health of people in Spain, a European country with a very aging population.

According to Doblas-Reyes, the Mediterranean is one of the areas of the planet that “will suffer the most” from the effects of already visible climate change, with one of the hottest Octobers in history.

The Europe-focused report points to “alarming increases” in health risks that countries on the continent are already facing due to extreme weather and climate events, increased risk of transmission of infectious diseases, heat-related illnesses and deaths from exposure to air pollution.

According to the report, exposure to heat waves between the first and second decades of the 21st century (2000-2009 and 2010-2019) increased by an average of 57%, with increases in some areas of more than 250%. 

Web Summit: Seventh edition starts today with more than 70 thousand participants

Newsroom, Nov 01, 2022 (Lusa) – The seventh edition of the Web Summit starts today in Lisbon and runs until Friday, with more than 70,000 participants this year, 2,630 ‘startups’ and companies, 1,120 investors and 1,040 speakers.

Web Summit executive president Paddy Cosgrave recently told Lusa that this year there are “many things”, from “the scale”, to the “sale [of tickets that sold out earlier than ever], three weeks ago”. .

In this year’s edition, the issue of cybersecurity will be under debate, as it continues to be “a big problem”.

Not just from the standpoint of individual security, each individual’s passwords and laptops and devices, “but also cybersecurity” at the country level.

In terms of Portuguese startups attending the event, “we have the largest number ever” and Brazil’s participation has grown a lot, said Paddy Cosgrave.

Regarding expectations for this edition, Cosgrave said that it will be “by far the busiest ever”, noting that the exhibitor space grew “60%”, as did the “drastic” increase in outdoor space.

He recalled that other events in the world are over, in the wake of the pandemic, but that the Web Summit is back busier than ever.

Web Summit is an annual technology conference, held in Lisbon since 2016 and is considered one of the largest and most important technology events in the world.

Note;

Tickets for the Web Summit 2022 is sold out. You can pre-register for the 2023 edition here:

More than 10 million cigarettes seized in a container in Leiria

More than ten million cigarettes in a maritime container parked next to the public road in the Leiria region were seized by the Tax and Customs Authority (AT), the AT have published on its Portal.

The goods, according to AT, would result in a tax evasion of around 1.87 million euros, with a loss of the same amount for the European Union and the Portuguese State.

It was during a control operation carried out by the Southern Operational Division of the Customs Antifraud Services Department and the Lisbon Tax Detachment of the UAF/GNR that they found that the container contained 10,500,000 cigarettes packed in boxes, ready to be sold.

“In order to safeguard the financial interests and the preservation of public health in the 27 States of the Union, the cigarettes were seized, thus preventing them from entering the consumption chain”, the statement said.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 2nd November 2022

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 21st of October until Thursday 27th of October there were 55 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 1,482 tests performed. 83 people have recovered, and no new deaths have been recorded with the total at 118. There are 109 active cases, 28 fewer than the previous week.

There are 6 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 28th of October with Covid, three of which are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

121198 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 50% of the population.

Privatization of SATA Internacional foreseen in the 2023 Azores Budget 

The privatization of the majority of SATA International’s capital is foreseen in the Azores budget proposal for 2023.

The “divestment of a controlling interest (51%) in Azores Airlines” is foreseen in the restructuring plan for the Azorean airline approved in June by the European Commission.

The Regional Budget for 2023 stipulates that, within the scope of the sale of SATA International, a special committee must be set up to monitor the respective process, which will be extinguished with its expiry, as well as the preparation of a “risk prevention plan”. of corruption”.

Through the legislative decree, the regional government is also “authorized to sell the shareholdings it holds in affiliated entities, with the exception of sectors considered strategic for the Autonomous Region of the Azores and of primary need for the populations”.

Ribeira Quente: 25 years ago, landslides caused the death of 29 people 

It is 25 years since one of the geomorphological instability events that caused the highest number of fatalities and substantial material damage in the Azores.

After a particularly rainy month of October, in the early hours of October 31st, 1997, there was an episode of extremely intense rainfall that, together with strong winds from the southeast quadrant, particularly affected the municipalities of Povoação and Nordeste, Island of São Miguel. Throughout the island, numerous slope movements were triggered, most of which were very fluid detrital drains, the most serious of which occurred in the parish of Ribeira Quente, in the municipality of Povoação, causing the death of 29 people, seven injured and 69 displaced.

Several houses and bridges were partially or totally destroyed, basic infrastructure such as electricity, water supply and telecommunications were interrupted or damaged, and fertile land for various uses was covered by mud. Most of the island’s main roads were affected by landslides, and Ribeira Quente was isolated for more than 12 hours, due to its only access being impassable. Losses of around 21 million euros were estimated.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 26th October 2022

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 14th of October until Thursday 20th of October there were 111 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 1,752 tests performed. 123 people have recovered, and one new death has been recorded with the total at 118. There are 137 active cases, 12 fewer than the previous week.

There are 7 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 21st of October with Covid, two of which are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

121143 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 50% of the population.

There was a lack of electricity in several areas of the island of São Miguel last weekend 

According to EDA – Electricidade dos Açores, the lack of electricity supply was due to a technical failure at the Caldeirão Power Station.

Several areas of the island of São Miguel were, at the beginning of this Sunday night, temporarily without electricity supply.

Isabel Barata, from EDA, explains that the lack of electricity was due to a technical problem at the Caldeirão Power Station, which forced 16 lines to be disconnected across the island.

The power supply, interrupted at 7:40 pm, was eventually restored at 8:01 pm. “At 20:01 the lines were all connected, and the line that was disconnected the longest was for 20 minutes”, said Isabel Barata.

The interruption of electricity supply affected areas in Livramento, Porto Formoso, Rabo de Peixe, Capelas and São Vicente, among other locations.

Azores create birth support of 1500 euros in municipalities with population loss 

The Government of the Azores will create a birth support program, called “Nascer Mais”, to combat the depopulation of some municipalities in the region, through the attribution of support of 1,500 euros per child.

“The financial support translates into the provision of a ‘plafond’ of 1,500 euros to be used in any pharmacy in the region, for the purchase of a set of products and goods intended to promote the well-being of the child”.

 

Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 26th October 2022

Good morning – It has been a very busy couple of weeks at Safe Communities Portugal starting with Antonia Vignolo (newly elected management board member) and myself attending the seminar in Loule to mark the International Day for Disaster Reduction. This was a full day seminar with some very interesting presentations and an opportunity to discuss relevant issues with Patricia Gaspar Secretary of State for Civil Protection the Mayor of Loule and others in the audience. There was much focus of climate change and what steps need to be taken by governments and local authorities the help safeguard communities.

On 18th October 2022, David Thomas, President of Safe Communities Portugal gave a presentation at the “Urban Security – Municipalities and the Protection of Public Space Conference” held at the Convento São Francisco, Coimbra.

This two day event, attended by around 300 people, comprised mainly police and Government officials as well as universities and municipalities, was organised by the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI). The Minister of Internal Administration José Luís Carneiro and Secretary of State Isabel Oneto gave addresses at the close of the conference.

The topic which David presented under the six thematic areas, was: “Delivering Police Services using advanced technology”, specifically: “Use of Apps in assisting in the delivery of police services” and “Overseas experiences in the use of police body worn cameras (BWCs)”.

These are both topical issues concerning policing generally, in particular “body worn cameras”, which the government are planning to introduce for police in Portugal shortly. The last law to be introduced was at the end of 2021 covering the circumstances on when they can be used and issues such as privacy and the rights of both police officers and the public. David’s presentation drew upon overseas experiences, particularly in UK, Australia and USA who have used them for many years. The presentation included observations regarding their use, for government to consider in the development, introduction and roll out. This will be published in this week’s English newspapers, the Portugal News and Algarve Resident.

This was also an opportunity to meet with both the Minister of Internal Administration José Luís Carneiro and Secretary of State Isabel Oneto concerning sharing of overseas experiences, the framework of the Urban Security conference and the Local Security Contracts CLS program.

Yesterday I attended the Seminar at the Regional Tourism Algarve in Faro to conclude the policing reinforcement period from 1st July to 15th September for the Algarve. During this period there are various programs put in place and a greater visibility of police through increased numbers, to deal with the considerable increase in tourists.  Presentations were made by the GNR, PSP, ANSR (Road safety authority) and SEF as well as an address by the Minister of Internal Administration.

The figures were presented showing a decrease in road accidents from 1st January to September, compared to the same period of 2019 as well as fewer deaths. The average time to resolve fires was 54 minutes.  Of the 209 fire incidents in the Algarve so far this year, 204 were dominated within 90 minutes. On the crime front there was a slight increase in overall crime during the year but a reduction in serious crime compared to 2021.

A reminder that from yesterday all dogs, cats and ferrets must have and identification microchips. On the official page of the Companion Animal Information System (SIAC), where the animals have to be registered, there is the indication of the “mandatory identification of cats and ferrets”, and that “from October 25, 2022, the transitional period ends, and the mandatory identification of all cats and ferrets, regardless of their date of birth”. More details can be found here:

The Minister of Internal Administration announced yesterday that the GNR will take control of all maritime border posts, including cruise terminals, as part of the transfer of powers from the SEF to the GNR. Within the scope of the restructuring process of the Aliens and Borders Service (SEF), according to the 2021 law that establishes the transfer of powers to the PSP and GNR, the control of cruise terminals would pass to the competence of the Public Security Police, but this will no longer happen, with the National Republican Guard in control of the entire maritime border. I discussed this with a GNR officer yesterday and he agreed this makes senses to ensure a standardized and consistent approach. The date of the introduction has not yet been announced.

Lastly with wetter weather around a reminder to take care on the roads, check tyres and wipers are in good order and use the lights in rain and poor visibility.

Have a safe week ahead

News:

Health misinformation has become an “infodemic” fuelled by covid-19

Health disinformation has escalated with covid-19, a digital “true infodemic” that must be fought through an alliance between public authorities, industry and civil society, warns the World Health Organization (WHO).

“The dimension of this problem and the potential danger to human life became evident with the covid-19 pandemic and forced interested parties to seek more creative, effective and collaborative solutions” , says the manual, to combat misinformation in health and WHO non-communicable diseases, by the Portuguese Francisco Goiana-da-Silva, Francisco de Abreu Duarte and João Marecos.

These types of diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and respiratory diseases, are responsible for almost 90% of all deaths in the WHO European region, covering 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, most of which avoidable.

The document is the result of three conferences organized by the WHO – Agência Lusa participated in one of these meetings – on the subject and intends to be a manual to help build a set of tools and policy initiatives to combat disinformation in the health area.

“Despite constant warnings from different national and international public authorities, health misinformation continues to increase” , warns the document, advancing that, according to a 2018 survey, half of European Union residents sought health information ‘online’ in 2017, a number that has nearly doubled since 2008.

“This points to a growing trend in which increasingly digitally literate young people seek diagnoses, help and advice through internet searches and self-help tools, and also rely on internet articles as reliable sources of health information”, stresses the manual.

The WHO also emphasizes that, although there are several positive aspects in increasing access to information, this can lead to often worrying results, witnessing an “infodemic” that must be fought through a common and aligned strategy of all parties. .

According to the document, the covid-19 pandemic thus represents a “great opportunity to test how different stakeholders can come together to combat” health disinformation.

This is at a time when “more and more individuals obtain their health information from digital places”, such as search engines or social media platforms, often with incorrect and inaccurate information, which can lead to consequences such as a harmful lifestyle, self-medication, medical treatment abandonment or misdiagnosis.

The document points to the example of several reports of a potential link between autism and vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella that can still be found online, despite having been proven false by numerous scientific studies.

WhatsApp features reset after more than two hours down

The WhatsApp application, a messaging platform that belongs to Meta (owner of the social networks Facebook and Instagram), was down for thousands of users, according to complaints filed this Tuesday morning on the DownDetector page . However, after 10 am, service began to return to normal.

The DownDetector website , which monitors the unavailability of digital services taking into account the information shared by users themselves, has reported more than 3,500 complaints in Portugal since approximately 7:45 am this Tuesday.

The page also has a map where it is possible to verify that the failures reached Portugal, with the majority being registered in the two largest cities in the country, Lisbon and Porto.

On Twitter, DownDetector indicates that the problems on Whatsapp started at 7:17 am (Portuguese time).

The problems didn’t just happen in Portugal. The press particularly reports complaints from users in India, where, according to the website, there were over 20,000 complaints.

Closer to home, in Spain the complaints also surpassed 20,000 and in the United Kingdom, 60,000.

However, around 10:00 am some users started to have access – albeit intermittently – to Whatsapp and, at the moment (10:20 am), it seems that all features have been restored.

So far there is no official statement or note from Meta.

Algarve will have 60 new police officers and two new teams at the airport – PSP

Faro, Oct 25, 2022 (Lusa) – The Faro command of the PSP will now have 60 more personnel, a reinforcement that will allow the creation of two new rapid intervention teams in the security division of Faro Airport, the district commander revealed today.

According to Dário Prates, the PSP currently has 835 agents in the Algarve, a number that has now been reinforced with the opening of 60 new vacancies.

The official was speaking during a ceremony at the command of Faro of the PSP, chaired by the Minister of Internal Administration, José Luís Carneiro, which was also attended by part of the 60 agents who will perform duties in Faro, 45 of whom are already working in command. .

The entry of new agents will allow the creation of two new rapid intervention teams for the airport, increasing the capacity for rapid reaction and intervention throughout the command, already anticipating the new tasks that the PSP will assume in the scope of border control, said Dário Prates.

Stressing that the means are always “by definition, scarce”, the official praised, however, the “very positive response” within the scope of the identified needs, pointing out airport security and proximity policing as two of the main axes to bet with this reinforcement.

Some of the police officers stationed in Faro are still attending specialization courses, among others, and the presentation of most of the new agents “will take place in the coming weeks”.

The agents who will start working in the airport division will now have a specific training phase ahead, he added.

Also according to Dário Prates, only 7% of the staff of the PSP’s Faro district command is female, with the average age of the agents being 47.8 years.

At the ceremony, José Luís Carneiro noted that this reinforcement “is only possible due to the placement of 900 new police officers who have now completed their training”.

According to the official, the increase in the number of agents and the creation of two new teams at Faro Airport “integrate a wider set of restructuring measures” that will be taken.

The Minister of Internal Administration also recalled that there is a planned investment of 600 million euros until 2026, aimed, in particular, at the modernization of infrastructure and the acquisition of equipment.

COMMENT Safe Communities Portugal attended the ceremony

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 26th October 2022

by Mike Evans

Good day to you all and with the weather having taken a turn for the worse, or some would say the better with regards to the water situation in the Algarve, it is noted that although we had very much less rain than in previous years the orange production in the Algarve was nearly 20% up on the previous year. Obviously when we get torrential rain it does cause other issues with localised flooding but so far this scenario has been rather limited here in the Algarve. Also in a survey conducted recently, it was found that Fire and Drought are the main issues which Portuguese feel strongly about. You can read more on this further in the report.

Here are some news stories from across the region which we hope you will find of interest.

GNR Detained 77 People Last Week Across The Region

Last week, the GNR detained a total of 77 people in various operations in the district of Faro, including those aimed at preventing and combating violent crime, road inspection and drug trafficking . According to the report on weekly operational activity released by the Faro Territorial Command of that security force, in police actions, between 17 and 23 October, 26 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, nine for driving without a legal licence. and 10 for drug trafficking. During that period, 440 traffic violations were detected, 111 for speeding, 53 for lack of mandatory periodic inspection and 31 for signalling and lighting anomalies, 16 for lack of compulsory insurance, 15 for lack or incorrect use of the seat belt and/or child restraint system and 13 for misuse of mobile phone.

According to the GNR, among other products, 864 doses of cannabis, 166 of hashish, 42 of cocaine, six lemongrass and four weapons, including a carbine and a revolver, were seized.

With regard to accidents on the Algarve roads, 132 accidents were recorded, with five seriously injured and 22 minor. On the other hand, 60 awareness-raising actions were carried out within the scope of the Idosos em Segurança and Escola Segura programs.

Known Drug Trafficker Arrested In Albufeira

The GNR detained on suspicion of drug trafficking, in Albufeira, a 25-year-old man who had in his possession 16 doses of cocaine, seven ecstasy pills and seven doses of liamba, it was revealed this Monday. According to a statement from that security force, as part of an operation to combat drug trafficking, the GNR military detected last Thursday “a man with suspicious behaviour in an area connected with illicit acts of this nature”. “After approaching the suspect, a personal search was carried out and several narcotic products were seized, properly packaged and ready for sale”, says the GNR. The detainee,“with a criminal record for committing the same type of crime”, was present for the first interrogation on Friday at the Albufeira Court, and the coercive measure of identity and residence was applied.

Sexual Abuse Suspect Held in Pre-Trail Detention

On October 19, the Public Prosecutor of the Silves unit of the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) of the district of Faro, presented to the Criminal Investigation
Court of Portimão, a 43-year-old man, detained for the alleged practice of several crimes of child sexual abuse, currently 15 years old.

The crimes allegedly took place inside the minor's family home, in Silves, and in a hotel. The detainee, the minor’s uncle, “took advantage of the close relationship he had with the victim
since he was 12 years old to have complete sexual intercourse”, can be read in a note sent by the Attorney General’s Office of the District of Faro. The Public Prosecutor's Office requested and applied for the defendant to be held on remand and was successfully obtained.

Large Crowd Protests Against Development in Lagoa

Dozens of people gathered on Saturday, October 22, next to the municipal auditorium of Lagoa , to protest against the real estate project approved for a temporary wetland called Alagoas Brancas in that municipality in the district of Faro. The protest action was called by the Portuguese Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity with the aim of “gathering as much support as possible to try to reverse the approval and prevent the project from progressing”.

One of the promoters of the initiative said, without specifying which ones, that the next steps are still being defined “to prevent the development of the enterprise”, at this time the collection of signatures for a petition that will be delivered to various entities.

The development, consisting of 11 lots, is contested by environmentalists because, they claim, the construction “will destroy that wetland and jeopardise the safety” of the city in a
flood situation. According to the Lagoa Chamber, the initial project was approved in 2009 and went through all the licensing phases provided for by law to allow the granting of the permit and the subdivision.

The group that promoted the challenge brought an injunction that reached the Supreme Administrative Court. This instance ended up giving reason to the promoter of the enterprise.

The mayor of Lagoa, Luís Encarnação, said last Wednesday that the court considered that there was no reason for an injunction for not recognizing an environmental value that justifies an intervention. Earthworks for the construction of the subdivision have been ongoing since last week.

Last May, the Central Administrative Court of the South (TCAS) rejected the assumptions that led the Administrative and Tax Court (TAF) of Loulé to suspend, in May 2021, the subdivision. According to the mayor, a study by Almargem, an association for the defence of cultural and environmental heritage in the Algarve, which contests the work, is the only one that claims there is an “environmental value” in the land in question.

Fire and Drought are Portuguese Main Concerns

Forest fires, drought, climate change and food waste are the main environmental concerns expressed by the Portuguese in the III Great National Sustainability Survey, released this
week.

According to the study promoted by Missão Continente, in partnership with the Institute of Social Sciences ( ICS ) of the University of Lisbon, which surveyed 1,520 Portuguese people
over 18 years of age, there is “some media influence in the formation of the main environmental concerns”, with the fires being mentioned by 47% of respondents and water shortages by 32%, while climate change and food waste are mentioned in 30% of the occasions.

The survey also aimed to assess the opinion of the Portuguese on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals assumed by the United Nations, but 64% of respondents are unaware of them and only 36%, more educated, said they knew what it was about. When asked about the value they attribute to each of them, on a global scale, the eradication of poverty, zero hunger, health and education are indicated, but at the national level, priority is given to health and well-being (53%), poverty eradication (52%) and quality education (39%). “From then on, and boosted by the covid-19 effect, the issue of health became a major concern in all age groups, whereas in the previous survey [2019] it was already notorious, but it was clearly concentrated among the elderly”, is mentioned in the study coordinated by Luísa Schmidt and Mónica Truninger.

The emphasis given to the need for quality education “is practically transversal to the entire Portuguese society”, such as the priority given to reducing inequalities, a consensual
concern in the population, “regardless of the different social statutes”.

“The general concern with environmental problems is cemented and only the urgency of serious socio-economic issues, such as hunger and poverty, diverts the focus of the Portuguese from the situation that, globally, seems worrying to them, that of the
environment”, is underlined in the survey results.

One of the study coordinators, Luísa Schmidt, warned of the relationship between schooling and mastery of concepts. “The more educated people are, the closer they are to more modern concepts of sustainability”, emphasised the researcher. Although in June, when the surveys were carried out, 65% of people considered that the pandemic crisis is not over yet, confinement and restrictions had implications for the way “many Portuguese began to relate to natural values” and almost half (45 %) considers to have become more sensitive to environmental and nature issues. “The value of nature is beginning to be valued more and, with the covid-19, it has increased”, stressed Luísa Schmidt, who highlighted the greater importance given to parks and outdoor gardens, as well as walks.

According to the researcher, “the use of green spaces for public use has become absolutely central in people’s lives” and “people demand more green spaces, they are more attentive to what is happening with them”. “There is a new relationship with nature,” she added.

When looking at what the concept of well-being means for the Portuguese, health (46%) stands out, at a great distance, quality of life/comfort and financial stability, but 44% of respondents do not give a positive assessment of the level of well-being that the country provides to its citizens.

Among the aspects analysed, the distribution of wealth is the most mentioned negatively by the respondents (55%), followed by the functioning of democracy (46%) and the functioning
of public institutions (42%). “On the other hand, most Portuguese people focus their personal satisfaction on aspects
such as neighbourhood relations, community life and access to green spaces”, says the report.

As for the future, “there is widespread apprehension, both from the point of view of the respondents; living conditions and of the ecological future”. With a view to a more sustainable future, respondents considered that the country should invest above all in quality education and training, in a more equitable distribution of wealth and in the environment as a guarantee of natural resources, such as renewable energies.

30 Year Old arrested for Drug Trafficking in Vila Do Bispo

On Thursday, the 20th, the GNR arrested a 30-year-old man for drug trafficking in Vila do Bispo and seized more than 1,000 doses of drugs, it was released today. In a statement, the GNR added that it had gone to a location following an occurrence, having detected several cannabis plants outside the residence, which led to its arrest of the suspect. After a house search, 864 doses of cannabis, 493 grams of liquid LSD, 34 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms, three cannabis plants and one LSD tablet were seized, as well as material for the cultivation and preparation of the narcotic.

2 People Rescued From Burning Sailing Boat off Lagos

Two people were rescued from a sailboat with a fire on board about three nautical miles from Praia da Luz, in Lagos , on Monday night, October 24, the National Maritime Authority
announced. The crew were assisted by elements of the Sagres Lifeguard Station and the Lagos Maritime.

Police Local Command after the alert was given at 23:00 through the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre in Lisbon.
The elements of the maritime security forces followed the Belgian-flagged sailboat, supported by two vessels, having verified that the two crew members did not need medical assistance and had extinguished the fire using their own resources. For reasons of navigation safety, the burning sailboat was towed to the port of Lagos and the local Maritime Police Command took care of the incident.

Wanted Man Arrested For Carob Theft

A 37-year-old man suspected of stealing carob and wanted by the authorities to serve an effective prison sentence was detained by the GNR on Tuesday, October 18, in Albufeira , that force announced. The arrest took place following an alert for a carob theft on private property, and the man was located and intercepted off-site, the Faro Territorial Command said in a statement. In the suspect's vehicle, the military detected and seized 325 kilograms of carob, the guard specified.

In the course of the investigations carried out, the military of that security force found that the suspect was subject to an arrest warrant for the execution of a three-month effective prison sentence. The man was taken to a prison, not specified by the GNR, having been constituted a defendant for the alleged theft of carob. The case was sent to the Albufeira Court.