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Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 14th December 2022

by Mike Evans

A very good day to you all with the news that the rains seem to have ceased for the moment and as we get closer to Christmas it seems that Santa has been giving the public workers at Albufeira Council an early present of an extra day off when it is their birthday! More on this story below.

Continuing the season of giving gifts, the Government has also decided to allow all public workers the days of the 23rd and the 30th December as holidays.The Government has decided to grant time off on the 23rd and 30th of December to workers who carry out public functions in the State, according to an order already signed by the Prime Minister, António Costa.

“One-off tolerance is granted to workers who perform public functions in the services of the direct administration of the State, whether central or decentralised, and in public institutes on the next 23 and 30 December 2022”, refers to the dispatch.

In this dispatch, the prime minister justifies the point tolerance by the fact that it is “traditional for many people to travel outside their places of residence during the Christmas and New Year period with a view to holding family reunions”.

António Costa then refers to “the practice that has been followed over the years” and “the existing tradition in the sense of granting time off, at this time, in non-essential public services”.

In relation to these two days of time off, in the diploma it is noted that “except services and bodies that, for reasons of public interest, must remain in operation during that period, in terms to be defined by the competent member of the Government ”.

“Without prejudice to the continuity and quality of the service to be provided, the top managers of the services and bodies referred to in the previous number must promote the equivalent waiver of the duty of attendance of the respective workers, on a day to be set in due course”, it adds.

Here are some more stories that you may have missed in the past two weeks.

Albufeira Council gives Workers the Day off for their Birthdays

The 7th of December was marked by the Collective Signature of a Public Employer Entity between the municipality of Albufeira and four civil service workers’ unions, which provides for the dismissal from work on the birthday.

The action took place in the Main Hall of the Town Hall and was attended by the mayor , José Carlos Rolo, and councillors Ricardo Clemente and Cláudia Guedelha, representing the public employer, and representatives of three unions: STAL, STFPSSRA and SINTAP.

The respective agreements, which will come into force on the first working day following their publication in the Diário da República, aim to regulate the functions performed by workers and the employer. This time, the agreements highlight overtime work, the annual limit on the duration of overtime work, the vacation period , dismissals and justified absences, the municipal holiday and time off during Carnival, and the inclusion of workers’ birthday dismissal.

José Carlos Rolo stated that “the municipality’s concern for workers is constant, so the attribution of the birthday waiver benefit present in this agreement was a unanimous decision”.

Cláudia Guedelha, councillor of the City Council and responsible for Human Resources, referred that “the unions, as well as human resources, are an internal concern”, further emphasise that “it is a priority for the municipality to attend to all employers and make sure that there is well-being in the workplace”.

The unions present took the opportunity to thank and recognize the municipality for its effort and commitment during the process of agreements. Carlos Cabral, from SINTAP, congratulated the municipality for the “effort to value workers’ rights”, while Teresa Garcês, from STFPSSRA, said she hoped for “continuity of dialogue’ ‘ between all parties. Bruno Luz, from STAL, thanked for the “cooperation”, explaining that getting the day off on a birthday without loss of pay “was one of the biggest demands and for a long time”, for which “we can well say that it was a victory of the workers”.

Over 230 Occurrences due to the heavy rains in the Algarve

The bad weather that has hit the south of the country since Sunday, December 4th, has caused over 230 incidents to be registered by the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command.

The eastern Algarve was the most affected area, namely the municipality of Faro with 92 occurrences, followed by Tavira with 17, Loulé 14, Albufeira 13, Vila Real de Santo António 11, São Brás de Alportel and Olhão 10, Alcoutim 8, Castro Marim 4, Lagoa, Monchique and Silves 2 and Lagos and Portimão 1.

All of these occurrences recorded due to precipitation and wind had the intervention of a total of 410 operators, supported by 168 fire engines, Municipal Civil Protection Services, City Councils, Parish Councils and municipal companies.

Wednesday night was marked by heavy rain that fell in the eastern Algarve, with records of flooding in Monte Gordo, Hortas, Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim, which suffered with showers of 45 litres per m2 in just one hour.

In the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, the municipality, the Municipal Civil Protection Service, the firefighters of Vila Real de Santo António, security forces, members of the Parish Councils and the company Ecoambiente were present throughout the night and into the early morning. the heavy rainfall situation and responded to various emergency situations and occurrences.

To minimise damages and losses, the municipality has permanently placed teams abroad to monitor all occurrences.

All districts on the mainland are under yellow warning due to the forecast of sometimes heavy rain, which may be accompanied by thunder and strong gusts of wind. A  vehicle that was dragged by the current last weekend on the river beach of Ribeira de Cadavais, in Alcoutim , was removed from the Guadiana river on Wednesday, November 7, announced the National Maritime Authority.

The car was removed by a team of divers from the Vila Real de Santo António Firefighters, a team from the Volunteer Firefighters, Civil Protection and Alcoutim City Council.

According to the National Maritime Authority, the vehicle was in a part of the river that constituted a danger to navigation, having been removed to land after buoyancy and towing work by elements of the Vila Real de Santo António Lifeguard Station. Due to the steep slope of the site, it was necessary to use a backhoe machine from the Civil Protection and Alcoutim City Council.

There were also elements of the Local Command of the Maritime Police of Vila Real de Santo António.

The owner of the vehicle was notified to present a plan to remove the vehicle from the site and the operation was coordinated by the Port Captain and Local Commander of the Maritime Police of Vila Real de Santo António.

Maritime Police seize 280 kilos of drugs on the Vicentine coast

Elements of the Lagos Maritime Police Local Command seized on Monday, December 5th, eight bundles of narcotics with a total of around 280 kilos of hashish, announced the National Maritime Authority.

The apprehension took place during a patrolling action south of the Vicentine coast, when several suspicious packages were detected on the sand of a beach.

The security forces immediately went to the location and confirmed that they were bales, which were promptly seized.The seized drug was later handed over to the Judiciary Police and the Lagos Maritime Police Local Command took care of the incident.

Two arrested for vehicle theft in São Bartolomeu de Messines

A man and a woman were arrested this Wednesday, November 30, for theft of a vehicle in São Bartolomeu de Messines , in the municipality of Silves , announced the National Republican Guard.

After a report of theft inside a vehicle, the military went to the scene, noting that the 40-year-old man and the 37-year-old woman were trying to steal a car.

It was also possible to establish that the suspects had already stolen a vehicle in the Salir area, in the municipality of Loulé, which was abandoned in São Bartolomeu de Messines.

GNR seizes 809 bottles of nitrous oxide on the A22

The National Republican Guard (GNR) seized on Friday, December 2nd, on motorway 22 ( A22 ), near Tavira , 809 bottles of nitrous oxide inside a heavy vehicle from Spain, and identified two men.

In a statement, the Faro Territorial Command of the GNR specified that the seizure of the product, with an estimated value of 55 thousand euros, resulted from a surveillance operation at the land border next to the International Bridge in Castro Marim, together with the Guardia Civil de Spain.

The investigation was initiated based on information from the Police and Customs Cooperation Center of Castro Marim (Portugal) and Ayamonte (Spain) and the exchange of information with the Spanish police authorities, advanced the guard.

GNR arrests two suspects for drug trafficking in Alcantarilha

The National Republican Guard (GNR) arrested on Wednesday, December 7th, in Alcantarilha , in the municipality of Silves , two men suspected of drug trafficking and seized 495 individual doses of drugs.

In a statement, the Faro Territorial Command of the GNR indicated that the two men, aged 30 and 36, were the occupants of a vehicle approached by the military because they suspected their involvement in a drug trafficking situation.

Following the operation, the military seized 430 doses of heroin, 65 of ‘crack’, the vehicle, telecommunications equipment and 200 euros, said the security force.The detainees will be present at the Silves court to be heard in the first judicial interrogation and application of any coercive measures.

And finally the biggest nativity scene in the country is back and was inaugurated on Wednesday, November 30, at the António Aleixo Cultural Centre, in Vila Real de Santo António , announced the municipality.

This year, the initiative once again breaks records with the use of 5700 pieces, some of them made from scratch by the authors, placed over 240 square metres. For something a little bit different to the usual nativity scenes, Lagoa has the statues returning on the 16th and 17th December.In this year’s edition, 16 masters of the art of immobility, divided into 14 artistic paintings, will embody characters based on different themes, such as the living nativity scene, mythology, the great personalities of history and religion, in a journey that will extend through Rua Coronel Figueiredo, Rua 25 de Abril and Largo 5 de Outubro.

In this edition, two events will be highlighted: the celebration of the centenary of the birth of José Saramago (1922-2022) and the 25th anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, which will be marked with two living statues.

As usually happens, the living statues will be subject to two votes: one by visitors and another by a jury, where visitors will be able to vote for their favourite statue.

At the end of the event there will be a prize for the best statue, chosen by the public, and another prize for the best statue, chosen by the jury.

This event, a pioneer in the south of Portugal, already has eight editions in the city of Lagoa, aims to “disseminate and dignify artistic creation in this unique performing art, and simultaneously animate the centre of Lagoa and boost local commerce in the middle of the Christmas season”, he says. the municipality in a statement.

On Friday, December 16th, you can visit the Living Statues between 3 pm and 6 pm. On Saturday, December 17th, you can visit the Living Statues between 10am and 1pm.

 

Madeira Situation Report Wednesday 7th November 2022

Urban cleaning personnel to clear rain gutters

As a result of weather warnings on Tuesday, the Municipality of Funchal cancelled all scheduled urban cleaning work, and sent all the relevant employees to clear rain gutters across Funchal. It is hoped this will help prevent flooding across the city.

More than 12,000 grams of psychoactive substances apprehended by the PSP

The PSP (Public Security Police) has so far apprehended  more than 12,000 grams of psychoactive substances, and opened 97 investigations related to the trafficking and consumption of such substances.

TAP cabin crew strike

TAP cabin crew will go on strike on December 8th and 9th. As a result, hundreds of TAP flights have been cancelled. However, a court ruled that TAP must operate at least 2 daily return flights to the Autonomous Region of Madeira during the days when the strike will take place.

New flight routes to Madeira

Wizz Air started operated flights between Funchal and Vienna airports on December 3rd. It will operate a weekly flight during the Winter season.

easyJet started operating flights between Funchal Airport and Milan-Malpensa Airport on December 4th. This will provide tourists from Italy with another option when flying to Madeira. It is scheduled to operate 2 weekly flights, on Sundays and Mondays.

Christmas lights in Funchal

Funchal’s traditional Christmas lights have now been switched on. A video and some photos can be watched on the following links:

Water supply disruption in São Roque

The Municipality of Funchal informed there will be a water supply disruption on Friday, November 9th, from 09h00 to 12h00, as a result of scheduled work on the water supply network in the São Roque area. A full list of all the areas affected is available on the following website:

 

 

 

 

Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 7th December 2022

Good morning – This introduction focuses on the issuing of the weather warnings by the IPMA, the notification to the population by the ANEPC of the forecast weather and likely effects, and of course the weather conditions and impact experienced in the Algarve particularly on Sunday 4th and Monday 5th December 2022.

It was clear from the warnings and notifications, especially the hoisting of an orange rain warning coupled with a yellow level high wind warning, that the Algarve was likely to experience bad weather which could pose a public safety risk. This was well supported by weather charts at least two days in advance showing the arrival of heavy rain resulting from a depression forming to the west of the Iberian Peninsula. This is not unusual at this time of the year, but what is important is distinguishing between what is “normal” and what poses a higher risk than normal.

The fact is that, high winds, heavy rain showers and the term “extreme wind conditions” the term used by the ANEPC in their bulletin, are all indicators of what lay ahead. In our posts we included the ECMWF model showing heavy rain approaching around late afternoon on Saturday evening – and so it came to pass right on time!

If everyone had read the bulletins and warnings that were published, more people would have been aware and prepared. With the type of heavy and intense rain showers that are being encountered some are invariably “scattered” which means it does not always affect everyone. If it does affect an area then the population recognizes the good work of forecasters; however if the areas does see a single drop of rain, then residents  may claim that the warnings were exaggerated and can become blasé to the risk.  This can be a grave mistake and although weather forecasting has greatly improved over the last few years, there are still many variables particularly for instance in the path taken by cyclones. If an orange level (the second highest on the scale) is issued this should be taken seriously and be prepared as advised by the ANEPC.

It is worth noting that the main areas of the Algarve that were flooded on Sunday and Monday included Quarteira and Faro – both coastal towns. In November 2015 Albufeira (another coastal town) suffered from widespread flooding as following the hoisting of a red warning. It is therefore important to know your area and locations which may be more vulnerable to flooding.

The second point I wish to make is driving in heavy rain and flooded areas. We published advice on this, some of the main points being: to use lights when driving and not to cross flooded areas by car or cycling as sewage covers can become dislodged with obvious risks. Although most people appeared to be using their lights, not all were and this included some professional drivers. In the very heavy rain on Monday morning on the A22 a number of people were driving will over 130 km/h (I was at 95km/h) and given the conditions this posed a danger to themselves and others.

If there are floods and extremely heavy rain consider – is the journey really necessary? If there are floods ahead try and turn around or change direction if possible. If, however you do find yourself in a flooded area do not try and drive through.  If the vehicle is too deep the water may cover the exhaust pipe and you will be stranded probably affecting others as well. From social medial footage I saw many were attempting to drive too quickly thereby causing a bow wave which is dangerous and can result in a vehicle using its grip and damage to the engine. Certainly some of the cars shown in some photos/video had become dislodged in open sewage channels and had therefore been immobilized in part due to drivers taking the wrong decisions. I will be publishing more about this later this morning.

The forecast weather for today Wednesday has necessitated the raising of the Yellow and Orange level warnings for the Algarve, Beja and Setubal starting Faro at 0600 hrs a heavy rain warning for all other districts, so be aware and follow the precautions.

Please see our separate post regarding this.

With that have a safe day and please take care when driving

 News

More than 100 police officers suspended since 2019 for violating rule of law

Lisbon, Dec 6, 2022 (Lusa) – The Minister of Internal Administration revealed yesterday that 107 members of the PSP and GNR have been dismissed, compulsorily retired and suspended from service since 2019 for violating “fundamental values ​​of the rule of law”.

In a parliamentary hearing on the alleged involvement of PSP and GNR members in practices that violate the rule of law, namely in the dissemination of racist, xenophobic, misogynistic and hateful messages, José Luís Carneiro gave an account of the “rigor in the performance of the command of the GNR and the direction of the PSP to monitor attitudes and behaviours that are harmful to the fundamental values ​​of the rule of law”.

“Between 2019 and November 2022, 107 elements of the PSP and GNR were dismissed, compulsorily retired and suspended from service. Among these, 36 were fired, compulsorily retired and suspended from service between May and November of this year”, explained the minister at the hearing requested by the PCP, BE, PAN and Livre.

José Luís Carneiro assured deputies that “the General Inspection of Internal Administration (IGAI), the command of the GNR and the direction of the PSP have been carrying out systematic, serious and rigorous work to improve recruitment, training, information, awareness, monitoring and sanctioning, to prevent individual attitudes and behaviour that violate the values ​​of the democratic rule of law”.

The official also advanced that the training to be carried out next year in the criminal area will be carried out by IGAI inspectors from the judiciary.

The hearing of the minister comes after a report by a Portuguese consortium of investigative journalism, which includes journalists, lawyers and academics, reported that allegedly almost 600 members of the PSP and GNR, most of them active, use social networks to violate the law by writing racist and hateful messages.

Twelve arrested after special PSP operation in three parishes of Lisbon

Lisbon, 06 Dec 2022 (Lusa) – Twelve people were arrested today as part of the special criminal prevention operation carried out in three parishes of Lisbon, six of which are suspected of drug trafficking, announced the Public Security Police (PSP).

The 12 detainees are aged between 17 and 51 and are suspected of various types of crime, “namely six for drug trafficking, four for abusive occupation of residences and two for possession of prohibited weapons and ammunition”, said Commissioner André Teixeira. , from the Lisbon Criminal Investigation Division of the PSP.

Speaking to the Lusa agency, the PSP commissioner said that the police operation began at 7:15 am and ended at around 9:30 am, in the parishes of Areeiro, Penha de França and Beato, focusing more specifically on the Carlos Botelho, Portugal Novo and Quinta do Lavrado.

In addition to the arrests, the PSP seized cocaine, heroin and “about 1.5 kilograms of a product suspected of being hashish”, said commissioner André Teixeira, adding that around 20 thousand euros, ammunition of different calibers and other objects were also seized, all related to the practice of illicit activities, namely drug trafficking.

“All arrests were boosted within the scope of compliance with 15 home search warrants and five non-domicile search warrants”, said the PSP official.

These warrants were issued following the criminal prevention operation carried out under the arms law, in which the PSP collected, throughout this year, a set of information that denoted “an incidence of crimes committed with a firearm in these three places”.

Searches at the Ministry of Defence: PJ made five arrests for corruption, three are senior officials

The Judiciary Police (PJ), through the National Unit for Combating Corruption, carried out this Tuesday the execution of 59 search warrants, of which 29 were house searches and 30 non-domestic searches, aiming at the collection of complementary and related evidence.

This involves suspicions of criminal practices in the exercise of public functions, under investigation, which resulted in five arrests, one of which was Alberto Coelho, a senior State official who for six years led the Directorate-General for National Defence Resources, reveals CNN Portugal.

According to the station, the case that led to the arrest of Alberto Coelho is related to the refurbishment works of the Military Hospital of Belém, in Lisbon, which cost the State 3.2 million euros, compared to the 750 thousand initially foreseen. The slippage was revealed by an audit by the General Inspection of National Defence (IGDN), which aimed at Alberto Coelho’s performance, noting the “absence of competence (…) to authorize the expenditure”, among other aspects.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 7th December 2022

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 25th of November until Thursday 1st of December there were 63 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 1,318 tests performed. 97 people have recovered, no new deaths have been recorded in the last week with the total at 120. There are 113 active cases, 34 fewer than the previous week.

There are 11 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 2nd of December with Covid, four of which are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

121572 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 50% of the population.

15-year-old dies in bicycle accident 

A 15-year-old young man died, on Wednesday, in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, while riding a bicycle, following a collision with a car.

The accident happened late, last Wednesday afternoon, at 5:45 pm, on Rua Duarte Borges, next to the intersection with the entrance and exit of the SCUT that connects Ponta Delgada to Lagoa.

The 15-year-old young man was transported from the accident site as a serious injured person, but he would eventually die in the Ponta Delgada hospital.

The circumstances of the collision between the car and the bicycle, which led to the death of this 15-year-old, will now be investigated in an inquiry to be carried out by the Public Security Police.

The driver of the car involved in the accident was not injured.

Azorean merchants with positive expectations for the festive season 

Representatives of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Azores have positive expectations regarding sales in the Christmas season, although they admit that consumers may choose priorities due to the inflationary crisis.

Ice rink tickets available 

Ponta Delgada City Council is already making tickets available for the ice rink (PDL ON ICE), located in Campo de São Francisco.

The provision of these tickets to the public will be the responsibility of the following entities: AHRESP – Associação da Hotelaria, Restauração e Similares de Portugal, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ponta Delgada and Associação da Hotelaria de Portugal.

Tickets can also be picked up at Lojas do Munícipe, which are in the Town Hall and in the private works building, located at Rua Dr. João Francisco de Sousa, between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm.

Each person can collect up to five tickets.

Inaugurated on December 1, the ice rink will remain open until January 8 between 2 pm and 11 pm, but will be closed on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1, 2023.

The ice rink has an area of ​​200 square meters and was installed inside a tent, to guarantee a comfortable and safe space for visitors, says the municipality.

 

 

Madeira Situation Report Wednesday 30th November 2022

by Daniel Fernandes

Christmas and New Year Festivities in Madeira

Madeira is famous for having its Christmas and New Year Festivities, including the largest fireworks show in the World (2006 Guinness Book of Records). The official website of the Madeira Tourism office has detailed information on what’s on offer for this year’s Christmas and New Year Festivities:

https://www.visitmadeira.com/en-gb/what-to-do/events/search/christmas-and-new-year´s-eve-festivities

Disruptions likely to bus workers strike

Grupo Horários do Funchal (Madeira bus company) warned that disruptions are likely to happen on its urban and inter-urban routes today (November 30th), between 09h30 and 12h30, as result of a scheduled strike by its employees. While acknowledging the workers’ right to strike, it assured its passengers that it will do everything to minimise the disruption caused by today’s strike.

Cruise ship port calls

MSC Seascape, the longest ship in the MSC fleet, made a maiden port call in Funchal on November 26th while on its way from Cadiz to Bermuda and then New York. It stayed in Funchal for 11 hours. A total of 387 people disembarked and 221 people boarded the ship.

In addition, it was announced AIDA Cruise ships are scheduled to make 43 port calls in Funchal in 2023. This further highlights the importance of cruise tourism to the Madeira economy.

Water supply disruption

The Municipality of Funchal informed there will be a water supply disruption tonight (November 30th) at Rua Velha da Ajuda, due to scheduled work on the water supply management system. It will start at 22h00 and last for 6 hours. All care will be taken to minimise the inconvenience caused by this disruption.

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

December 1st – 00h00 to 05h00

– Avenida do Infante (numbers 1 to 4 & 56 to 64)

– Avenida Luís de Camões (numbers 1 to 5)

– Rua Tenente Coronel Sarmento 

December 1st – 00h00 to 06h00

– Rua Portão de São Tiago

– Largo do Corpo Santo (number 14)

CALHETA

December 2nd – 09h15 to 10h00

– Levada de São João

– Caminho do Lombo Doutor

– Bombeiros Voluntários da Calheta (Calheta Fire Service)

– Bomba de Gasolina – Serrão (Serrão Petrol Station)

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 30th November 2022

Good morning – firstly I am pleased to report that over 60 people have registered for our community Lunch which we will be holding in Loule today. This also marls 10 years since we registered as Safe Communities Portugal, changing our name to Safe Communities Portugal in 2014, as a result of expansion in other parts of the mainland. We are pleased that Clive Jewell British Vice Consul responsible for the Algarve will be attending as our guest speaker, who has given great support to work that we do. We are looking forward to a very enjoyable event.

For those who listen to KissFM I outlined last Sunday on the Solid Gold Sunday Crime check feature, the various types of fraud and on-lone scams that we should expect to see in the lead up to Christmas.

Unfortunately not everything on Facebook and other social media is true! There is a temptation (sometimes a compulsion) to respond immediately to posts, or click on dubious links, and this applies to UNSOLICITED offers of goods and services. Remember if it appears too good to be true then it usually is! Take time to check out the offer.

If possible use online retailers/brands you are aware of and trust. For major brands always go to their official website to find a list of authorised sellers. Ensure you have adequate anti-virus software that will enable your computer to flag any untrustworthy sites.

Another is fake parcel delivery scams – In the lead up to Christmas we are already seeing an increase in Portugal of on-line parcel delivery scams in emails using the names of well-known couriers, such as CTT – DHL etc.  If you are expecting a delivery be particularly careful. Check senders address email address first, some are obviously incorrect others more difficult to spot- Do not click on any links in emails, open attachments or reply. Simply delete the email.

Fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated in the way they operate and have now started using QR codes linked to fake websites they have created. Be aware, therefore of any QR code embedded in an unsolicited email as this can be a scam. If you don’t know the sender, don’t scan the QR code.  If in doubt check with the company concerned but not using the contact details in the email. For those who are UK take payers please be aware that there are fake emails circulating using the name of HMRC demanding payment of overdue taxes using QR codes linked to fake websites.

For those living in north and centre we are now seeing overnight temperatures dropping to zero or even below in some places. During the cold weather there are certain precautions to take when it comes to protecting from low temperatures.

Many domestic accidents are due to the effect of carbon monoxide, toxic gas, odourless and colourless and most fatal domestic fires are at night time. Reminders from the ANEPC are:

Don’t try and keep warm using appliances intended for other uses: such as grills etc; Keep the room ventilated; Do not store gas bottles in basements or near heat sources; Before you go to bed or leave the house, check if you have turned off the heating equipment; Avoid sleeping next to heating equipment. Install a carbon monoxide alarm. If someone has symptoms of poisoning, contact the INEM Anti-poison Information Centre: 800 250 250 and in serious cases contact 112.

Also with cold temperature there will likely be more frost and icy patches on roads. It is a good time therefore to ensure that your tyres and windscreen wipers are in good order and that windscreen washers are topped up. Check the spray nozzles of your windshield-washer system.

Darker mornings, evenings and lower temperatures around this time of year make conditions more difficult. Road surface temperatures are usually a few degrees lower, so drivers should not rely on in-car temperature sensors as an indicator of possible frost or ice.

A winter accident could leave you stuck on the side of the road. If you regularly drive in very cold areas packing your car with a few essentials will help keep you safe and ready for whatever conditions pop up on your trip. A useful tip we have come across is to keep the fuel tank at least half full throughout the winter. This will reduce condensation, making your vehicle easier to start on cold mornings.

Lastly we have yet to see the first IPMA low temperature warning for this winter or ANEPC advice to the public, but when they do appear, please follow the warnings and advice given – which are there for your safety.

With that have a safe week ahead.

News

Two engineers go on trial for landslides in Guimarães in 2013

Guimarães, Braga, 29 Nov 2022 (Lusa) – The Court of Appeal of Guimarães (TRG) has decided to bring to trial two engineers in the landslide process registered in 2013 in Mesão Frio, Guimarães, which cut the bypass that connects this municipality to Fafe.

In a note published today on its website, the Porto Regional Attorney General’s Office (PGRP) explains that the decision follows an appeal filed by the Public Ministry (MP) to that higher court, after the Criminal Instruction Court (TIC) of Guimarães, in February of this year, not pronounce (not bring to trial) any of the four defendants previously accused, and who had requested the opening of instruction.

According to the PGRP, by judgment issued on November 21, the TRG “upheld partially” the MP’s appeal and pronounced (decided to bring to trial) a technical engineer and a civil engineer “for the crime of infraction of construction rules, damage to facilities and disruption of services”.

On June 21, 2019, the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Braga (Guimarães, 2nd section) brought charges against the company responsible for the construction of 10 luxury villas, two managing partners and two engineers – now pronounced – imputing them “the commission of a crime of infraction of construction regulations, damage to installations and disruption of services, and a crime of attacking the safety of road transport”.

The defendants requested the opening of an investigation, an optional phase that aims to decide by a criminal investigation judge whether the process continues and in what ways for trial, having, on February 22 of this year, the TIC of Guimarães issued an order of non-pronouncement, decision now reversed by the TRG, but only for the two engineers.

The MP’s accusation maintains that, in the context of the construction of a real estate project consisting of 10 houses, the defendant contractors built, from March 15, 2007 to February 22, 2008, a landfill, in Mesão Frio, Guimarães municipality, “together with the defendant engineers, who had not observed the good construction rules contained in the regulatory standards applicable to this type of construction, namely those relating to drainage and soil composition”.

“As a direct and necessary consequence of such construction flaws”, on April 2, 2013 “the soils of the work, as well as the slope, slipped in a length of 60 meters and height of 50 meters”, stresses the MP.

Pharmacist recalls batches of eye drops sold in Portugal

Lisbon, 29 Nov 2022 (Lusa) – German pharmaceutical company Bitop AG is recalling eight batches of Ectodol eye drops, marketed in Portugal, after a reduction in the main component was detected, the national drug regulator (Infarmed) announced today. .

The batches in question are A841E, A841F, A841G, B841D, B841E, B841F, B841G and B841H, lists the National Authority for Medicines and Health Products (Infarmed) in an informative circular dated Monday and released today on its website.

Infarmed recommends, according to the measures provided by the manufacturer, the “immediate interruption of the ophthalmic solution and its return to the acquisition establishment” although, according to the evaluation carried out by the pharmaceutical company, “the effectiveness and performance” of the drops are not affected, not constituting a health risk.

The collection of targeted batches began “after a decrease in the predicted concentration of ectoine, the main component of the solution, and the presence of degradation products of this substance were identified”.

To date, according to Infarmed, “no cases of incidents associated with the use of these lots have been reported”.

However, Infarmed advises, “in case of any unwanted side effect, such as eye irritation or conjunctivitis, contact a health professional”.

Ectodol Eye Drops work by “reducing inflammation of the conjunctiva and regenerating irritated and sensitive conjunctiva”.

EDP ​​Renováveis ​​installs the most powerful onshore wind turbines in the Iberian Peninsula in the Algarve

Barão São João wind farm, in the Algarve, with two new wind towers, equipped with 6.2 megawatt Vestas wind turbines, the most powerful machines in land parks in the Iberian Peninsula

EDP ​​Renováveis ​​and the Danish company Vestas completed the installation of the most powerful turbines for onshore wind farms. The two new wind turbines, with a unitary power of 6.2 megawatts (MW), were installed at the Barão São João wind farm, in Lagos, in the Algarve, EDP said in a statement this Monday.

The power of this equipment does not, however, exceed that which is operational in the Windfloat Atlantic offshore wind farm, off Viana do Castelo, with three machines of 8 MW each, although it is normal for offshore parks to be equipped with turbines more powerful than land installations.

The park has two new towers, equipped with Vestas EnVentus V162 wind turbines, machines to which 80-meter-long blades will be attached.

With this project, Vestas exceeds 900 MW of installed capacity or capacity under construction in Portugal, although the total volume of wind capacity on which Vestas is providing services in the country (including parks with equipment from other manufacturers) exceeds 1 gigawatt (GW), according to the EDP statement.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 30th November 2022

by Mike Evans

Good day to you all and welcome to another Algarve Report highlighting the events and incidents which have been happening on the safety and security front across the region over the past week or so. In the past week a large report from APAV, the organisation that deals in Domestic Violence, and with whom Safe Communities have organised seminars recently shows that over 20% of the cases reported to them have happened in the Algarve. The full story is further down in this report.

Protest planned for A22 over Toll Costs

For 11 years there has been a lot of publicity and bad feeling from the local population with regards to the tolls which are charged on the A22, over a promise from Antonio Costa, before his government came into power, promising to abolish the tolls. To highlight the anniversary, the group called User Commission have scheduled a slow march towards the end of tolls on the A22 (Via do Infante) is scheduled for December 8, the date on which 11 years of the existence of these fees are marked.

This slow march of vehicles will take place on Estrada Nacional 125 from Largo da República da Luz de Tavira to Tavira City Hall, starting at 15:00.

“It has been 11 years of authentic setback for the Algarve, in which mobility in the region has regressed for more than 20 years and economic, social and territorial inequalities have worsened”, says the Via do Infante User Commission, in a statement.

The commission explains that “the tolls on Via do Infante forced the diversion of traffic to the EN125, still not fully reclassified between Olhão and Vila Real de Santo António and which has contributed to the increase in road accidents in the region”, accusing the PS and the PSD of being “mainly responsible for discrimination against the populations of the Algarve”.

“It is regrettable that the State Budget for 2023 does not, once again, include the elimination of tolls on Via do Infante. The main responsibility goes to the PS, but also to the PSD. These two parties even ended up making proposals to end tolls in the Algarve put forward by other political forces unfeasible. And António Costa still does not keep the word given to the Algarve in 2015 – ending tolls if he were the government. To this day, that promise has been nothing more than empty and unfulfilled words”, he adds.

The commission argues that the Government should suspend tolls in the Algarve while the EN 125 is not fully reclassified.

PSP arrests suspect of stealing 32 thousand euros from residence

The PSP in Faro announced on Saturday, November 26, the arrest of a man suspected of having stolen, last July, 32 thousand euros from the interior of a residence in the city of Lagos .

The arrest of the suspect, aged 26, took place as part of an investigation initiated by the Portimão Criminal Investigation Squadron of that police, into a theft inside a residence that took place in that Algarve city, said the PSP in a statement.

Access to the interior of the residence will have been done “using climbing”, with 32 thousand euros having been stolen, specified the police. The PSP said that, following the investigation, “strong evidence of the criminal practice in question was collected, as well as that the suspect was monitoring other residences, with their owners catering entrepreneurs”.

In view of the data collected, the Public Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant outside of flagrante delicto.

According to the PSP, as part of the process, another man, aged 28, suspected of being involved in the theft, was also accused.The detainee was heard in the first judicial interrogation, having been applied as coercive measures, the obligation of periodic presentations to the authorities and the prohibition of being absent abroad, concludes the note.

Court orders preventive detention for suspect in multiple thefts

The Faro Court decreed the preventive detention of a man, detained on Tuesday by the PSP , suspected of being the author of several thefts in the city, announced that police.

The arrest of the 37-year-old man culminated an investigation initiated two months ago by elements of the PSP Criminal Investigation Squadron, following several thefts in the Algarve capital, according to a statement from the security force.

Also according to the PSP, the investigation made it possible to link the detainee with the authorship of at least seven crimes of theft in garages and one theft in an establishment, which occurred since the beginning of August. the police also said that the suspect was detained in possession of allegedly stolen objects that will be returned to their legitimate owners.

The detainee was heard in the first judicial interrogation, having been awaiting trial in preventive detention, the most serious coercive measure, added the PSP.

Algarve with almost 20% of victims of domestic violence – APAV

The Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) in 2021 supported “about 28 women and girls” per day, victims of crimes such as domestic violence, defamation and persecution. About 80% of the 9,275 victims are of Portuguese nationality, with Lisbon (22%), Faro (17.5%) and Porto (13.7%) living districts standing out.

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the association released its Statistics Report on Domestic Violence and Female Victims, which records 19,846 crimes of domestic violence last year.

Considering that “the crime of Domestic Violence must cover all acts that are crimes and committed in this scope”, APAV counts them both in the strict and in the broad sense.

According to the report, APAV assisted 9,275 victims of domestic violence that year (82.3% female and 15.5% male), around 45% of whom were between 26 and 55 years old.

In the case of the former, 618 were children and young people, 51.3% of whom were between 11 and 17 years old, with threat/coercion being the most reported crime.

This is also the crime most mentioned by the “5,072 adult women” who resorted to APAV (29.2% between 36 and 45 years old), while the 904 elderly women (26% between 70/74 years old) complained mainly of injuries and defamation.

The aggressors are mostly male (67%) and “in 55% of the cases the relationship between the victim and the aggressor was intimate (22.1% between spouses, 12.1% partners, 10.3% ex-partners, 4.3% ex-boyfriends, 4.4% ex-spouses and 2.1% between boyfriends)”.

Statistics show a prevalence of continued victimisation (58%), and in 28% of cases the victim sought support from APAV between two and six years after the start of the aggressions.

In 63.1% of the cases, the place where the crime was committed was the common residence between the victim and the author and in 46.5% a complaint was filed with the competent authorities, most of them with the PSP (47.4%).

Most complaints are made by telephone (61.9%), with face-to-face assistance accounting for 18.3%, according to the association, which notes that in 51.3% of cases contact was made by the victim and in around 49% for a third party.

APAV recorded last year 5,816 crimes of threat/coercion, 5,299 of physical abuse, 4,971 of insults/defamation, 1,105 of persecution, 528 of psychological abuse, 194 of a sexual nature and 57 of kidnapping. There are also 941 other crimes of domestic violence in the strict sense. With regard to crimes of domestic violence in the broadest sense, which represent 4.71% of the total, the association accounted for 286 cases of violation of the home or disturbance of private life, 264 of invasion of private life/illicit recordings or photographs, 194 of violation correspondence/telecommunications, 42 sexual crimes and 36 cases of serious offenses to physical integrity, among others.

CHUA wins the “More Value in Health” scholarship

The Algarve University Hospital Centre, the Alto Minho Local Health Unit, Santa Maria Maior Hospital and the Tâmega e Sousa Hospital Center are the winners of the 2nd edition of the Mais Valor em Saúde Grants.

The winners, who will receive 50,000 euros each, presented projects to integrate a dementia consultation using telemedicine (Alto Minho), increase the valences and manufacturing capacity of support products such as prostheses and orthoses using scanner and 3D printing (Algarve ), empowering users subject to anticoagulant therapy for self-monitoring (Santa Maria Maior) and an intelligent platform to signal patients for home hospitalisation (Tâmega e Sousa).

The “More Value in Health” grants aim to support the implementation of projects in the National Health Service hospitals that aim to introduce the necessary changes for a better allocation of resources. In the case of the projects chosen this year, all focus on the digital transition of health.

“Today we cannot provide health care without digital components to meet people’s needs, also betting on the efficiency of the system”, said Maria de Belém Roseira, president of the jury, which this year analysed 14 competing projects.

The official also recalled the results of the last census , which point to “a very special demography, with a very ageing population and a great burden of chronic diseases”, underlining.

“We need to find expeditious ways to provide care to the ageing population, with the maximum possible comfort, reducing the bureaucratic burden and the difficulty of accessing services. Digital technologies help us a lot, whether in the management part, which is hidden, or in the part of taking care of people”, he stressed. With the use of new technologies, he highlighted, “the movement of people is reduced and patient safety is increased”.

“It’s a way to save resources, improving the quality of people’s follow-up, both in terms of comfort and safety and the quality of the diagnoses and follow-ups carried out. In addition, by avoiding unnecessary trips we are also safeguarding the environment and allowing families to better organise their lives”, he said.

The Mais Valor em Saúde Programa – Vidas que Valem is a partnership between the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators (APAH), the consultants Exigo and IASIST and Gilead Sciences, which Altice joins as a technological partner, and aims to help cement the culture of Health Management based on Value (Value Based Healthcare), through the analysis of the current problems of the SNS, training of stakeholders in decision-making, rigour in the evaluation of results and transparency in their dissemination.

The purpose is to develop strategies to improve clinical results, patient satisfaction and the allocation of financial resources in the SNS.

The project that obtained the highest evaluation in this year’s edition was presented by the Local Health Unit of Alto Minho and the main objective is to create, in the context of dementia, a Hospital Memory Team (EHM) in this unit, which establishes a care network at the hospital level and at the level of primary health care (CSP), which operates according to protocols and is based on an Individual Care Plan (PIC) for each patient.

The second was presented by the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) and aims to increase the capabilities and manufacturing capacity of support products of the Support Products Center of CHUA, aiming at the production of custom-made prostheses and orthoses, using scanner and 3D printing.

The team also intends to increase the access of CHUA users to these products, reduce waiting times, increase the useful life of products, with the printing of replacement components, promote the reuse of thermoplastic to promote the circular economy and increase the autonomy and functionality of users.

The third chosen was the project by Hospital Santa Maria Maior, EPE, which intends to invest in the training of users subject to anticoagulant therapy for self-monitoring

The last winner is the project presented by Centro Hospitalar do Tâmega e Sousa, EPE, which is aimed at home hospitalisation. The team intends to develop an intelligent patient signalling platform for this type of hospitalisation, with the aim of doubling the capacity, from 10 to 20 patients.

Olhao Municipal Police promote collection of toys

The Municipal Police of Olhão is promoting a campaign to collect toys for the most needy children in the municipality until December 19, announced the City Council.

With the aim of “bringing some of the magic of Christmas to some of the most needy children in the municipality”, donations can be delivered to the Municipal Police facilities, on Avenida da República, from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm .

The result of the collection will later be given to the children of the Kindergarten “As Luzinhas”, of the Obra de Nossa Senhora das Candeias, and of the Social Welfare Center Nossa Senhora De Fátima.

PSP detains man for the crimes of domestic violence and theft

The Faro District Command of the PSP arrested, on November 23, an individual to serve an effective prison sentence of four years and nine months, for the crimes of domestic violence and theft.

The agents located the individual in Largo do Carmo, in Faro, immediately proceeding to comply with the arrest warrant for him to be taken to a prison, issued by the Judicial Court of the District of Faro.

The crimes committed relate to occurrences in 2015 and 2017, and there are still records of “other criminal occurrences related to the detainee”, says the PSP in a statement.

And finally some good news from the Ria Formosa

The population of seahorses in a protected area in the Ria Formosa has registered, in the last year, “an appreciable increase”, revealed this week specialists involved in the ‘Seahorse’ project, which released a group of over 150 of these fish bred in captivity.

“You are seeing more seahorses, particularly here in the sanctuary zone (protected area). We are optimistic because the population is increasing and, since last year, we have been seeing more. There is an appreciable increase”, said Rui Santos, researcher at the Center for Marine Sciences ( CCMAR ) at the University of Algarve, without specifying concrete numbers.

The Ria Formosa seahorse protection area was created in 2020, with a view to reversing the downward trend in populations that has taken place over the last two decades, putting the species on the verge of extinction in the Ria. The monitoring of seahorses in the protected area, an area of ​​the Ria Formosa located between Faro and Olhão , started just over a year ago, when the first action was taken to repopulate the species.

At the time, a group of 60 seahorses was released, which during this period showed “impeccable behaviour”, finding “protection and an adequate habitat”, added another CCMAR researcher, Jorge Palma.

“We managed to find some animals for a few months, before they dispersed, and in good physical condition, that is, they were eating perfectly, after being given natural food in captivity. We saw that they stayed here, where they benefit from this protected area”, he pointed out. Monitoring is carried out every two months, making it possible to identify all released fish. “The profile of the head varies from animal to animal and we use our own ‘software’ that makes the correspondence between the photographs taken in one month and in the subsequent months”, explained the researcher.

In the second repopulation action, carried out this week, CCMAR technicians released a group of around 150 seahorses into the protected area, three dozen of which were newborns, with “the same genetic heritage” as fish caught in the estuary and taken to Ramalhete Maritime Station for reproduction.

“A few more than the 120 that were expected, because, meanwhile, we saw the male with juveniles inside the bag and released them inside the drum during transport. He was in late pregnancy, so to speak. They were born now, they are perfectly viable”, explained Jorge Palma.

The technicians had to wait a few minutes, not only to acclimatise the seahorses to the ambient temperature, but also for the current to pass, preventing them from being dragged to another less favourable area. Seahorses “Hippocampus hippocampus” (short-snouted seahorse) were released, the least abundant in the estuary, “where normally one animal appears for ten, at best”, of the species “Hippocampus guttulatus” (seahorse of long snout).

“We released a less abundant species that, here within the protected area, will have greater reproductive potential next year. Let’s hope that happens and that the descendants spread to other habitats”, said Jorge Palma.

Another component of the ‘Seahorse’ project involves the restoration of seagrass meadows, which, according to Rui Santos, are being affected by the proliferation of the seaweed “caulerpa prolifera”, an invasive species from the Mediterranean, and its impact on food is being evaluated of seahorses.

“One thing we already know is that the diversity of food, from different organisms, is greater in seagrasses than in ‘caulerpa’, but we still have a lot to analyse to understand” the effects of the invasive algae on the species’ diet, mentioned the CCMAR researcher and professor at UAlg.

The ‘Seahorse’ project, developed by CCMAR with funding from the Belmiro de Azevedo Foundation, has the collaboration of the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) and the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA)/ARH do Algarve.

 

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 30th November 2022

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 18th of November until Thursday 24th of November there were 74 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 1,557 tests performed. 99 people have recovered, and two deaths have been recorded in the last two weeks with the total at 120. There are 147 active cases, fewer than the previous week.

There are 11 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 25th of October with Covid, all of which are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

121572 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 50% of the population.

Man rescued alive after being buried in works in the city of Ponta Delgada 

The fall of a structure in an apartment construction project in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores, last Friday caused injuries to a 49-year-old man, who was buried.

Deputy Commander Fernando Infante explained that the Volunteer Firefighters of Ponta Delgada were called to the scene shortly after 10:00 am, having activated the search and rescue team in collapsed buildings.

Upon arrival at the scene, firefighters found that “the worker had already been rescued by colleagues, he was no longer buried and was conscious”, he added.

The man was transported by firefighters to the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo in Ponta Delgada due to pain in the upper and lower limbs, the causes of the accident being unknown.

Region wants to implement lung cancer screening 

The region is developing preliminary studies for the creation of cancer screening which, in the Azores, has twice the incidence of the mainland

Government of the Azores and local authority invest in water supply on Graciosa Island 

The Government of the Azores and the Municipality of Santa Cruz da Graciosa will sign a contract that aims to overcome the problems in the supply of water to the population and the crops.

The project is budgeted at 1.4 million euros, with an execution period of 14 months.

The mayor wants to promote the “replacement of the old network so that water losses can be combated and its quality improved”, and the work will be carried out in the parish of Guadalupe.

The current water supply network on Graciosa Island is around 50 years old, and its materials are deteriorated.

 

 

Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 23rd November 2022

 

By David Thomas

Good morning – We welcome the news yesterday announced by the Minister of Internal Administration that with regards to the GNR, in addition to the effort to gradually improve the salary conditions of its soldiers, the reinforcement of personnel of the security forces and services will take place.

This includes the admission of around 1,500 new guards during the year 2022, and with the expectation of admitting more than 1,000 guards in 2023″, the minister explained yesterday, at a ceremony presided over by the Prime Minister, António Costa. José Luís Carneiro also advanced that “an investment of more than 600 million euros in planned modernization of the infrastructure, materials and technology, providing better conditions of dignity, fundamental to the operational success” of the GNR.

This is really required in Portugal, with police (GNR and PSP) often working in poor conditions, in buildings not designed as police stations, with salaries well below the European average for police and shortages in the number of staff to meet current challenges and duties required of them.

Yesterday the Public Security Police (PSP) have launched a national operation that aims to raise awareness throughout society of domestic violence and the importance of early reporting, an initiative that will involve more than 1,300 police officers. The operation will run until Friday, when the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is marked.

According to the PSP, this operation will involve “individual contacts with victims of domestic violence and their families”, carry out awareness-raising actions on the subject, “organize or participate in forums or seminars, promote awareness about the problem and the need to report this crime, in its different types”, such as physical, psychological, sexual or deprivation of liberty.

The latest data from the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality indicate that the PSP and the GNR had received 8,887 complaints of domestic violence by September of this year, 1,277 more than in the same period of 2021. Unfortunately in 2021 Domestic Violence was the highest reported crime In Portugal.

Domestic violence is a “public crime” which means that it can be reported by anyone not just the victim. Sometimes people are aware that a friend or relation is a victim of domestic violence but are reluctant to intervene. However failure to do so can result in the victim continuing to receive such abuse leading to injury or even worse.

Safe Communities Portugal works closely with APAV (Victim Support Organisation) on the this subject and earlier this year organised a seminar in Loulé, aimed various vulnerable groups such as the Nepalese, Indian and Bangladeshi communities living and working in Portugal.

Finally a reminder that in the lead up to Christmas we can expect more on-line scams including phishing attacks.  Yesterday CTT – Correios de Portugal warned of “phishing schemes” (fraud) that are circulating on the Internet and social networks using, in an abusive way, the name and image of the company. We received one from a reader yesterday. It is important to look out for these and always check the senders URL/address carefully. It may look similar but a full stop wrongly placed can make all the difference.

Having been on holiday for a short break in Spain I thank our team for all their work, not only on Facebook, but all that goes on behind the scenes, in running Safe Communities and the various services we provide

Have a good week ahead

 

News

New GNR commander repudiates “any act of racism

The new general commander of the GNR repudiated, this Tuesday, “any act of discrimination, racism, xenophobia or any other form of behaviour that violates human dignity”, advancing that this police force has internally developed measures that promote human rights.

“For a few years now (…) that the GNR has been guided by the care and protection of human rights and fundamental rights, repudiating any act of discrimination, racism, xenophobia or any other form of behaviour that violates the dignity human life”, said Lieutenant General José Santos Correia, in his inauguration speech, in a ceremony that took place at the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI).

Santos Correia, who was second in command of the GNR, stressed that the National Republican Guard is “always attentive to successive social transformations”.

In this sense, he stressed, this corporation has “developed and consolidated its level of skills training with the introduction of all initial training courses for the promotion and specialization of curricular units on rights, freedoms and guarantees, respect for differences, use of coercive means, citizenship rights”, in addition to addressing “the themes of human rights, multiculturalism, prohibition of discriminatory practices and peaceful conflict resolution”.

The new commander of this security force also reported that the GNR has implemented other measures “promoting human and fundamental rights”, such as the Plan for the Prevention of Manifestations of Discrimination in the Security Forces and Services, prepared by the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI), Commission for Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination of the Guard and the figure of the GNR human rights officer.

 

Almost 12,000 speeding drivers during enforcement campaign

The inspection and awareness campaign “Travel without haste” detected nearly 12,000 speeding drivers in more than 2.4 million vehicles inspected by radar between the 14th and 21st of November.

According to a note released today by the Public Security Police, of the 11,803 speeding violations recorded by security forces nationwide, 6,406 were detected by the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) radars and 5,397 were detected by the National Road Safety (ANSR) radars. PSP and the National Republican Guard (GNR), in a total of 2,463,271 inspected vehicles.

In the period in question, 2,935 accidents with victims were reported, which caused seven deaths (four males), 41 serious injuries and 772 minor injuries. The accidents occurred in the districts of Aveiro, Faro, Lisbon, Setúbal, Viana do Castelo and Viseu, with deaths resulting from five being run over, a collision and a car skidding.

Comparing with the same period of 2021, there were more accidents (61), but there was a reduction in the number of deaths (less two), serious injuries (less 13) and minor injuries (less 95).

The initiative, part of the 2022 National Inspection Plan, aimed to raise awareness of the risks of driving at excessive speed, which represent one of the major causes of road accidents, and was also based on ANSR awareness-raising actions at the same time as inspection operations.

 

 

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.