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Situation Reports news and reviews

 

Portugal Situation Report Thursday 18th August 2022

Good morning, Firstly apologies for the one day delay in publishing our weekly report.

Tuesday was a very busy day with three of us travelling to Lisbon to hold meetings, firstly with the Turismo de Portugal and afterwards visiting the IPMA.

Both meetings were very productive. Our morning meeting discussed communication in the area of tourism concerning major incidents and rural fire awareness and prevention. In the afternoon, our meeting with the IPMA was mainly to learn more about the subject focusing on new developments.

At the IPMA we learned about various patterns that impact our daily weather, such as the position of the predominant high pressure system near the Azores. How this system moves influences the chance of rain and causes the variation in temperature throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Another issue of interest was the warming of sea water and how this can impact on weather conditions.

This is very helpful to us in monitoring the weather and in particular in managing our new Facebook group, Safe Communities Northern Portugal Situation Alerts. On this topic we are very pleased that just 12 days after forming we have around 560 members. Our visit in fact to IMPA confirmed our reasons for forming the group, due in part to the extreme weather conditions particularly in the northeast.

We have luckily so far seen a rather calmer August compared to July, as far as high temperatures are concerned, but unfortunately the news for September is not so good. The Minister of Internal Administration, who visited the IPMA a day following our visit, warned that “we are going to enter a third heat wave from the 20th, which will last for September”. (See news report below). We therefore need to be prepared and do everything possible to prevent fires, and if they do start what action to take.

Portugal is the country with the highest percentage of burned area in Europe in relation to the size of the country, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). The area burned in the country since January has already exceeded 84 thousand hectares of bush and forest. Portugal is at the top of the percentage of burned area and is the third with the largest burned area, behind Romania and Spain.

This is bad news and clearly shows how extreme weather conditions are influencing rural fire ignitions and the spread and intensity of rural fires. The main cause remains human negligence.

Although 90% of fires are brought under a conclusion in less than 90 minutes, there are those that continue much longer, mainly due to weather conditions that have a considerable adverse effect on effective firefighting, and example being the Serra da Estrela fire, at the time of writing under resolution.

With that please have a Safe week

News

MAI: “We will enter a third heat wave that will last through September”

The Minister of Internal Administration, José Luís Carneiro, warned this Wednesday that the country will face a new heat wave starting on August 20, which will last into September.

Speaking to the press, after a visit to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA), the Minister of Internal Administration warned that “we are going to enter a third heat wave from the 20th, which will last for September”.

“We will have in September, as a rule, warmer weather than in previous Septembers. Between 50% and 60% hotter and between 40% and 50% drier”, said José Luís Carneiro, reiterating that “this says everything about the added risks that we will have to face” until the end of the summer.

These meteorological conditions “require an increased effort from us”, so the minister appealed to “the entire effort of the national community, in cooperation, which is indispensable”.

However, this new heat wave cannot be considered more serious than the previous ones. “The most critical heat wave was in July”, said José Luís Carneiro.

“The worst peak of this wave must correspond to the most critical moments of the second heat wave” this year, he added.

“The danger of rural fire in Portugal is still in the middle of the campaign, we went through a heat wave of great intensity and that reached temperatures that almost reached fifty degrees, we went through a second wave with less intensity, but even so with great impact and we will experience a third heat wave probably within days”, reiterated IPMA president Jorge Miguel Miranda.

Jorge Miguel Miranda added that “the forecasts are not very positive” in terms of precipitation and that September will probably be “a little drier and a little warmer, as has been the case in previous months”.

“The problem of the danger of rural fire is still in the middle of the campaign”, he warned, referring further ahead that the third heat wave should be felt from the 20th.

“We are reaching the middle of August. We have passed July and half of August, but half of August is missing, September is missing and we don’t know how many days of October. The forecasts are not very positive in terms of precipitation”, said the official, adding: “The situation in Europe will perhaps still be worse than the average in Portugal, but we have a natural system that is tremendously fragile and we still have at least a month and a half ahead of us to be able to overcome it”.

Jorge Miguel Miranda also conveyed to citizens the message that “the effort made so far was important”, it did not solve all the problems because “it is not possible to solve all the problems”, but “the effort must continue, increasingly strict”.

Dealing with emergencies

Dealing with an emergency and calling 112 can be a stressful time, so having information immediately available will help you in summoning help.

Safe Communities Portugal has designed a poster to help you in this respect. Download it in English and Portuguese here: https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Emergency-Information-and-Contacts-.pdf

Please fill in and place in a conspicuous place in your home, inside entrance doors for instance. If you family and friends staying with you, ensure they are aware. If you rent a property to clients also ensure they are aware. Our thanks to ANEPC in supporting this initiative.

Judicial Police expansion

Lisbon, Aug 17, 2022 (Lusa) – The Judicial Police wants to reach a staff of 1,800 inspectors in the next two years, as part of a reinforcement plan negotiated with the Government and which the national director hopes to see included in the next State Budget.

“The proposal that the PJ has is that in a couple of years we can reach 1,800 inspectors and we are very legitimately expectant, positively expectant, that this plan will meet our desire”, said the national director of the Judiciary Police (PJ). ), Luís Neves, to journalists, at the end of the inauguration of two new directors, which took place at the headquarters of this police in Lisbon.

According to the national director, the current staff has about 1,250 inspectors, more than the 968 that existed when the current PJ management took office, but still below what Luís Neves says is currently a “recovery” path, but “still not of growth”, and which contrasts with a previous lack of resources, as he mentioned in his speech at the ceremony.

“There must be this phase of growth and we have a commitment to the Government, which is a commitment to have a plan for the allocation of human resources for the first time and that is what I hope will be approved. We are no longer in a vicious spiral of death to be in a spiral of serving the country and the criminal investigation. At the moment we are satisfied because we feel that there is a ‘turn around’ in relation to what the institution wants”, he said.

Luís Neves’ expectation is that “until the voting phase” of the next State Budget, the PJ will be able to know what “the future holds”.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 17 August 2022

by Mike Evans

Good day to you all. As the whole country battles wildfires and high temperatures coupled with high winds, the Algarve whilst not experiencing the huge fires that are raging in the North continues to be at High risk according to the IPMA. As I write 6 municipalities in the Algarve are rated as “high risk” The are Aljezur , Lagos, Silves, Loulé, São Brás de Alportel and Tavira. It is encumbered by us all to make sure we adhere to the rules surrounding the prevention of fires.

The GNR recalls that, at any time of the year, it is forbidden to burn cut and piled woods and any type of forest or agricultural leftovers, as well as burning without asking for authorization or making prior communication. The GNR indicated that this year it has so far arrested 68 people for forest fire, 16 more than in the whole of last year (when it made a total of 52 arrests).

Man arrested for stealing carob and illegal driving 

A 34-year-old man was arrested in the municipality of Tavira for stealing from Alfarroba and driving without a legal licence, the GNR reported this Tuesday .

Following a report of carob theft, the military went to the scene on Monday, having “intercepted the suspect at the moment he was starting to flee the property, in a vehicle, in possession of the stolen carob”, explained the GNR in a statement.

The investigations carried out also made it possible to verify that the man did not have a legal licence to drive. In the course of the action, eight sacks were seized, containing about 211 kilos of carob, which were delivered to the legitimate owner.

The man was arrested and charged, and the facts sent to the Judicial Court of Faro .

Robbers arrested in Spain are remanded in Custody

Two robbers who were arrested in Spain recently and are suspected of a number of crimes including robbing gas stations in the Algarve were remanded in custody in Spain this week.

The suspects, considered by the Spanish authorities as “very dangerous”, were heard by the judge of the Central Investigation Court, Joaquín Gadea, who decreed preventive detention for both detainees, Nélida Alves and Sidney Pereira, aged 40 and 42, respectively.

The suspects, dubbed by the press as the Portuguese ‘Bonnie &Clyde’, will be the perpetrators of armed robberies at service stations in Spain and Portugal in recent weeks as well as suspicion of other more serious crimes.

The suspects allegedly robbed service stations in the Algarve, before crossing the border into Spain in Ayamonte, at the end of July, and in Spain the violent attacks on service stations in Seville, Badajoz and Toledo continued, always using the same ‘modus operandi’. ‘ of intimidating employees with a gun and a knife.

They are also suspected of having stolen a vehicle in the Madrid neighbourhood of Moncloa. They were detained in Zamora after a citizen’s complaint, when he recognized the suspects in a shopping centre, alerted the Guardia Civil at the end of Saturday.

They were arrested while having dinner inside the stolen vehicle, having been surrounded at that time by agents of the National Police, who detained them without offering resistance, as explained today in a press conference by the chief of police in Zamora, Guillermo Vara.

Navy rescues crew member with symptoms of heart attack

On Monday, August 15, the Portuguese Navy rescued a member of the crew who was aboard the ship Fri Tide, off Portimão , who had symptoms of a heart attack , the security force announced.

This rescue took place through the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre of Lisbon, in conjunction with the Captaincy of the Port of Portimão and the Guidance Centre for Urgent Patients Mar. The information was received at 18:57 and the urgent need to evacuate the victim was confirmed.

The victim was later transported by ambulance to a hospital.

Albufeira Municipality honours young people on International Youth Day

To mark International Youth Day, the municipality of Albufeira has a tradition of organising a program that aims to distinguish the merit of young people from Albufeira in areas such as Sports, Citizenship, Arts, Culture and the Academic World.

This year, the municipality celebrated the date again with a ceremony that brought together 62 young people and their families in the Salão Nobre dos Paços do Concelho, followed by a social lunch and a boat trip along the coast of Albufeira.

Sixty-two young people from the Albufeira Poente, Ferreiras and Vale Pedras School Groups and various sports, cultural and social clubs and associations in the county, who stood out in different areas, were praised for their success, but also for their commitment and altruism dedicated to causes social and humanitarian.

In his speech, José Carlos Rolo, Mayor of Albufeira, underlined the importance of “fostering solidarity between generations (…) to guarantee a more inclusive and sustainable society”.Among many reflections, the president urged young people to be “ambassadors of society”, through their active participation in the sports, cultural, social and school associations they attend, getting involved in voluntary initiatives and participating in civic and political life. .

Isabel Frade, representing the Portuguese Institute for Youth and Sports ( IPDJ ), reiterated “the difficult role that youth face”, stressing that the IPDJ “is always open to welcome and support the ideas and projects presented by the young people”.

All young people received a piece alluding to the moment and a diploma of recognition of merit, which were delivered by the president, vice president and councillors Cláudia Guedelha, Ricardo Clemente, Abel Zua and Desidério Silva.

Teenager dies in Algarve boat crash

A collision between two vessels in the Ria Formosa, in Olhão, last Friday night, injured two people and led to the death of one girl. The captain of the port of Olhão, André Cardoso de Morais, clarified that the collision involved “a maritime taxi” and “a pleasure boat” and only confirmed that the victims were transported to the hospital with injuries.

According to Jornal de Notícias, the person who was seriously injured was a 17 year old girl who then later died. The same source added that “the collision and the circumstances in which the accident took place are being investigated by the Maritime Police”, who went to the accident site and accompanied the transport of the victims to the Olhão pier, aboard another private vessel”.

Road safety campaign launched today

The GNR, the PSP and the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) launched on 16 August the campaign “Travel without haste” to raise awareness regarding the dangers of speeding.The campaign, which will take place between 16 and 23 August, is part of the National Inspection Plan for 2022, according to a statement from the three law enforcement agencies, which stress that speeding is one of the main causes of accidents on the roads and accounts for more than 50 percent of recorded infractions.

For example, “in run over accidents, the probability of death increases with the speed of the vehicle. If a vehicle is going at 30 km/h, the probability of death is 10%. Increasing the speed to 50 km/h, the probability becomes 80%”, reads the statement.

The “Travel without haste” campaign will include awareness-raising actions by ANSR in mainland Portugal and in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, as well as control speed operations by the GNR and PSP, with special focus on the busiest roads of the country.

Thank you for reading this report and watch out each week for the latest updates to the Algarve.

 

Situation Report Azores – 17th August 2022 – From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 5th August until Thursday 11th August there were 457 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 2,041 tests performed. 447people have recovered, and no new deaths have been recorded with the total still at 117 There are 453 active cases, 10 more than the previous week.

There are 10 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 12th August with Covid, no patients are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

118675 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 49% of the population.

Authorities search for missing diver off Faial 

The National Maritime Authority is carrying out searches to try to locate a diver who disappeared off Faial, in the Azores, it was announced this Monday.

In a statement, the National Maritime Authority said that the alert of the disappearance of the 16-year-old of French nationality, was given at 15:30 local time (16:30 in Lisbon) “through a representative of a maritime-tourist activities company. “

According to the Maritime Authority, it was reported that “one of the scuba divers had disappeared while allegedly practicing the activity of Free-diving”, and “elements of the local command of the Maritime Police of Horta and the Station were immediately activated to the location. Lifeguard to carry out searches”.

The young man is “disappeared at sea, about ten nautical miles [approximately 18 kilometres] southwest of the extreme west of the island of Faial, in the Azores”, the statement reads.

In the search operations, coordinated by the Captain of the Port and the local Command of the Maritime Police of Horta, a vessel from the Maritime Police and a vessel from the Lifeguard Station are involved, as well as the maritime-tourist vessel where the diver was following.

The commitment of a Portuguese Air Force aircraft to participate in the searches is also foreseen, the note indicates.

Body of man found on the coast of Povoação 

On the morning of this Thursday, the body of a man was found on the coast, about 700 meters east of the coast of Povoação, on the island of São Miguel, the causes that may have been at the origin of this unknown. occurrence, indicates a statement from the National Maritime Authority.

Above-normal tropical cyclone season forecast 

In the Atlantic basin, between 14 and 20 tropical cyclones are forecast by the end of November, of which six to 10 could become hurricanes. Higher water temperature could expose the Azores to storms, but only when cyclones form will it be possible to make predictions.

Preventive arrest for detainee at Ponta Delgada airport with 27,000 doses of drugs 

A man was held in pre-trial detention after being arrested on Wednesday at the airport in Ponta Delgada on suspicion of drug trafficking, in an operation that resulted in the seizure of more than 27,000 doses.

 

Madeira Situation Report Wednesday August 17th 2022

68 accidents in hiking trails and levadas

It was announced that so far, there have been 68 accidents at hiking trails and levadas (small irrigation canals that serve to redirect water from one area to another) across Madeira. This has led to the intervention of the regional emergency services. As such, firemen and women are able to receive additional training to enable them to carry out rescue work at hiking trails.

Hikers are strongly advised to have prior knowledge of the route, to take the right equipment (flashlights, the right clothing and footwear), to consider if they are afraid of heights and are not used to long walks, and to be aware that the hike could take a long time and be challenging.

Road closure

The tunnel that leads to the Port of Funchal and connects the roundabouts at Quinta Magnolia and at the Port of Funchal will be closed to traffic on August 17th, from 22h00 to 06h00 (following day). This will be due to scheduled maintenance work.

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:

BOAVENTURA 

August 17th – 09h00 to 09h05 & 16h55 to 17h00 (TODAY)

– Lombo do Urzal

– Achada da Madeira

– Estrada da Falca

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 10th August 2022

Good afternoon – We are now 5 days into our new website covering the north of Portugal and already our membership has grown to over 400. We thank all of you have joined and for inviting others as well.

Associação Safe Communities Portugal, was formed 10 years ago to help fulfill that purpose and since then has worked closely with government in the area of civil protection, both in preparedness of the population in the event of major fires and storms for example, as well as keeping people informed during major incidents.

Part of our work is communication through Facebook, which dates back to 2009; in fact before Safe Communities was formed. Since then it has developed considerably covering many different public safety and security topics, including major incidents such as: the Albufeira floods in 2015, the 2017 fires, Monchique fire 2018, Hurricane Leslie in 2018, Hurricane Lorenzo in 2019 and of course Covid-19, to name but a few. It has a current following of just over 55.000.

We constantly monitor and review the various threats that face the country, seeking the views of various experts and one of the threats is the impact of climate change. Whereas this affects the whole country, there is a need to give particular attention to the mainland northern areas.

This region is experiencing a more extreme climate, especially so in inland areas, with temperatures over 40C in summer and below zero in winter. It can be nearly 100% relative humidity one day, but below 10% a few days later. Hail storms with localised flooding are becoming more frequent. Over 70% of fires in July were in this region.

We therefore need to anticipate, plan ahead, be prepared and take initiatives to help address the threat. As a result on 6th August 2022 the association launched a Facebook group: “Safe Communities Northern Portugal Situation Alerts”.

Our Admins are Susan Wright and myself, with Moderators Fernanda Goncalves and Group Expert Carlos Trindade (civil protection)

I thank our volunteer in the north Susan Wright for helping to get this off the ground.

We also launched earlier today our Emergency Information and contacts poster which is designed to help you in an emergency. It can be a stressful time, so having information immediately available will help you in summoning help.

Simply download, fill in and place in a conspicuous place in your home, inside entrance doors for instance. If you family and friends staying with you, ensure they are aware. If you rent a property to clients also ensure they are aware.

Our thanks to ANEPC in supporting this initiative.

The poster can be downloaded here:

https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Emergency-Information-and-Contacts-.pdf

Now that the weather has cooled down a bit, we must not let our guard down concerning both preventing and being prepared for rural fires. In this particularly so concerning the use of garden motorised machinery. The rules are published every day on our Facebook page so are easy to follow.

Lastly a big thank you to Mike Evans for his Article “Keeping Safe this Summer” in Tomorrow Algarve magazine (page 11). Some excellent tips there. It can be downloaded on line here https://tomorrowalgarve.com/august-2022-printed-version

With that please have a good and safe week

News

Number of aviation workers in EU hits lowest level in 14 years

Data released today by the EU’s statistical office reveal that, in the first three months of 2022, a total of 325,600 people were employed in the air transport sector in the EU, which is the “lowest number recorded in 14 years”.

“The Covid-19 crisis has had far-reaching impacts on the economy, with air transport in particular being hit hard by a decline in passenger numbers, [whereby] airlines and associated companies have reduced the number of their employees in compliance, with younger workers particularly affected”, notes Eurostat.

By age group, it was in the 15-39 age group that there was the greatest reduction in workers, from 204,400 in the first quarter of 2008 to 121,400 in the first quarter of 2022, a reduction of 83,000 in 14 years.

At the same time, there has been an increase — albeit a smaller one — in the 40-64 age group, from 170,500 in the first quarter of 2008 to 204,200 in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 33,700 in 14 years.

Comparing the first quarter of 2022 with the pre-pandemic first quarter of 2019, the trend was similar, with a large decrease in aviation workers in the EU between 15 and 39 years old (from 184,900 to 121,400, minus 63,500) and a much smaller decline in employees aged 40 to 64 (from 225,500 to 204,200, minus 21,300).

By gender, men accounted for 58% of the workforce in the European air transport sector in the first quarter of 2022, similar to the first quarter of 2008 and a stable percentage over time, according to Eurostat.

Consumer Price Index

The year-on-year change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 9.1% in July, a rate 0.4 percentage points higher than the one observed in the previous month and the highest rate since November 1992, confirmed this Wednesday the INE .

“The year-on-year change in the CPI was 9.1% in July 2022, a rate 0.4 pp [percentage points] higher than that recorded in the previous month and the highest since November 1992”, informed the National Statistics Institute (INE). ), thus confirming the values ​​that had advanced in the quick estimate released on July 29.

The underlying inflation indicator (total index excluding unprocessed food and energy) also accelerated, registering a change of 6.2% (6% in June).

The change in the index relating to energy products was situated at 31.2%, that is, 0.5 percentage points lower than the value of the previous month, while the index referring to unprocessed food products showed a change of 13.2% (11.9% in June).

According to the statistical authority, the monthly variation of the CPI was null (0.8% in the previous month and -0.3% in July 2021), while the average variation of the last twelve months was 4.7% (4.1% in June).

As for the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), the year-on-year change in July was 9.4%, which represents the new highest value recorded since the beginning of the HICP series, in 1996.

This rate is 0.4 percentage points higher than in the previous month and 0.5 percentage points higher than the value estimated by Eurostat for the euro area.

Excluding unprocessed food and energy, the HICP registered a year-on-year change of 6.9% in July (6.6% in June), higher than the corresponding rate for the euro area (estimated at 5.0%), “keeping the markedly rising profile seen in recent months”, pointed out INE.

The HICP registered a zero monthly change (1.1% in the previous month and -0.4% in July 2021) and an average change in the last twelve months of 4.8% (4.1% in the previous month).

 

Madeira Situation Report Wednesday 10th August 2022

By Daniel Fernandes

Covid-19 vaccination update

By August 5th, more than 2,000 people (mostly aged 80 or older) had been inoculated with the 4th dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. The 4th dose of the Covid-19 dose is currently being administered in health centres to those aged 18 or older. Pedro Ramos, Madeira’s Regional and Civil Protection Health Secretary, encouraged residents to be vaccinated with the 4th dose in order to be better protected during the Winter. He reinforced this by pointing out that the use face masks is unlikely to be mandatory this winter, in what will be “a big test to the world population in the post-Covid era.”

Demand for the 4th dose of Covid-19 vaccine was so high at Bom Jesus Health Centre (Centro de  Saúde do Bom Jesus) on August 6th that 270 doses had been administered in the morning. This was a higher than average figure. This unexpected demand led to a slightly higher waiting times, which meant the number members of staff to be increased. After this, the waiting times were reduced.

Death of 8 year-old girl at Rali Vinho da Madeira

An 8 year-old girl was killed on Saturday after being hit by a rally car during the famous Rali Vinho da Madeira race. An investigation is underway. This unfortunate death is a reminder of the need to be vigilant when attending rally races. It is also important not to attempt to cross the road during rally races.

Servicemen from Madeira Military Zone back from forest fire watch in Algarve

Servicemen from the Madeira Military Zone (Zona Militar da Madeira) returned to the Region on August 7th after a month-long deployment in July to the Algarve region. The 20 servicemen were deployed as part of the Army’s Emergency Military Support Plan (Plano de Apoio Militar de Emergência do Exército). They carried out forest fire patrols in order to protect the forests, and prevent and detect forest fires. More than 6,700 km were covered in the municipalities of Tavira, Monchique, Loulé and São Brás de Alportel, as part of agreements established between the Army and these municipalities. The Army carries out similar patrols in 12 districts in mainland Portugal.

More than 1,200 youngsters received first-aid training

More than 1,200 youngsters have received first-aid training in the Region, through 60 training courses administered since 2004. A new first-aid course for youngsters aged 16 to 25 is currently underway at the Madeira Health Service. This course is the second of 3 courses being provided in August. Each course is attended by an average of 20 youngsters. There are usually 3 courses per year. There was considerable demand for them.

Herberto Jesus, the Regional Director of Health, highlighted the importance of this type of training in saving lives and preventing “avoidable deaths”, and said most people should have some knowledge on administering first-aid, poisoning, stroke symptoms, what to do in case of heart attack, etc. He also pointed out there have been more individuals and organisations such as schools requesting first-aid training.

 

Azores Situation Report – Wednesday 10th August 2022 – From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 29th July until Thursday 4th August there were 451 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 1,982 tests performed. 572 people have recovered, and no new deaths have been recorded with the total still at 117. There are 443 active cases, 119 fewer than the previous week.

There are 11 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 5th August with Covid, this includes 2 patients that are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

118218 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 49% of the population.

Bad weather in the Azores leaves 11 injured, four in serious condition 

Bad weather in the Azores caused 11 injuries, four of them in a serious condition, the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service of the Azores (SRPCBA) reported Friday.

Five of the injured were taken to the Santo Espírito Hospital on Terceira Island, the most affected, and six to the Praia da Vitória Health Centre, according to the same note.

The incident happened when lightning struck a house in the parish of Vila Nova, on Terceira Island, RTP reported.

The SRPCBA also warned of issuing an orange warning for the possibility of rain “sometimes heavy, which may be accompanied by thunderstorms”.

The orange warning, in effect, ends at 09:00, and must then go down to yellow, until 12:00.

The SRPCBA alert follows the warnings made by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) due to bad weather in the archipelago.

Sailing boat intercepted off the Azores with 1150 kilos of cocaine 

The Judiciary Police (PJ) intercepted a sailing boat in the Azores area carrying 1150 kilos of cocaine, suspecting that the detained crew members are part of an “international criminal organization”. The vessel in question was taken to the port of Ponta Delgada where it was searched, eventually detecting, in its structure, several hidden compartments, inside which a total of 1047 packages of cocaine were found, with an approximate total weight of 1150 kilos.

The two crew members, aged 33 and 61, both foreigners, were arrested in “flagrante delicto, for committing the crime of illicit drug trafficking”.

Operation “Safe Night is Quiet Night” starts tomorrow

The Regional Command of the PSP of the Azores carries out, from August 5th to 7th, throughout the regional territory, through the Police Divisions, the operation “Safe Night is Tranquil Night”, aimed at inspecting nightlife establishments that have of rooms or spaces intended for dance.

Communiqué from the Regional Command of the PSP of the Azores, “associated with the lawful activity of nocturnal entertainment, other activities and behaviours occur that are contrary to the current legislation and produce significant changes in the order and perception of safety of the populations, being widely mediatized, especially phenomena of violence involving customers and employees, especially private security guards”.

In this sense, the PSP will promote “inspection actions on nightlife establishments, consolidating its inspection action in the vicinity of spaces, seeking an integrated intervention involving the various means at its disposal”.

At the same time, in the traffic and road safety component, the “Divisions will promote, implement and intensify traffic inspection actions, focusing on incorrect behaviour, especially speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol/psychotropic substances, disrespect of the obligation to stop imposed by the red traffic regulation light and the crossing of roads

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 10 August 2022

by Mike Evans

Good morning and we start this report with an update on the latest news that shows Tourist occupancy levels in the Algarve have successfully returned to pre-Covid-19 levels, demonstrating a full recovery in the market.The occupancy per quarter of tourist resorts in the Algarve was, in July, 87.7%, 4.3 percentage points more than the value reached in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Algarve surpassed, in July, the numbers of 2019, the best tourist year ever. Thus, the sector continues to recover, after two terrible years, due to the pandemic”, highlighted the Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve (AHETA).

With more tourists it does present other issues which we have to face up to, namely the lack of Water. Whilst not just related to the Algarve a report just published shows that in the last 20 years, only six rain seasons were considered normal, in relation to the period 1970-2000, indicates the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA), which warns of longer and more comprehensive droughts. The whole of the mainland is currently in a drought situation and we all can play our part in keeping the water running for everyone.

More news from the Algarve this past week.

The Sardinha Festival , in Portimão, broke the attendance record with 110 thousand entries between the 3rd and 7th of August, in the riverside area, announced the municipality .With a daily average of over 20,000 people in the riverside area, the most popular night of the event was on August 7, with David Carreira performing for over 30,000 people.

In all, more than three tons of roasted sardines were consumed, in addition to another ton of this fish that was served free of charge following the recreation of the traditional canasta unloading, which took place on 2 August.

This year, the venue had new living and leisure spaces that were more “Instagrammable” and shared experiences, such as the lounge space and places inspired by sardines.

Sardine Festival food scraps turned into fertiliser The leftover food from the Sardine Festival ,will be transformed into 100% natural fertiliser, announced the Municipal Water and Waste Company of that locality.

On the festival grounds is the space dedicated to the dissemination of the project, which was visited by the Secretary of State for the Sea and Fisheries, Teresa Coelho, in addition to hundreds of visitors.

Those who passed by had the opportunity to learn about the process of collecting food scraps, check if it was in the pilot area and, in case of a positive answer, lift their seven-liter bucket.

This project aims to “raise awareness of the importance of reducing environmental impacts, with emphasis on the collection of food scraps, which will be diverted from the landfill and transformed into natural fertiliser”, according to the statement. The operation covers 13,836 accommodation units, equivalent to 19,353 inhabitants (35 percent of the population) and started with restaurants, schools, institutions and the residential population, through the activation of 144 proximity containers.

Carob Thefts on the rise, The GNR seized a total of 434 kilos of carob and identified eight people for theft of that dried fruit, in Silves and São Bartolomeu de Messines .

In a statement, the GNR said that the seizure took place in two different situations, the first of which took place on Friday, August 5, in Silves, following a complaint about a carob theft.

The military “moved quickly” to the site, where they identified four people, two men aged 17 and 55 and two women aged 15 and 56, having seized 257 kilos of carob, harvested without authorization from the landowner.

The second situation occurred on Saturday, August 6, in São Bartolomeu de Messines, during an inspection of a vehicle, which the GNR found to have “a large amount of carob” inside.

As the suspects were unable to justify their origin, the military seized 177 kilos of carob and identified the four people who were in the vehicle: three men aged 19, 30 and 46 and a 43-year-old woman. In both situations, the GNR seized the suspects’ vehicles.

Earlier in the week about 15 thousand kilos of carob was seized in Altura. The seizure was carried out by the Faro Territorial Command, through the Castro Marim Territorial Post, following a complaint “that reported a large amount of carob on land in the parish of Altura”.

“The Guard’s soldiers went to the place where they found that a man had stored around 15,000 kilos of carob beans, worth an estimated 28,000 euros”, says the GNR. The suspect “was unable to justify its origin and the context of its harvest”, and the carob was seized “as a precautionary measure”.

The 44-year-old man was identified and the facts were referred to the Vila Real de Santo António Judi

Body of man found off Arrifana beach- On Sunday afternoon, August 7, the Maritime Police collected the body of a man found floating off Arrifana beach , in the municipality of Aljezur , without knowing the causes for the occurrence, informed the National Maritime Authority.

“This afternoon the body of a man was detected, floating about two nautical miles (approximately four kilometres) from Arrifana beach, in the municipality of Aljezur, the causes that may have been at the origin of this occurrence are not known. ”, the maritime authority said in a statement.

Following the alert received at about 16:45, through the crew of a recreational boat, for the presence of a body floating in the water, “the crew of the Sagres Lifeguard Station and elements of the local command of the Maritime Police of Lagos”, explained the note.

“Elements of the Maritime Police and the crew of the Lifeguard Station recovered and transported the victim’s body to the port of Arrifana”, where “the local health delegate awaited, who declared death on the spot”, added the maritime authority.

After contacting the Public Ministry, the body was later transported by the Volunteer Firefighters of Aljezur to the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Portimão.

The Chamber launched a campaign against animal abandonment This month, the Municipality of Olhão launched a new awareness campaign against the abandonment of pets during holidays, the municipality announced .

“In fact, animal abandonment occurs throughout the year, and not just in the summer, but it is during this period that there is a higher incidence. It seemed to us that it was the ideal time to convey the message that abandoning our animals is never the solution and is, moreover, punishable by law”, says the councillor responsible for Animal Welfare, Ricardo Calé.

With appeals such as “don’t abandon those who have always been by your side”, or “adopting a life is for life”, the municipality intends to raise awareness while trying to face the growing increase in animals arriving, either at the municipal kennel, or under the protection of the council’s associations.

Ricardo Calé recalls that “we have been developing in recent months, on several fronts, and in close collaboration with the associations of the municipality, a work in favour of animal welfare, where we seek to counteract the main factors that contribute to the increase in animals. in the shelters”.

In addition to the campaign that has just been launched, the mayor recalls the launch of the construction of the new Official Animal Collection Centre, a work that has been going on for over 20 years.

Regarding sterilisation, a protocol was recently signed between the municipalities of Olhão and Tavira, which aims to share logistical and human resources, in order to enhance the conditions for the mass sterilisation of animals.

The Municipal Commission for the Promotion of the Rights of the Elderly of Faro, which aims to represent the population of those over 65 years old, was approved at a meeting of the Municipal Assembly. In a statement, the municipality said that the body will have “consultative functions, of appreciation and analysis of problems, as well as of presenting proposals that can compete to guarantee information, defence of rights, security, dignity, quality of life and well-being”. of seniors in the county”.

Cited in the statement, the mayor, Rogério Bacalhau, says that the creation of the commission, which will operate at the Chamber’s premises, “will allow the municipality to be a pioneer in terms of public policies in the area of ​​ageing”.

According to the mayor, “the signs of problematic cases are now centralised in a single entity, in order to improve the perception of the realities in terms of the needs of the elderly population of the municipality”.

The new commission “holds responsibility” on the municipality for this segment of the population, also leading it to “assume a position of influence with the central power, enabling changes in public and legislative policies that can positively contribute to strengthening the rights of the elderly. in a vulnerable situation”.

The Municipal Commission for the Promotion of the Rights of the Elderly of Faro will assume itself “as the entity that will guarantee the specific referral related to the problems of alleged abuse, neglect and dementia conditions for the elderly”.

Among the objectives of the new body is the monitoring of cases reported by the Support Office for the Elderly (GAI) of the municipality, the signalling of situations of alleged risk to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the awareness of the general community regarding the rights of the elderly and the promotion of initiatives aimed at their social inclusion.

An email address will be created for anyone who wants to get in touch with the commission, and interested parties may also address the Department of Social Development and Education to present situations that fall within this scope.

All processes and contacts will be confidential, namely the identity of whoever reports a case, concludes the municipality.

That is the end of this report, we hope you have a safe and enjoyable week ahead.

 

Madeira Situation Report Wednesday 3rd August 2022

Face masks no longer mandatory in Madeira’s buses

It is no longer mandatory for passengers to wear face masks while traveling on buses in Madeira. However, its use is strongly recommended.

Search for missing person at Pináculo Viewpoint

A search was underway for an individual who had gone missing at Pináculo Viewpoint, in São Gonçalo. A road in the area was closed while officers from the PSP and fire service personnel were searching for the individual. It is understood the individual had left the car near the viewpoint and had then disappeared.

Navy involved in 18 search and rescue operations in Madeira

The Portuguese Navy announced the Funchal Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) had been involved in 18 search and rescue operations in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, and had managed to save the lives of 12 people since the start of the year.

The Portuguese Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres have received several national and international awards in recognition of their important work in providing search and rescue services across Portugal’s vast Exclusive Economic Zone.

New Navy patrol vessel arrived in Madeira

NRP Mondego, a Tejo-class patrol vessel, arrived in the Region on Thursday. NRP Mondego’s commanding officer is First-Lieutenant Bruno Miguel Tristão de Brito. The vessel has a crew of 29 sailors. This deployment will reinforce the Navy’s presence in the Region, and strengthen sea patrols and safeguard human life at sea.

She has already been involved in a joint Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) with an EH-101 helicopter from the Portuguese Air Force.

Water supply disruption tonight

There will be a water supply disruption at Caminho da Portada de Santo António tonight, at 21h00, in order to repair a water leak. It is estimated it will last for 4 hours. The following areas will be affected:

– Caminho de Santo António dos Capuchos

– Estrada Luso-Brasileira to Estrada do Livramento

– Caminho do Monte (numbers 106 to 154)

– Caminho de Ferro do Monte (numbers 111 to 153)

– Rua Padre Carlos Jorge Faria e Castro

– Rua Comendador José dos Santos Gomes

– Rua Capitão José Jorge Frutuoso da Silva e o Caminho da Torrinha (numbers 51 to 39)

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

August 3rd – 09h00 to 11h00 (TODAY)

– Lombo do Galo

– Marinheira

– Castelejo (including IGA)

August 3rd – 09h00 to 13h00 (TODAY)

– Covão (including IGA)

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.

 

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 3rd August 2022 

From our colleague in the Azores 

Covid-19

In the seven days from Friday 22nd July until Thursday 28th July there were 510 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 2,095 tests performed. 594 people have recovered, and no new deaths have been recorded with the total still at 117. There are 562 active cases, 84 fewer than the previous week.

There are 20 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 29th of July with Covid, this includes 4 patients that are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

117,766 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 46% of the population.

Published resolution that puts all islands on alert in the context of covid-19

Government Council Resolution No. 117/2022 of July 28, 2022, was published today in the Official Journal, which declares all the islands of the Azores in a situation of Alert.

Under the terms of this resolution, it remains mandatory to carry out a screening test for covid-19 when visiting users in health care establishments and therapeutic communities and social inclusion communities, as well as in temporary and emergency housing centres, residential structures for the elderly and other structures and responses dedicated to the elderly and people with disabilities.

The visit is subject to the presentation of a negative result of an RT-PCR test performed within the previous 72 hours, or a rapid antigen test validated by a healthcare professional performed within the previous 48 hours.

The results of the tests referred to in the previous number can only be presented in paper or digital format, excluding the SMS format from the proof. The presentation of a test with a negative result is waived when a recovery certificate or declaration of prophylactic isolation is presented, or when the patient is 12 years of age or younger.

Also, under the terms of the same resolution, the use of masks is defined as mandatory for accessing or staying in health establishments and services; residential or reception structures or home support services for vulnerable populations, the elderly or people with disabilities, as well as continuing care units, integrated into the Regional Network for Integrated Continuing Care.

Likewise, the mandatory use of a mask in the air transport of passengers remains, and in places where this is determined by the Regional Health Directorate. The mandatory use of masks is waived when, depending on the nature of the activities, their use is impracticable, and such waiver should be limited to what is strictly necessary, or when this is determined by the Regional Health Directorate.

The obligation to wear masks does not apply to people aged 10 years or less and can be waived upon presentation of a Medical Certificate of Multipurpose Disability or a medical declaration, in the case of people with cognitive, developmental and psychic disturbances. The medical declaration attesting that the person’s clinical condition is not consistent with the use of masks is also valid.

The text of the Resolution can be consulted in its entirety at:

https://jo.azores.gov.pt/api/public/anexo/-252967617?filename=Anexo.pdf

Dismantled drug trafficking organization in operation with PJ participation

The Judiciary Police (PJ) was part of a Europol operation that dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to international drug trafficking, announced the criminal police body, which, as part of this action, seized more than a ton of cocaine.

In addition to Portugal, police forces from Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain were also involved, with more than six tons of cocaine seized in global terms, with seizures in the Azores, Aruba, Ivory Coast and in Spain.

The investigation lasted several years and began with the seizure by the PJ of two sailboats in the Azores, in 2018 and 2019, which, in total, transported around 1,440 kilos of cocaine. In these seizures, seven foreign citizens were arrested, with the PJ clarifying that the national investigations into this case are concluded.

According to the released note, “Operation Florida” – as it was called by the PJ – managed to put an end to the activity of this criminal organization, which was mostly composed of Montenegrin citizens and used pleasure boats to introduce large quantities of drugs from South America.

“This operation, like others in which the Judiciary Police has participated, clearly demonstrates that only with recourse to international cooperation is it possible to effectively combat the phenomenon of drug trafficking, which constitutes a serious threat to most countries”, it can read. up in the communiqué.

According to Europol, which mediated the exchange of information between the different countries involved, during the investigation, 29 suspects were accused in different countries. A total of 37 searches were carried out and 12 people were arrested, in addition to the seizure of watches, bank cards, documents, ammunition, weapons, a vehicle, a speedboat and money.