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Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 28th September 2022

 

Good morning – Some good news for UK citizens in Portugal that after a long wait there is more positive news concerning the new residency card for British national. Yesterday the Minister of Internal Administration said this Monday that he hopes that the approximately 36,000 British citizens living in Portugal will have the new post-Brexit residence card by the end of the year. Centres are already operating on the mainland in Cascais and Loulé.

He stated that “By the end of the year, that is, until the 31st of December, we really hope to have responded to these 36,000 British citizens”, a announcing the opening of 13 more service points for British citizens from next month, in conjunction with the Agency for Administrative Modernization (AMA) and the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN). These will be in Lisbon, Faro, Marinha Grande, Pombal, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Porto, Seixal, Santarém, Beja and Lagos. More will be announced in due course.

It is important to regularly check if you have received any emails from SEF asking you to arrange your appointment online and that you have your Brexit password for the SEF portal at hand. Once the centres are operating do not attempt to visit a centre to try and get an appointment as all appoints ate arranged direct with SEF through the BREXIT portal.

Turning to the weather – October promises to be, at least at its beginning, an extension of the already long summer, with the return of, the anticyclone positioning itself northwest of the peninsula, in a wedge in the Gulf of Biscay and blocking everything that can approach it from Continental Portugal, with this setup we’ll have east winds, very hot and dry, increasing rural fire risk. Unfortunately to all the models in this scenario it is very likely, the drought will continue and there’s no end in sight.

As such we must remain vigilant to the risk of rural fires taking all the relevant precautions. Again we emphasise the importance of obtain authorization before burning cut and piled debris and if approved to ensure all the safety measures are taken.

Related to this is the ongoing drought situation. Yesterday the government announced the creation of “a strategic reserve of water in the reservoirs associated with hydroelectric uses” identified in the diploma.

The Government determined, as of October 1, a temporary suspension in the water resources of 15 reservoirs, “until the minimum quotas of their useful capacity that will be established are reached”. This move is clearly aimed at ensuring the continuing supply of electricity to meet foreseeable demands. With drought conditions continuing therefore it is essential that we do everything possible to conserve water. Please follow the advice which we promote through our Facebook page from time to time.

Lastly the Minister of Internal Administration, José Luís Carneiro, has dismissed yesterday the disagreement of the League of Portuguese Firefighters (LBP) regarding the integration of these operatives in the new civil protection structure, considering that the firefighters will comply with the law in force.

The minister was reacting to statements by the president of the LBP, António Nunes, who on Saturday, on the side lines of the extraordinary meeting of the LBP national council, stated that, at the moment, the firefighters “do not feel comfortable with the integration of the new civil protection structure, with its sub-regional commands, refuse to integrate this situation and have their own operational organization”, wanting to remain as they are currently.

The new national structure of civil protection, which has regional commands, which took office very recently. There are five regional commands, and there will be 23 subcommands, corresponding to the inter-municipal communities from 1st January 2023. This is a matter of organizing the national Civil Protection,” he explained.

“Another matter has to do with how firefighters and humanitarian organizations decide to organize themselves as firefighters. This is a matter for the autonomy of the associations themselves, naturally fulfilling the duties they have with the country’s civil protection, and with the integration in what corresponds to the national civil protection system”, he added.

Currently most firefighters are part of corporations (associations) which are privately owned and in each district are represented by federation representatives on the LBP. The LBP has no operational competence, this falling on the operational commanders of each brigade. The LBP is mainly responsible for continuity and regulation as far as the rules of the associations as well as fiscal and logistical matters are concerned.

The ANEPC has an overall responsibility of operational command through civil protection agents which include the firefighters, GNR, PSP etc. This issue needs to be resolved to ensure that the current integration continues in way that corresponds to the national civil protection system as the minister outlined.

With that have a safe week ahead.

 

News

Covid-19. Portugal exceeds 25 thousand deaths since the beginning of the pandemic

More than six thousand fatalities have been recorded since the beginning of the year, 40 of them in the last week. Portugal is the 39th country to exceed the barrier of 25 thousand deaths.

Portugal surpassed this weekend the 25 thousand deaths from Covid-19, more than two and a half years since the beginning of the pandemic, which had its first case and death in the country in March 2020.

According to DGS figures released this Monday, the country now has 25,008 fatalities, 40 of them in the last week. Since the beginning of the year, more than six thousand deaths from Covid-19 have been recorded.

The mortality of the pandemic has stabilized since the beginning of August, now standing at four weekly deaths per million inhabitants. The country currently has almost 5.5 million cases since March last year.

Portugal is thus the 39th country to register 25,000 victims of the pandemic, and is currently the 35th country with the most deaths per million inhabitants.

The USA is the country with the most victims of Covid-19, the only one with more than one million deaths, followed by Brazil, with about 685 thousand deaths, and India, with 528 thousand deaths.

In the latest report on the evolution of the pandemic, the DGS and INSA warned of a “possible trend reversal” in the number of cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but that Covid-19 mortality and hospital occupancy remain unchanged and stabilized. The number of new infections by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus per 100,000 inhabitants, accumulated in the last seven days, was 178 cases, with “a possible reversal of an upward trend” at the national level, according to the document from the Directorate-General for Health. (DGS) and the Ricardo Jorge Institute (INSA) released this Friday.

 

Sweden detected underwater explosions before Russian gas pipeline leaks

Sweden has detected two underwater explosions, “most likely due to detonations”, close to where leaks were detected in pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe, a Swedish seismic institute announced today.

A first “massive energy emission” of a magnitude of 1.9 was recorded Sunday night at 02:03 local time (01:03 in Lisbon) in the south-east of the Danish island of Bornholm, said Peter Schmidt of the National Seismic Network. Sweden, to the French agency AFP. The Swedish institute recorded a second occurrence of magnitude 2.3 at 19:04 local time on Monday (18:04 in Lisbon), in the northeast of the island. “We interpret it as coming with the highest probability of some form of detonation,” Schmidt said.

Danish and Swedish authorities have detected leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which Russia closed in early September, and in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was never put into operation due to a lack of authorization from Germany, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. . Despite not being operational, the two pipelines operated by a consortium of Russian giant Gazprom were full of gas.

Ukraine today accused Russia of responsibility for leaking gas pipelines, denouncing a “terrorist attack” against the European Union. “The large-scale gas leak from Nord Stream 1 is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression against the European Union,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said on Twitter, quoted by AFP.

 

 

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 28th September 2022

 

by Mike Evans

Good day to you, and whilst we all felt a little of Autumnal weather in the past week we now see that the forecast for October is to remain warm and sunny. Whilst this does not help us with the water situation it does help those in the travel and hospitality industry to prolong the season.

There are still plenty of tourists here in the Algarve and it is again worth mentioning the large number of deaths by drowning Portugal has seen this year, and the need to be aware of the factors that could cause drowning- Temperature of the water, rip currents and people who are not confident in the sea. If you are out and about along the coast please keep a look out for anyone showing signs of distress and call 112.

Some of the stories from the Algarve this past week.

Police crackdown produces results.

In the last week, the GNR detained 56 people in the district of Faro, most of them for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to a report on the weekly operational activity of that police force released this Monday.

The GNR’s Faro Territorial Command carried out a series of operations in the district, between 19 and 25 September, with the aim of “preventing and combating violent crime and road surveillance, among others”, says the GNR in a statement.

During these actions, 56 people were arrested: 20 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 13 for driving without a legal licence and eight for drug trafficking, he said. With regard to traffic violations, the GNR reports that it detected 619 violations, of which 184 were for speeding, 56 for lack of mandatory periodic inspection, 48 for lack or incorrect use of seat belts and/or child restraint systems. and 30 for improper use of the mobile phone while driving, among others.

On the other hand, during the week that ended on Sunday, this security force seized, among other products, 163 doses of heroin, 141 of lime, 68 of cocaine and 47 of hashish, the note reads.

According to the same report, with regard to accidents on the Algarve roads, 120 accidents were recorded, resulting in one serious injury and 26 minor injuries.

The GNR also carried out 58 awareness-raising actions in the district of Faro, noting that 54 people were contacted under the Safe School program and 24 elderly people under the Safe Seniors Programme .

Man on Burgau beach has to be helped after feeling unwell

A 70-year-old man was helped on Saturday, September 24, at Burgau beach , in the municipality of Vila do Bispo , announced the National Maritime Authority.

The victim felt unwell in the water and had difficulty breathing, and the alert was given around 12:00, through the Volunteer Firefighters of Vila do Bispo, who activated the means of the SeaWatch project and INEM for the site.

The man was assisted on the beach by lifeguards on duty until the arrival of SeaWatch and INEM elements, who provided differentiated assistance to the victim, who was later transported in stable condition to a hospital unit.

Castro Marim promotes free screening of skin diseases

The Municipality of Castro Marim will promote free screening for cancer and other skin diseases between the 12th and 14th of October, the municipality announced .

Aimed at the entire population of the municipality, this initiative, which was periodically developed before the pandemic, returns after two years of interruption.

The screening is done voluntarily by the dermatologist Manuela Aguiar, who has detected tumour lesions at an early stage and performs the treatment of any precancerous lesions (actinic keratoses) with liquid nitrogen.

Albufeira replaces diesel buses with 100% electric vehicles

On the 22nd of September, five 100% electric buses (two minibuses and three standard buses) began to circulate in Albufeira, on the current lines of the GIRO urban transport network, out of a total of 23 electric vehicles that, by the end of the second half of the year, 2023, will integrate the entire fleet.

The presentation of the five vehicles took place on the day that marks the European Day Without Cars, within the scope of the European Mobility Week, in a symbolic ceremony, which was attended by the mayor , José Carlos Rolo, members of the council, representatives of the Barraqueiro Group, João Santos and Mateus Silva, the member of the Steering Committee of POSEUR – Operational Program for Sustainability and Efficiency in the Use of Resources, José Guedes, and representatives of the electric vehicle construction company.

The five electric vehicles were customised with the image of the GIRO that everyone knows, but with the predominant green colour, instead of the blue previously used in diesel vehicles “to draw attention and cause greater impact on users”.Subsequently, when all electric vehicles enter into circulation, all buses will have this characterization, which will allow the population to easily identify the moment from which the fleet will become fully electric.

The new vehicles will come into operation on an experimental basis, which allows that until the effective start of the concession, scheduled for December 1st, any difficulties that may arise can be resolved.

The mayor of Albufeira highlighted that the entry into operation of electric buses “contributes to improving the quality of life in the municipality, since it is a less polluting means of transport, with significant contributions in terms of environmental sustainability ”.

Thanks to this investment, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fall from 6,436.55, emitted per 1000 kilometres carried out in diesel buses (current GIRO), to just 671.60 kilos of CO2 emitted per 1000 kilometres carried out on buses. electric buses.

On the other hand, the number of lines increased from five to 11 and the number of bus stops from 135 to 210, increasing the total capacity of the fleet from 496 to 1331 seats. The number of places for wheelchairs is also increased from 10 to 23, with the possibility of transporting bicycles on some lines of the new GIRO.

According to the municipality, all buses have lift platforms and air conditioning. Also within the scope of the new concession, new services will be made available, including a mobile application, online ticketing and online consultation of circuits and timetables, (which will allow real-time monitoring of the stop at which the vehicle is located).

Currently, the GIRO network serves the locations of Albufeira, Branqueira, Páteo, Marina, Ferreiras (downtown) and Estação da CP. With the entry into operation of the new lines, GIRO will also pass through Olhos de Água, Rocha Baixinha, Malhada Velha, Fontainhas, Cerros Altos, Mosqueira, Patroves, Galé/Salgados, Vale Parra, Guia and the Algarve Shopping mall.

National award “Mobility in Bicycle” awarded to Faro

The municipality of Faro was distinguished, this week, with the national award “Mobility in Bicycle” within the scope of the 17th edition of the award promoted by the National Federation of Cycling Tourism and Bicycle Users (FNCUB).

The ceremony took place in the auditorium of the Orlando Ribeiro Municipal Library (Telheiras), in Lisbon, and was attended by the Mayor of Faro, Rogério Bacalhau , Councillor Sophie Matias and Secretary of State for Urban Mobility, Jorge Delgado, representatives from FNCUP, among several other personalities linked to the mobility area.

This award, created in 2007 by the FPCUB, aims to publicly recognize the contribution of entities or people who have promoted the use of bicycles in its multiple aspects, through the creation or improvement of conditions or the promotion of initiatives to encourage the use of this mode of transport. Sustainable.

Two men arrested for drug trafficking in Albufeira

Two men aged 23 and 32 were arrested on Wednesday, September 21, for drug trafficking in Albufeira , announced the National Republican Guard ( GNR ).

The arrest was made by the Faro Territorial Command, through the Albufeira Territorial Sub-detachment, during a patrolling action.

The GNR military approached a vehicle and detected that the two occupants had narcotic drugs in their possession, and 163 doses of heroin, 28 doses of cocaine, three cell phones, a light vehicle and 150 euros in cash were also seized.

The detainees will be present for the first judicial interrogation during this Thursday, September 22, at the Albufeira Judicial Court, for the application of coercive measures.

Bravura Dam has the lowest level of water in the country

The volume of water stored at the Bravura Dam, in Lagos, on 19 September, was only 9.2%, a figure well below the usual average at this time of year, which is usually around 56%.

The data appear in the latest water availability map in Portugal, released by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) on the website of the National Water Resources Information System, and show a decrease of 0.6 percentage points, in this reservoir, in relation to the end of August.

Comparing the values ​​of the hydrographic basins, it is still possible to see that the Barlavento basin, which only integrates the Bravura dam, has the lowest stored volume in the country, followed by the Lima basin (21.6%).

As for the Guadiana basin, which includes the Algarve reservoirs of Odeleite and Beliche, the data are more encouraging, with a stored volume of 61.9% (only 0.2% below average), thanks largely to the Alqueva Dam. , which has a volume of 65%. Odeleite has 36% of its total capacity and Beliche has 29%.

The volume of the Arade Basin is 38.5% (at the end of August it was 39.8). In this basin, the Funcho reservoir is the only one above 60% (61%). Arade is at 28% and Odelouca at 34%. Despite the rains in September, there are still no notable differences in the storage levels of the southern reservoirs, which register a lower volume than at the end of last month.

And Finally,

Tourists arriving at the airport receive Algarve oranges

Tourists who arrive at Gago Coutinho airport in Faro tomorrow, September 27 , will receive free Algarve oranges to mark International Tourism Day, announced VisitAlgarve.

Turismo do Algarve and the Algarve Regional Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries will distribute around 200 kilos of Algarve oranges with the support of AlgarOrange, a non-profit association that represents around 40% of citrus production in the region.

From 10:00 am, the oranges will be distributed to tourists, with the participation of the vice president of Tourism of the Algarve, Fátima Catarina, the director of airport infrastructure, Alberto Mota Borges and the regional director of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Algarve, Pedro Monteiro. In addition to the Algarve oranges, tourists who pass through the network of 20 tourist information offices of Turismo do Algarve will receive gifts and souvenirs.

 

 

 

 

Madeira Situation Report Wednesday 21st September 2022

 

By Daniel Fernandes 

Regional Civil Protection Service campaign on fire prevention

A campaign to prevent fires in Madeira has been organised by the Regional Civil Protection Service (Serviço Regional de Proteção Civil). The campaign is called “A Madeira sem fogos depende de todos” (Madeira without fires depends everyone). Messages from the campaign have been available in adverts outdoors throughout the Region, and online (Facebook, Instagram and website). The main aim of the campaign is to reach as many people as possible with messages on fire prevention. The following advice has been provided though this campaign:

– Do not drop matches or cigarettes on the floor.

– Do no make fires.

– Do not launch fireworks.

– Clear all the woodland around your home.

Everybody should follow the warnings and advice issued by the Regional Civil Protection Service.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2022/09/19/proteccao-civil-incentiva-aos-cuidados-para-proteger-a-madeira-dos-fogos/

https://www.facebook.com/procivmadeira

Traffic disruptions in Funchal

The Municipality of Funchal announced no road traffic will be allowed at Rua Cónego Jerónimo Dias Leite, between Avenida do Mar e das Comunidades Madeirenses and Rotunda do Infante. Traffic will be limited to only one lane at Rotunda do Infante, between Avenida do Infante and Avenida Arriaga from today (September 21st until October 12th).

The public transport stops 33 and 33rd, and the cab rank at Rua Cónego Jerónimo Dias Leite will not be available during the same period of time. In addition, all means of public transport that usually go through Rua Cónego Jerónimo Dias Leite will now go through the Dr. Sá Carneiro Tunnel (Túnel Dr. Sá Carneiro) towards Rotunda do Infante.

These traffic distortions are due to scheduled work to monitor and control water leaks in the Funchal water supply network.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2022/09/20/cmf-alerta-para-condicionamentos-ao-transito-na-rotunda-do-infante/

Discount on easyJet flights

EasyJet launched a campaign of discounts of up to 20% on flights to 56 European destinations, to celebrate the growth in the number of destinations from Portugal. Bookings under this campaign will be in place until September 26th, and will be applicable for flights until March 30th 2023. This will be easyJet’s busiest Winter involving Portugal routes.

A total of 110,000 seats are available. Some of the destinations are easyJet’s newest, such as Fuerteventura, Gran-Canaria, South Tenerife, Porto Santo, Funchal, Bilbau, and Valencia (all served by Lisbon Airport). Destiantions served by Porto Airport include Funchal, Prague, and Luxembourg.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2022/09/19/easyjet-desafia-passageiros-com-descontos-ate-20-para-mais-de-110-mil-lugares/

 

New Navy corvette due to arrive in Madeira

NRP João Roby, a Baptista de Andrade-class corvette, is due to arrive in the Region today. NRP João Roby’s commanding officer is Captain-Lieutenant Vasco Toledo Cristo. The vessel has a crew of 70 sailors. This deployment will reinforce the Navy’s presence in the Region, strengthen sea patrols and safeguard human life at sea.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2022/09/20/nrp-joao-roby-chega-dia-21-a-madeira/

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:

ESTREITO DE CÂMARA DE LOBOS

 September 21st – 09h00 to 13h00 (TODAY)

– Edifício Jardins do Estreito (Blocos A & B)

SÃO GONÇALO, FUNCHAL

 September 21st & 22nd – 09h00 to 11h30 (TODAY)

– Rua do Golf

SÃO ROQUE DO FAIAL

 September 22nd – 09h30 to 12h30

– Achada do Folhadal

– Lombo Grande

– Pico Cedro Gordo

– Rua da Bela Vista

 

RIBEIRA BRAVA

 September 23rd – 09h30 to 10h00

– Eira do Mourão

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.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2022/09/17/publicidade-o-fornecimento-de-energia-sera-interrompido-nos-dias-horas-e-locais-abaixo-indicados-anuncio-85-2022/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2022/09/21/publicidade-o-fornecimento-de-energia-sera-interrompido-nos-dias-horas-e-locais-abaixo-indicados-anuncio-86-2022/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 21 September 2022

 

By Mike Evans

Good day to you all. The week has been dominated by the death and funeral of  Queen Elizabeth and we have all been fascinated by the amazing scenes of the pomp and ceremony that her death has brought.Here in the Algarve we have seen a couple of thunderstorms and a small amount of rain, nowhere near enough to help alleviate the drought conditions we are still facing. We can but hope this is the start of a prolonged spell of rain that will help to fill up the reservoirs.

Here are the stories that have caught our eye this week across the Algarve.

2 Women Jailed for People Smuggling

The Faro Court sentenced two women to prison terms for the crimes of aiding illegal immigration and recruiting illegal labor, the Foreigners and Borders Service ( SEF ) reported on September 17.

According to a statement from the SEF, the sentence was read on Thursday, the 15th, against two Portuguese women, aged 57 and 39, sentenced to prison terms of three years and nine months and two years and two months, respectively, for the practice of crimes of aiding illegal immigration and recruiting illegal labour.

The crimes investigated by the SEF date back to July 2016, when the two women recruited several citizens of Hindu origin (India, Bangladesh and Pakistan) in the Martim Moniz area of ​​Lisbon (India, Bangladesh and Pakistan) to work for the agricultural company. which they represented, in Famalicão, “promising further assistance in their legalisation, since they were all in an irregular situation in national territory”.

According to the service that controls the Portuguese borders, in September of the same year, one of the defendants transported the citizens to the Algarve, where they were housed in containers on a farm.

The court has now found that citizens were exploited at work, “coming to work between eight and 12 hours a day and seven days a week, not being monetarily compensated for the effect, nor having been paid the agreed amount. or food allowance”.

The SEF statement also states that it has been proven that the defendants “took advantage of the fragility in which these foreign citizens found themselves”.

“The group of judges understood that the defendants knew that by hiring, transporting, housing and benefiting from the work of these foreign citizens, they favoured and facilitated the illegal stay of foreigners in national territory”, concludes the SEF.

 

Man of 75 Dies on Quarteira Beach

A 75-year-old man died on Saturday, the 17th, on the beach of Quarteira, after going into cardiac arrest, suspecting the authorities that he “felt unwell in the water”, informed the National Maritime Authority ( AMN ).

According to a statement, the victim was “taken out of the water by the lifeguard on duty on the beach, with the support of people, having been promptly assisted by a doctor who was on site, who began resuscitation manoeuvres, until the arrival of the INEM”.

Meanwhile, the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Lisboa) had received an alert at around 5:30 pm on Saturday informing the presence of a man in cardiorespiratory arrest on the beach of Quarteira, having been “activated immediately.” ” to the site, elements of the local Command of the Maritime Police of Faro, as well as elements of INEM (National Institute of Medical Emergency) and the Portuguese Red Cross.

The maritime authority explains that after several attempts at resuscitation, “it was not possible to reverse the situation”, and the death was declared on the spot by the doctor of the Emergency and Reanimation Medical Vehicle (VMER) of INEM.

The Public Ministry was notified of the occurrence, and the body was later transported by elements of the Portuguese Red Cross to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Faro .

“The Maritime Police Psychology Office has been activated and is providing support to the victim’s relatives,” the statement said, adding that the Faro Maritime Police Local Command took care of the incident.

 

Paderne to Host the 1st Festival of Local Culture

The village of Paderne , in Albufeira , will be the first town in the Algarve to host the “Há Festa na Aldeia” initiative, which supports the local community to value its heritage, culture, gastronomy or endogenous products, the organisation said this Monday. fair, 19.

Over two days, on Saturday and Sunday (24 and 25 September), there will be cultural, musical and gastronomic initiatives, with Paderne being the first village in the district of Faro to host the initiative, created 10 years ago in the North by the Tourism Association. de Aldeia, explained the president of Associação In Loco, who accepted the challenge of extending this community action to the south of the country.

“It is not a logic like that of other initiatives, which seek to make the villages tourist, but a way for the community to offer its way of life, its experiences, its knowledge, its gastronomy, as a product and a way to attract visitors, but valuing what each village considers to be most important”, stated Artur Gregório.

Puppets, poets’ gatherings, gastronomic tastings, theatre with an itinerant humorous aspect, folkloric groups, circus parades, fire shows, balls are some of the activities that can be experienced by visitors during the two days of the event, he said.

The president of that local development association explained that the Aldeia Tourism Association already has “more than 60 villages from north to south of the country” and it was with “pleasure” that In Loco joined the partnership, because “it effectively fulfils all sustainable local development goals towards which the association works” for more than 30 years, since 1988.

The initiative is thus “in line with all the work” being done by In Loco in the interior of the Algarve “in the safeguarding and enhancement of heritage, local resources, products, communities and traditions”, allowing “the associations, organisations and local entities themselves organise and cooperate to show them abroad”, he pointed out.

“’Há Festa na Aldeia’ has been very successful in villages in the north before the pandemic, it was again when we resumed activities after the pandemic, it is a very emblematic and very mobilising product, and in the four villages that we are promoting here in the Algarve – Alte, Paderne, Cachopo and in the Serra de São Brás [of Alportel] – it was Paderne who made the product”, he said.In Loco has a partnership with the Câmara de Albufeira, the Parish Council of Paderne and local associations, “who chose another activity that already existed, the Dry Fruit Exhibition as a base, to later be covered with the mantle of the ‘There’s Festa na Aldeia’ and to be given another projection and a refreshed way of presenting the village”, he added.

“During these two days we will have a showcase of the richness, the diversity of culture, heritage, environment and village communities, basically, a celebration of what a village lifestyle is, the which is to live in a village, to share the traditions, knowledge and experience of the village”, he anticipated.

Artur Gregório said that visitors will be able to “be part of this lifestyle and understand how living in a village is clearly a different way of being and being” and “it is something that must be maintained and preserved with pride”.

“Villages are not closed, they are open, what we want is for people from outside to understand the wealth that villages still have and how they can be destinations for visits, tours and even residence and return to the traditional world”, he concluded.

Pleasure Boat Runs Aground at Portimao

A pleasure boat with two crew on board ran aground on the night of Saturday, September 17, on the west pier of the Portimão bar , announced the National Maritime Authority.

The alert was given at 22:15 to the District Command of Relief Operations of Faro and elements of the local Command of the Maritime Police of Portimão, with the Portimão Fire Department, INEM and the Portuguese Red Cross were immediately activated. .

At the scene, elements of the Maritime Police found that there was no source of pollution and that the two crew members had managed to reach land by their own means, with the help of the Portimão Fire Department. The victims were helped by INEM elements and one of them was later transported to a hospital, as he had minor injuries.

The vessel’s owner was notified to present a plan to remove the boat and the local Command of the Maritime Police of Portimão took care of the incident.

 

VSRA & Tavira Have a New Port Captain

João Afonso Martins is the new Captain of The  Port and Commander-in-Chief of the Maritime Police of Vila Real de Santo António and Tavira , announced the National Maritime Authority.

The inauguration took place on Friday, in the Captaincy of Vila Real de Santo António, replacing Commander Rui Vasconcelos de Andrade, chaired by the Deputy Director-General of the Maritime Authority and 2nd Commander-General of the Maritime Police, Contra- Admiral Nuno Noronha Bragança.

The ceremony was also attended by the Head of the Southern Maritime Department and Regional Commander of the Southern Maritime Police, Commander Rocha Pacheco, the Mayor of Tavira, Ana Paula Martins, the Mayor of Castro Marim, Francisco Amaral , representatives of the Municipalities of Vila Real de Santo António, Alcoutim, Mértola and Captains of the Ports of the Southern Maritime Department.

Commander Afonso Martins, during his inauguration speech, stated “total availability and commitment to perform the functions inherent to the positions he will perform”, according to the statement.

Protests  Against Silves Cork Factory

The Neighbours of the Factory pressure group was formed two years ago to fight against environmental and health issues caused by the Amorim Cork Factory in Silves, Algarve. Currently the group has 100 members who are all very concerned by the presence of the “chemical Suberin in the smoke emitted from the factory six days a week and the constant noise levels which are higher than the allowed rates. Alongside the pollution caused by the smoke, there is the issue of the fine powder containing PM10 which is being allowed to sit around in piles which is scattered by the wind across a very rural area.”

Elaine Evans from The Neighbours of the Factory group when speaking to The Portugal News, said that they have done multiple tests on the Suberin and noise levels which they say proves that they are above the government limits and that “We have been meeting on a regular basis with members of the Silves Câmara, the CEO of Amorim, a representative from the CDDR as well as a representative from Pestana Golf.”

In a meeting on 1 September, Dr Maxime Sousa Bispo obliged Amorim Factory to adhere to two proposals, with one being “to place all fine dust in sealed containers and dispose of it safely” and the other being to “lower the noise level to meet with the code laid down by the government”.

“This is a big problem for the residents of Silves and is even experienced by those living in Lagoa and Portimão. We cannot sit in our gardens because of the smell and the effect it has on our eyes, nose and throat. Many experience allergies on a daily basis. It gets into our houses and even our washing smells of the smoke.” With Elaine Evans describing her own experience “I have lived in my present house since 1993 and the smoke was not a nuisance, now it is as the factory works long hours 6 days a week.” On the 14 September, the group demonstrated outside the Silves Câmara at the same time as a meeting was taking place, which was organised under the leadership of the Deputy Mayor of Silves, Dr Maxime Sousa Bispo and the Deputy Mayor of CCDR-Algarve, Mr José Pacheco. The meeting was also attended by two representatives from the Neighbours group, representatives from Grupo Pestana, the CEO of Amorim Cork Factory.

When asked about the outcome of the meeting, Elaine Evans told The Portugal News that “This meeting as others before showed Amorim’s lack of respect as they had not done anything about the noise levels, which have been recorded to be above the stated levels and they have decided not to improve the filters until sometime next year. This has happened so many times before, putting the date forward yet again.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Azores Situation Report Azores Wednesday 21st September 2022

 

 From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 9th of September until Thursday 15th of September there were 204 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 1,906 tests performed. 222 people have recovered, and no new deaths have been recorded with the total still at 11. 7 There are 234 active cases, 17 fewer than the previous week.

There are 5 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 16th of September with Covid, none of which are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

120266 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 50% of the population.

Man arrested on suspicion of double murder on Pico Island 

The Judiciary Police, through the Criminal Investigation Department of the Azores, arrested a man, for strong evidence of the practice of crimes of murder, desecration of a corpse and possession of a prohibited weapon.

According to a statement from the Judiciary Police, the investigation began on September 11, after the “communication of the disappearance of two men, aged 74 and 65, both residing on the island of Pico”.

In the investigations carried out, evidence was collected that “the two disappeared men were victims of homicide crimes, with subsequent concealment of the corpses, with suspicion falling on an individual of foreign nationality, residing in the immediate vicinity of the place, where the vehicle used by the victims was located was parked”, says the PJ.

The statement also adds that “in house searches of the suspect’s residence, two legalized firearms were seized, in addition to several weapons in an irregular situation, namely a box cutter with an attached blade, several daggers and a silencer, compatible with a firearm”.

The 60-year-old detainee was presented to the competent judicial authorities, and the coercive measure of preventive detention was applied to him.

In this investigation, the Judiciary Police had the collaboration of the Public Security Police, the Republican National Guard and the Maritime Police.

Scared ox injures three people at the Corn Festival 

The Ethnographic Procession of the Festa do Milho, in Ajuda da Brittany, Ponta Delgada, ended yesterday unexpectedly after a frightened ox injured three people and caused damage to a car, reported RTP-Açores.

As informed in statements to RTP-Açores the president of the Parish Council of Ajuda da Bretanha, José Farias, the three injured did not present serious situations, despite having been transported to the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, in Ponta Delgada, for evaluation. , two of them being carreiros, that is, the people who drive the oxcarts. The car had a broken windshield and hood damage.

To RTP-Azores, José Farias regretted what had happened, but recalled that it was an unforeseen situation, which had never happened in previous editions of the Festa do Milho.

 

 

 

 

Portugal safety and security Report Wednesday 21st September 2022

 

If ever there was an apt reminder of the need for beach safety, this was certainly realised last weekend when a total of 17 swimmers were rescued from the sea at Mira beach in Coimbra. Sea conditions were poor at the time.

So far this year there have been over 110 drownings in Portugal, the highest for 5 years with still three months to go. We have now come to the end of the bathing season on the mainland and most beaches are without lifeguards.

In the case of Mira beach most of those rescued were reported as foreigners, although it is not clear if they were tourists or residents.

We repeat the advice we have previously given on this topic and that is to enjoy the beach but at the same time take care when entering the water, having regards to sea conditions. Be particularly aware of the presence of rip currents, as well as when suddenly jumping into cold water, the possibility of not only experiencing a cold ‘shock,’ but also developing hypothermia.

Be aware that the sudden shock of the cold water can quickly impact your breathing, your heart rate and your blood pressure enough so that it can be life-threatening. You are then at a greater risk of drowning. Gasping for breath and a sudden spike in your heart/blood pressure can cause an immediate panic/stress for the swimmer, which impairs clear thinking and decision making during a life-threatening situation.

In another beach related incident this time in Viana do Castelo,  a 3 year old child “was left by the parents sitting on the sand, next to the water, while they went swimming”, having shortly afterwards “found her lying on the sand, possibly after being hit by a wave”. After being assisted at the scene, she was taken “as a precaution” to Viana do Castelo Hospital, confirming that the “child is fine. Parents should not need reminding how to look after their children – it should be common sense.

On Monday the hacker group Ragnar Locker, responsible for the computer attack on TAP at the end of last month, claimed to have published personal data of 1.5 million airline customers. This Monday 19th September 2022, a document with 581 gigabytes of information was released on the Dark Web. The data includes names, addresses, mobile phone numbers of customers, as well as confidential agreements and professional identity cards and information about incidents during operations.

According to the newspaper Expresso, TAP did not give in to the blackmail of the group of hackers, who say they continue to have access to the airline’s computer systems.

We recommend that TAP customers change their passwords and ensure strong passwords are used and that the dame password is not used on any other accounts especially bank accounts.

The Minister of Internal Administration announced yesterday that crime is decreasing this year compared to 2019, a period before the covid-19 pandemic marked by confinement, but “the intensity of violence is increasing that requires attention”. He said that the Government created the Commission for the Integrated Analysis of Juvenile Delinquency and Crime and the Public Security Police is developing, on its own initiative, a set of interventions, namely special operations in the most crowded places at night.

Monitoring crime in Portugal over the last 11 years, this comes as no surprise given the crime reports released by the police more recently. It is not the numbers that are increasing but the level of violence used. It is important that this is tackled especially late night violence seen in some of the larger cities.

With that please have a safe week. From our team at Safe Communities Portugal.

 

News

71-year-old pickpocket “earned” 10,000 euros since June

The Lisbon PSP detained a 71-year-old pickpocket for crimes of aggravated theft on buses, trams and trains. The man, already with previous convictions, was in preventive detention.

It selected victims who travelled on public transport in Lisbon and Porto. He used his advanced age to go unnoticed and followed them. Then, he stole their belongings “with great art and cunning from years of acquired criminal knowledge”, describes the PSP.

In 2019, the elderly man had already been investigated and detained in the city of Porto for crimes of the same nature. He was then sentenced to one year and two months in prison suspended for the same period.

In July, investigators from the Lisbon PSP realized that the man had returned to thefts inside buses, trams and trains between Lisbon and Porto.

The PSP team specially created and specialized for this type of crime set up a concerted action and put several investigators on the ground. On September 12, they managed to arrest the suspect, in the act of committing a crime, on Avenida 24 de Julho. Inside tram 15, he had stolen a wallet with money and documents from the inside of the pocket of a Scottish tourist’s shorts. The belongings were recovered and returned to the owner.

After the arrest, a search was carried out in the pension where the detainee was staying, and 1490 euros were seized, two stolen mobile phones – one of them in the metro, in Porto – and gold items worth 4500 euros, purchased with bank cards stolen from the victims, information that may still relate the defendant to other crimes.

However, it was possible to correlate it with 10 more qualified thefts with consistent and solid evidence of its authorship. His activity since June has earned him around 10 thousand euros in illicit income, estimates the PSP.

Since he had dual nationality from Portugal and a South American country, the suspect still travelled between European countries, where he also has criminal references, and practiced other thefts.

The Lisbon Criminal Investigation Judge, to whom the detainee was presented for the first interrogation, decreed that he should await trial in Preventive Prison.

Government will invest about €2 million in vehicles for the PSP and GNR proximity (community patrol) programs

 Lisbon, Sep 20, 2022 (Lusa) – The Government plans to invest around two million euros in vehicles “specifically intended for the PSP and GNR proximity programs”, namely Escola Segura, the Minister of Internal Administration announced today.

In the opening session of a seminar organized by the Public Security Police on the 30 years of existence of the Escola Segura program in Portugal, José Luís Carneiro said that this program continues to play a “very relevant role and requires permanent investment, whether in people, in their training, or in the means of work, with a view to improving the ability to intervene”.

“Within the scope of the Integrated Urban Security Strategy, on which we have been working, and which will very soon be put up for public discussion, the Escola Segura program will assume particular centrality. It is a new approach to urban security, based on the principles of prevention, proximity to the citizen, the promotion of local partnerships, the sense of opportunity for evaluation and intervention and the need to promote integration and interconnection between the different intervention programs and instruments on reality”, he explained.

In this sense, the minister advanced that the specific training of police officers assigned to proximity programs will be reinforced and that an investment of around two million euros is planned in vehicles specifically intended for proximity programs for the PSP and GNR, within the scope of programming, investments in the modernization and operation of security forces and services.

According to José Luís Carneiro, the PSP and GNR committed, in the last school year, more than 700 police officers and guards, who carried out 35,808 awareness-raising actions and 204 demonstrations of means, in addition to many thousands of hours dedicated to patrolling and policing the surroundings of school spaces.

The official said that in the last school year there was a decrease in criminal occurrences, with the majority of participations in the school environment related to situations of injuries or threats and offenses to physical integrity.

“Although the provisional crime numbers in 2022, when compared to 2019 – because the years 2020 and 2021 were atypical years, given the confinement – do not show, in general, worrying developments, it is on these crimes, demonstrative of greater violence, that we focus our concern,” he said.

José Luís Carneiro noted that after the pandemic there was “a tendency towards the emergence of behaviours of greater conflict, especially among young people, who go to nightclubs”, therefore, “a careful analysis and reflection” is necessary.

“It is essential that we study and understand this problem. The different dimensions associated with violence, criminality and juvenile delinquency must be worked on in an integrated and sustained way, so that we can understand, upstream, the problems and seek to find solutions and act on the causes”, he stressed.

As an example, the minister reported on the creation of the Commission for the Integrated Analysis of Juvenile Delinquency and Violent Crime, which has already presented guidelines and recommendations to the Government and which will be included in the Integrated Strategy for Urban Security.

 

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 14th September 2022

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 2nd of September until Thursday 8th of September there were 237 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 1,926 tests performed. 292 people have recovered, and no new deaths have been recorded with the total still at 117 There are 251 active cases, 54 fewer than the previous week.

There are 10 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 9th of September with Covid, 1 patient is in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

120062 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 50% of the population.

Ponta Delgada Hospital with 28 new nurses 

Ponta Delgada Hospital has 28 new nurses, having “exceeded in 2021 for the first time the total of 600” nursing professionals, revealed the institution.

Discovered part of the hull of an Indian ship sunk in Faial in 1615 

An underwater archaeology mission discovered a part of the hull of the Indian career ship “Nossa Senhora da Luz”, which sank in November 1615 off Faial, in the Azores.

In a statement, the Observatory of the Sea in the Azores (OMA) highlights that since the site of the wreck was rediscovered in 1999, “several research and monitoring campaigns have been carried out on the archaeological site”.

The discovery of part of the ship’s hull took place during the last of those campaigns, which began on August 29 and ends on Saturday.

“A particularly relevant discovery was made, with the identification of part of the hull of the ship, previously unknown, outcropping in the sand, a rare example of one of the most iconic ships of the modern era”, reads the press release.

The mission was coordinated by the OMA and the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, with the support of the Escola do Mar dos Açores and the Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs of the Azores.

The ship “Nossa Senhora da Luz” left Goa in February 1615, having sunk on the 7th of November of the same year, near Porto Pim, “delivering many of its spoils to the coast in the following days”, recalls the OMA.

Due to the “importance of the cargo”, at the time, the Portuguese Crown organized a “giant salvage operation”.

It is estimated that “more than 150 people” died in that accident.

The OMA and FCSH campaign also included the archaeological survey of the wreck of the “Main”, an English steamer that also sank in the bay of Porto Pim in 1892.

This mission is part of the activities of the CONCHA project, funded by the European Commission under the “Maria Curie-Rise”, which aims to study the “Atlantic port cities of the modern era”.

 

Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 14th September 2022

Good morning – As forecast there has been a dramatic change in weather with the focus being on tropical storms. This is the tropical storm season so these are expected and we will have to wait and see how many there will be and how many reach the Portugal mainland as “Hurricanes”. Daniel decreased in intensity considerably as it moved closer to Portugal and the affects were, with one or two exceptions, little more than from a normal winter storm.

The main areas affected by the rain and winds were in the centre and the north of the mainland, and although there were over 700 occurrences report to the ANEPC from midnight to 1600 hrs yesterday, most were relatively minor. One exception was, however, in Sameiro parish, Manteigas municipality Guarda District, where there was moderate damage to property and vehicles.  This will do little, however, to ease the drought situation, especially in the south of the country.

Hurricanes are different matters and as we have seen in the past have caused extensive damage and pose considerable risk to public safety when they hit populated areas. Luckily a full force Hurricane hitting the mainland is rare and most loose intensity beforehand, as they reach cooler waters.

Such storms if coinciding with ongoing wildfires present particular risks. Starting on 15 October 2017, winds from post-tropical cyclone Ophelia fanned wildfires in both Portugal and Spain. The wildfires have claimed the lives of at least 49 individuals, including 45 in Portugal and four in Spain, and dozens more were injured. In Portugal, more than 4,000 firefighters battled around 150 fires. The US National Hurricane Centre’s Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Ophelia makes no mention of the fires, thus the associated fatalities are not included as part of the storm total.

Cyclone Vince from 8-11 October 2005 was the first known tropical cyclone to reach the Iberian Peninsula. Hurricane Leslie (2018) and Subtropical Storm Alpha (2020) are two more recent examples of tropical-like cyclones that impacted the Iberian Peninsula.

Leslie made landfall in the central region of Portugal, resulting in extensive material damage in Figueira da Foz, and placed thirteen districts under red warning due to strong winds and waves. It was considered the biggest storm to hit Portugal since 1842.

The Azores is more exposed, but fortunately in this case the trajectory of Hurricane Danielle meant that it did hit the archipelago – unlike Hurricane Lorenzo in September 2019 which caused extensive damage.

It is therefore important to be prepared. For this reason we have developed a page on our website which is based on government information on tropical cyclones, how to be prepared and precautions to take.  Basic advice is to follow and study the evolution of a cyclone/hurricane through weather reports. Usually there is plenty of warning, although they can change course at the last minute. This can be downloaded here.

https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/find-information/environment-and-weather/cyclones/

At this time of the year we are moving from fires to possible floods. One potential danger is the impact of heavy rain on locations that are downhill and downstream from burned areas and are therefore highly susceptible to Flash Flooding and Debris Flows, especially in, and near, steep terrain.

We published an awareness post about this on Monday on our Facebook page and the following, day the President of Camara Municipal de Manteigas, gave the following statement, accompanied by photographs, of the considerable damaged caused by flash floods and landslips in the municipality overnight.

Nothing can be done to prevent the rain but knowing your local area and possible vulnerable points in such storms, and therefore being prepared, can do much in reducing casualties and even damage to property.

Our team wishes you a Safe week ahead

News

Pedrógão Grande fires trial comes to an end with all defendants acquitted

The Leiria Court sought to find responsibility for the deaths and injuries of the June 2017 fire.

Despite the prosecution’s accusation, the court found that there was no link between the defendants’ actions and/or omissions and the unique phenomenon that happened and caused the deaths in the 2017 fire.

The panel of judges looked at the disorganized forestland utilization and at the weather factors, concluding: “these fatalities happened and would happen”, regardless of the actions of mayors, firefighters and involved companies employees. They would happen regardless of the existence or not of the fuel management lane on national road 236, according to the panel of judges.

The Court found that at the time of the fires, “the municipality of Pedrógão Grande comprised 72% of its area with dense continuous forest areas, essentially consisting of maritime pine, eucalyptus and acacia, with high fuel load and highly flammable”.

According to the court, “between 8:00 pm and 8:20 pm on June 17, 2017, in the area of Estrada Nacional (EN) 236-1, which connects Castanheira de Pera to Figueiró dos Vinhos, a convective column of the fire, ‘a downburst’, fell vertically towards the ground, from a height of about 13 kms. This resulted in a ‘rain’ of projections and generated wind of great intensity carrying particles of fire and incandescent material, which after hitting the ground, blew radially in all directions, with speeds of the order of 100 to 130 km/h”.

The judicial magistrates considered that this situation presented “fire intensity values (radiation) in the order of 60,000” kilovolts/meter, in addition to the flame length of up to 80 meters, with temperatures in the order of 900 to 1,200 degrees Celsius, and dense smoke that nullified visibility.

The court clarified that “the formation and subsequent fall of the convective column/’downburst’ described above is an extreme, rare and unpredictable pyro-meteorological phenomenon, and it was the first time that such a phenomenon was recorded in Portugal and throughout the European continent.

The defendants were the commander of the Volunteer Firefighters of Pedrógão Grande, Augusto Arnaut, then responsible for rescue operations, two employees of the former EDP Distribuição, José Geria and Casimiro Pedro, and three workers from Ascendi (Rogério Mota, José Revés and Ugo Berardinelli). Also the former mayors of Castanheira de Pera and Pedrógão Grande, Fernando Lopes and Valdemar Alves, respectively. And the mayor of Figueiró dos Vinhos, Jorge Abreu, as well as the former vice-mayor of Pedrógão Grande José Graça and the then responsible for the Forestry Office of this municipality, Margarida Gonçalves, were also among the defendants.

At issue in this trial were criminal charges of criminally negligent homicide and negligent offence against physical integrity.

More than 300 commanders, command elements and association leaders of Portuguese firefighters were present at the entrance of the court this morning to support Commander Augusto Arnaut of the Pedrógão Grande firefighters, who was one of the defendants in this case. 

PSP recorded about 2,300 criminal incidents in schools in the last school year

Lisbon, Sep 13, 2022 (Lusa) – The PSP recorded around 3,300 occurrences in schools, 2,300 of which were criminal, during the last school year, an increase compared to the last two years, marked by confinements resulting from the covid-19 pandemic, the PSP reported today.

Data from the Public Security Police were released on the day the 2022/2023 school year begins and on which the PSP guarantees that it will dedicate “special attention” to the safety of the 3,100 schools, involving a total of 150,000 teachers and non-teaching staff and more than 900,000 students, in its area of responsibility.

The figures are  ​​lower than those of the last school years before the beginning of the pandemic, in 2019.

The PSP underlines that within the scope of Escola Segura, which this year completes 30 years of existence, special attention is paid to the surroundings of schools.

In addition to the Escola Segura teams, with police officers specifically trained to carry out proximity policing in a school environment, the PSP mobilizes and complements its activity with other operational skills, such as auto policing teams, traffic inspection and road safety and criminal investigation, according to that police.

The PSP specifies that these teams prioritize “visibility and proximity”, “prevention of criminal offenses” and “information and awareness of the school community, through group interactions in the school environment”.

In each academic year, the PSP carries out around 13,500 awareness-raising and crime prevention actions, covering around 400,000 students from the different levels of public and private non-university education.

The PSP stresses that the challenges of the school year that begins today are to reinforce the behaviour of drivers and pedestrians, fully resume information and awareness actions for the school community, continue to support the school community in detecting signs of victimization (both in physical and virtual), encourage mediate reporting to the PSP for immediate verification and maintain the ability to identify cyberbullying situations as early as possible.

The PSP also provides an email address Escolasegura@psp.pt for reporting crimes and clarifying issues related to safety in schools.

Slavery

50 million people worldwide in modern slavery

The United Nations says there are almost 28 million slaves worldwide and of these, more than three million are children. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the number of people forced to work has increased by 10% in the last four years.

In 2022, according to the United Nations, there are 2 7.6 million people in slavery around the world.

According to the same source, this number has increased significantly over the last few years, and, in the last four years alone, it has increased by 10%. Of these millions of people who are forced to work without any dignity, 3.3 million are children.

These figures now published raise serious concerns among world entities, which point to extreme poverty, wars, climate change and the pandemic as the main causes of this global scourge.

“We know we have to protect people from the vulnerabilities that are at the heart of forced labour. We have to improve recruitment practices, so they are fair and ethical. We have to strengthen labour inspection and law enforcement. All these things, we know what works, we’re just not doing it enough,” said Guy Ryder, Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

According to the ILO, the vast majority of situations currently taking place in the richest countries on the planet, such as Dubai and China. The country on the Arabian Peninsula has been the subject of intense scrutiny due to the situations reported by several workers involved in the construction work of the stadiums that will be used in the Football World Cup.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 14 September 2022

by Mike Evans

Good Day to you all. We start the report with the fact that we have experienced something we haven’t seen for a long while! Rain, across the Algarve there are reports of some heavy rain whilst others have seen only slight showers.One thing to be aware of is that heavy rain on hard ground cannot seep into the ground easily so could cause some flooding.  In addition the IPMA have issued warnings about the road conditions which may result in slippery road surfaces and possible vehicle hydroplaning. Please be aware that ROADS ARE SLIPPERY and rain water running down slopes takes with it mud to add to the problem.

Meanwhile here are some other stories from across the region.

903 more cases of covid-19 and two deaths in the past week.

The Algarve region recorded 903 more cases of covid-19 and two deaths, while the country had 17,044 new confirmed cases between August 30 and September 5, in a week in which 47 deaths from the disease and 431 people were hospitalised, according to official data. .

According to the situation report from the Directorate-General for Health ( DGS ), the total number of new cases in the last week represents a drop of 1,158 compared to the previous week, putting the incidence of the disease at 166 per 100 thousand inhabitants, a drop of 6% in the same period.

The infection transmissibility index (Rt) stood at 0.99 in the last week.As for hospital occupancy in the mainland due to covid-19, on September 5 it was 431 beds, 39 less than the previous week, with 33 people hospitalised in intensive care units, three less than the previous week.

The DGS began to release data on admissions for the Monday prior to the publication of the report on Fridays.

In the period under analysis, 47 people died from covid-19, two more than the previous week, putting mortality at 05 per million inhabitants, which represents a growth of 4% in a week.The campaign to boost vaccination against covid-19 at the same time as the flu vaccination for the most vulnerable and those over 60 years old started days ago and should cover about three million people, according to DGS estimates.

Man’s body found south of Carvoeiro beach

The body of a man was found on Saturday, September 10, floating in the sea about two kilometres south of Carvoeiro beach , in the municipality of Lagoa , announced the National Maritime Authority (AMN).

In a statement, the AMN indicated that “the causes that may have been at the origin of this occurrence are unknown”, whose alert was given at 10:05 am, through the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) in Lisbon.

The body, the source said, was about a nautical mile (approximately two kilometres) south of Carvoeiro beach, having been rescued by the crew of the Ferragudo Lifeguard Station and transported to the Portimão Naval Support Point.According to the AMN, after calling the Judiciary Police and contacting the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the body was transported to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Portimão for identification.

Suspected Drug Dealer Remanded in Custody

The Portimão Judicial Court decreed the preventive detention of one of the two arrested last week in Albufeira , suspected of drug trafficking and possession of a weapon.

According to a statement from the National Republican Guard (GNR), the 30-year-old detainee was remanded in custody after being present at the Judicial Court of Portimão, while the 21-year-old was given bail subject to the terms  of identity and residence.

On Tuesday, the GNR had arrested two men, aged 21 and 30, suspected of drug trafficking, and seized 2,788 doses of various drugs and a weapon in Albufeira.The GNR’s Faro Territorial Command, in a statement, explained at the time that the police action had taken place “following a complaint of abusive occupation of a dwelling” and because “suspected drug trafficking” had fallen on one of the suspects, the which led the Guard’s soldiers to carry out a house search and to learn the various drugs and other material, such as a nine millimetre pistol.

In total, “1,838 doses of hashish, 756 doses of cocaine, 193 doses of MDMA, a dose of cannabis, a nine millimetre pistol, three magazines, 36 nine millimetre rounds, a brass knuckle and 1,250 euros in cash” were seized. accounted for the GNR.

Paderne photovoltaic plant inaugurated

An investment of 18 million euros has enabled the construction of a photovoltaic plant in Paderne , in the municipality of Albufeira , which will have enough installed power to supply “more than 8,000 homes”, said the promoters.

The solar park set up by NextEnergy Capital and Frequent Summer “consists of 39,564 panels, with an installed power of 17.4 MWp”, occupies “an area of ​​28 hectares in the municipality of Albufeira” and was inaugurated this Friday, 9 de Setembro, near the Algarve town of Paderne.

The ceremony was attended by the director of NextEnergy Capital Filinto Martins and the representative of Frequent Summer, Rogério da Ponte, as well as the mayor of Albufeira, José Carlos Rolo (PSD), with the promoters highlighting the “annual production capacity of 29.6 GWh of electricity”, which will “allow supplying more than 8,000 homes”.

On the other hand, they pointed out, the project also has an environmental component, by “avoiding the emission of 9,620 tons of CO2 per year”.

“Portugal is a country with a high growth potential in terms of solar energy production. The Paderne Photovoltaic Power Station reflects this scenario and shows NextEnergy’s commitment to this type of investment”, said Filinto Martins.

The same source added that, with this investment of 18 million euros, “the company not only reinforces its global presence, by carrying out yet another project in Portugal, but also contributes to the economic and sustainable development of the Algarve region”.The mayor of Albufeira, José Carlos Rolo, considered that the municipality already had “lack of an investment of this nature” and highlighted the importance of the solar park to “cover 8,000 dwellings”.

The mayor stressed that solar energy “does not pollute, it is renewable, clean and silent” and allows the municipality to bring “a greater good” in environmental terms, when society is confronted “with various areas of combat, such as the economic and climate change, whose repercussions range from food to social dynamics”.

“Due to the high sun exposure, the Algarve has unique weather conditions for the establishment of a photovoltaic plant, in addition to being a region that already has knowledge, installed capacity and human resources prepared for challenges and investments like this”, justified Rogério da Ponte. , representative of Frequent Summer.

The same source pointed out that, “for all these reasons, Frequent Summer’s strategy will involve not only this plant, but also other projects still under development”

Earthquake felt in Loule

And Finally to close this report An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 on the Richter scale was recorded at 22:16 (local time) on Sunday, September 11, having been felt in the municipality of Loulé , according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).

“The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere informs that on 11-09-2022 at 22:16 (local time) an earthquake of magnitude 3.2 (Richter) was recorded at the stations of the Mainland Seismic Network, whose epicentre was located about 60 km south-southeast of Olhão ,” the organisation said in a statement.

According to information available until around 24:00 (mainland Portugal time), the earthquake “did not cause personal or material damage and was felt with maximum intensity II (modified Mercalli scale) in the municipality of Loulé (Faro)”, refers to the IPMA communiqué.

Have a safe and secure week.

 

Madeira Situation Report Wednesday 7th September 2022

by Daniel Fernandes

Road closure

A stretch of Estrada Regional 231 between Rua do Damasqueiro and Rua da Marinheira will be closed to traffic on September 9th, from 10h00 to 12h00, due to the ethnographic parade that will be taking

 place as part of the Grape Harvest Festival at Estreito de Câmara de Lobos.

Year-round Madeira-New York flights

Azores Airlines’s Funchal-New York JFK route will be available year-round from November 3rd. This flight will be operated once a week.

During the IATA Winter season, this flight will depart from New York on Thursdays at 21h20 (local time) and will land in Funchal on the following day at 08h35 (local time). It will depart from Funchal on Fridays at 17h05 (local time) and land in New York at 19h55 (local time).

During the IATA Summer season, which is starting on March 26th, this flight will depart from New York on Mondays at 20h55 (local time) and will land in Funchal on the following day at 09h00 (local time). It will depart from Funchal on Tuesdays at 16h00 (local time) and land in New York at 18h50 (local time).

This is an increase in the availability of flights between both airports since the route started in November 2021. A total of 4,041 passengers traveled in 19 flights on that route between November 29th 2021 and May 24th 2022.

This news has been strongly welcomed by the regional political leadership in Madeira and by SATA/Azores Airlines, particularly as the US market has enormous growth potential.

Expo Porto Santo

Expo Porto Santo is taking place everyday until September 11th at Pavilhão Multisusos. It started on September 2nd and it had already hosted 1,500 visitors by the following day.

It has 108 stands, 80 exhibitors, and plenty of entertainment and food and drinks. Its aim is to foster innovation and to advertise the local, regional and national economy.

Discount on Binter flights between Madeira and the Canary Islands

Binter launched a new campaign of discounts on flights between Madeira and the Canary Islands.

This campaign will be in place until September 19th, and will be applicable for flights between October 17th and December 18th 2022. Flights to the Canary Islands (Tenerife) will cost at least €88,50.

Bookings can be made on Binter’s website (www.binter.pt), by phone (291 290 129) or through a travel agency.

Binter also announced it has improved customer service to passengers traveling between Porto Santo and Funchal. Residents who are registered in the SIMplifica portal of the Madeira Regional Government are already entitled to an automatic discount that is applicable to residents.