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Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 29th June 2022

Good morning – On Monday I attended the “Safe Summer” presentation event at Regional Tourism Algarve, which was also attended by the Minister of Internal Administration, the National Director of the PSP, a representative of the General Commanding the GNR and the President of the ANEPC as well as other officials.

This event is held annually basically to announce the reinforcements of the security forces over the summer period, when more tourists will be visiting the Algarve. During the presentations it was pleasing to see the increase in tourism so far this year as well as learning from the presenters an outline of the various plans in place to help keep the Algarve a safe destination. Certainly the presentation from the PSP illustrated that only 4% of reported crime involved tourists in PSP areas – which are the main cities.

I had the opportunity to meet the Minister of Internal Administration   after the presentations, and we discussed the issue of safety in the Algarve. From this I thought, that although the Algarve and indeed Portugal is recognised as a safe place to visit and live, as illustrated by low crime rates and our consistently high standing in the Global Peace Index, what are the main reasons for this, and why for instance in neighbouring countries in southern Europe it is less safe.   I welcome thoughts on the topic – namely why is Portugal a safe place to live and visit?

The Portuguese coast presents, in some places of the coastal zone, a landscape that is characterized by its irregular nature resulting from erosion. The natural beauty sought after by users of these areas is, however, inseparable from the risk arising from the instability of the cliffs. On rocky coasts, there are cliffs that are permanently or periodically exposed to the action of the sea. This includes parts of the Algarve. It is important therefore that when you visit the beach to be on the lookout for these signs and keep well away from the foot of the cliffs concerned.

Unfortunately in the past people have been injured as well as deaths caused by landslides and falling rocks.

Lastly it was reported yesterday that the GNR had rescued 28 dogs that were allegedly being mistreated, in the municipality of Viseu, as part of an order from the Public Ministry. They were lucky but there are many dogs and other animals that are mistreated every day. You can contact the GNR hotline at 808 200 520 or make a complain online here https://www.gnr.pt/ambiente.aspx

Turning to the drought situation the government announced that Portugal mainland is officially at a state of severe/extreme drought. The drought situation has worsened considerably since the beginning of May and now we await the monthly figures for June, which should be released in the next week.

The President of the IPMA has described the drought situation is getting worse. On June 15 and, comparing to history, only the year 2005 compares to the current one and it was a very complicated year in terms of summer and risks associated with drought. Almost all of the continent is either in severe or extreme drought, and we’ve had a deficit of watersheds for two years. In terms of regions south of the continent and northeast Alentejo are those with the lowest percentage of water in the soil”. He called on everyone moderate consumption and they realize that the water is little and has to reach everyone”. We certainly echo that call.

Thank you Susan, Mike, Chris and for helping to put together these reports. With that note please have a safe day.

News

The “Ocean’s Promise” to deliver by 2030

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) pledged on Tuesday to help recover one billion dollars annually lost due to misuse and management of the ocean’s potential.

The “Ocean’s Promise”, launched at the Lisbon Ocean Conference, will be applied in support that until 2030 will focus on making the exploitation of fish stocks 100% sustainable, accelerating the end of the scourge of ocean pollution by plastics and allowing a hundreds of countries with a coastline fulfill the full potential of their blue economies, said a UNDP official.

The official stressed that the sustainable development objective for the oceans has “the lowest level of investment of all sustainable development objectives”, which is no more than 1.3 billion per year.

“The entire ecosystem is affected by the ocean crisis. There is a knock-on effect, people lose health, jobs and livelihoods ,” he said, adding that part of the promise is to recruit investment worth at least US$1 billion for “protection and recovery” of the ocean environment , combining efforts to other existing United Nations programs.

The head of the United Nations program for the Governance of Water and Ocean, Andrew Hudson, said that the ocean is a market with an estimated value of three billion dollars annually and that the first priority to get the billion that is not used for cause of mismanagement is “recover and protect”.

Among the effects of this mismanagement are the loss of biodiversity, overfishing, ocean acidification and excess nutrients used in agricultural fertilizers that end up in the seas .

He stressed that “it is really necessary to accelerate” the achievement of the objective of sustainable development of the oceans (the 14th of 17), indicating that four of the goals were overcome in the year 2020 without being reached, including the protection of 10% of marine areas and combating overfishing.

The pledge launched this Tuesday has “tangible and ambitious goals” and focuses on fisheries sustainability and protection of marine areas, said Usha Rao-Monari, for which the UNDP intends “new partnerships” for funding, including private and civil society. .

State Council meeting with John Kerry began at about 4:45 pm with five absences

The Council of State with the participation as a guest of John Kerry, special envoy of the President of the United States of America for the climate, met yesterday at around 16:45, with five absences.

The political body of consultation of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is meeting at the Palácio da Cidadela de Cascais, district of Lisbon. The theme of the meeting is “the perspectives, challenges and opportunities of combating climate change and the energy transition”.

According to a source from the Presidency of the Republic, the State Councillors Lídia Jorge, António Damásio, Leonor Beleza, the President of the Constitutional Court, João Caupers, and the Prime Minister, António Costa, are not present at the Palace of Cascais. Thets representation is the Minister of the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva.

Immediately before this meeting, the five councillors elected by the Assembly of the Republic on April 29 for this legislature took office: Carlos César, Manuel Alegre and António Sampaio da Nóvoa, appointed by the PS, Francisco Pinto Balsemão and Miguel Cadilhe, appointed by the PSD.

The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, invited John Kerry to participate in a meeting of the Council of State on 11 February, in a meeting that the two had in Brest, France, on the sidelines of the international summit “One Ocean”, promoted by the presidency French of the European Union.

Yesterday’s meeting coincides with the 2nd United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference, jointly organized by Portugal and Kenya, which takes place between Monday and Friday, in Lisbon.

Accidents with bicycles increased by 20.4% in 2021 and deaths more than doubled

Lisbon, June 28, 2022 (Lusa) – Bicycle accidents increased 20.4% last year compared to 2020 and deaths involving cyclists more than doubled, totalling 23 victims, the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) revealed today.

According to the ANSR, accidents involving cyclists have resulted in 23 deaths in 2021 (130% more than in 2020), 138 seriously injured (plus 16%) and 2,511 minor injuries (plus 19.7%).

Last year, the number of deaths due to accidents with agricultural tractors also increased, with 14 victims (16.7% more than in 2020) and 25 seriously injured (8.7%), for a total of 194 disasters (plus 2). , 6%).

The report shows that cars were responsible for 72% of accidents last year, with 34,426 accidents (plus 12.8%), followed by mopeds and motorcycles, with 8,529 accidents (plus 8.4). %).

Despite the increase in accidents, deaths in cars had decreased by 14.4% in 2021 and in motorcycles also fell by 1.9%.

The ANSR indicates that in 2021 there were 29,217 accidents with 390 fatalities, 2,106 seriously injured and 34,217 minor injuries, maintaining the number of deaths compared to the previous year and registering increases in disasters (10.2%) and injuries ( + 15.1% severe and + 11.4% mild).

Comparing the values ​​of the continent in 2021 with the average of the previous five years (2016 to 2020), there have been reductions in the totals of all major indicators: minus 10.5% in accidents, minus 16.2% in fatalities, less 0.4% in the seriously injured and less 12.8% in the slightly injured ”, reads the report.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 29th June 2022  

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 17th June until Thursday 23rd of June there were 2906 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 5,012 tests performed. 3,585 people have recovered, and no new deaths have been recorded with the total at 117 There are a total of 2,734 active cases, 679 fewer than the previous week.

There are 35 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 24th June with Covid and 9 patients are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.

112439 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 43% of the population.

São Jorge Island with 39,995 earthquakes since March 

The island of São Jorge has registered 39,995 earthquakes since March 19, of which 291 were felt by the population, the Azores Seismo-volcanic Information and Surveillance Centre (CIVISA) said today.

In a status report on the seismo-volcanic crisis on that Azorean island, published on its official website, CIVISA states that “to date, approximately 39,995 events of low magnitude and of tectonic origin have been recorded”.

According to CIVISA, the seismo-volcanic activity on that island “continues above normal, extending, roughly, from Ponta dos Rosais to the Norte Pequeno – Silveira area”.

“Globally, the seismic activity of the last few weeks shows a slight downward trend, sometimes interrupted by short periods of higher frequency and/or energy released, with the hypocentres currently being located, in general, at depths greater than five kilometres”.

CIVISA indicates that “the existing data since the beginning of April do not show significant deformation in the epicentral zone”.

On the other hand, “the campaigns to measure gases and temperature in the soil that have been developed since the beginning of this crisis in the epicentral area have not resulted, to date, in the identification of anomalies resulting from seismo-volcanic activity”.

“The integration of available information allows us to conclude that the tectonic structures where the historical eruptions of 1580 and 1808 developed, and the 1964 – crisis, in the Fissural Volcanic System of Herds, were reactivated, and it must be admitted that at the beginning of the phenomenon there was a deep magmatic intrusion”, describes that entity.

On June 8th, CIVISA lowered the alert level on the island of São Jorge from V4 (threat of eruption) to V3 (active system with no imminent eruption).

“The decrease in seismic activity, albeit slow, and the observation of such a pattern over the last few weeks, as well as the absence of other anomalous signs in terms of deformation, gases and waters, led to the descent of the scientific alert level”, he justifies.

The island had been since March 23rd, at 15:30 (another hour in Lisbon), with the volcanic alert level V4 out of a total of seven, where V0 means “state of rest” and V6 “eruption in progress”, following the seismo-volcanic crisis recorded since 19th March.

Despite the lowering of the alert, “seismic activity remains well above the reference values ​​for the region, so there is still the possibility of registering felt events”.

According to CIVISA, “the possible occurrence of earthquakes of higher magnitude cannot be excluded either”.

CIVISA “maintains monitoring levels” on the island, while “is providing the reinforcement of the permanent seismo-volcanic observation network, in order to detect precursor signs of a new pre-eruptive situation”.

The earthquake of greater magnitude (3.8 on the Richter scale) of this crisis occurred on March 29th at 21:56.

http://www.ivar.azores.gov.pt/civisa/Paginas/homeCIVISA.aspx

Mainland, Madeira and Azores with very high risk of UV radiation 

Mainland Portugal and the archipelagos of Madeira and Azores presented on Monday a very high and high risk of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV), according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).

The mainland, the islands of Porto Santo, São Miguel, Faial and Flores (Azores) are currently at very high risk of exposure to UV radiation.

With high levels of radiation exposure, are the islands of Madeira and Terceira, in the Azores.

The ultraviolet radiation scale has five levels, between extreme and low risk.

For regions with very high risk, the IPMA advises the use of sunglasses with a UV filter, a hat, ‘t-shirt’, parasol, sunscreen and that children, should not be exposed to the sun.

For regions with high risk, it recommends the use of sunglasses with UV filter, hat, ‘t-shirt’ and sunscreen.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Tuesday 28th June 2022

Good Morning and we start this report with some good news for expectant mothers. The Maternity block at Hospital de Portimão resumed normal operations on Monday, after being closed over the weekend, the president of the Centro Hospitalar do Algarve told Lusa .

“The birthing block reopened today at 08:00 and is operating normally, without constraints,” the chairman of the board of directors of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) told the Lusa agency.

The service at the Portimão hospital closed at the end of the day on Friday, and pregnant women from 22 weeks of gestation or who needed special care were referred to Faro Hospital.

A plan  was set up in conjunction with the Civil Protection, the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) and the Centre for Guidance for Urgent Patients (CODU) for referral to the hospital in Faro. According to Ana Varges Gomes, due to the closure of the service during the weekend in Portimão, “a total of four pregnant women” were transferred to Faro Hospital.

However, there are still some fears that the closure may not be a “one off” event. The official admitted that the service “may close again, due to the difficulty in ensuring the Paediatrics scales, which may also affect the functioning of the emergency department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. “The urgency depends on the medical service providers and whenever they are absent or are not available to work, we will have constraints”, he pointed out.

 However, he added, CHUA has “a plan made to be put into practice whenever the need arises”. In recent weeks, emergency services of various specialties and delivery blocks of several hospitals in the country had to close for certain periods or operated with limitations, due to the difficulty of hospitals in completing the service rosters of specialist doctors.

Two Men Arrested for Gun Crime In Albufeira

The Judiciary Police ( PJ ) detained two suspects on suspicion of involvement in robberies with firearms in the Albufeira area, it was announced this Tuesday.

According to a statement from the security force, in the context of the fight against violent crime, a group of people suspected of the practice of coercion with a firearm and possession of a prohibited weapon in the municipality of Albufeira was identified at the end of December 2021. The “strong indictment” of these men allowed the competent judicial authorities to proceed with the issuance of arrest warrants for the two suspects, aged 23 and 29.

“The police operation carried out successfully in locating and detaining two of the suspects, in the city of Albufeira”, according to the PJ statement. The detainees will now be present for a first judicial interrogation, in Albufeira, for the application of coercive measures. The PJ states that it will continue to investigate this case with the aim of identifying and locating the remaining suspected members of this group.

The security force is also investigating the relationship between this group and other “recent events” in the Loulé area, “of offences of physical violence motivated by settling accounts between individuals with police and criminal records, for the same type of crimes and theft. ”.

Portugal Must get used to using less Water says Minister

Whilst the Minister of the Environment spoke of the nation having to get used to using less water at a conference in Lisbon, the focus of using treated water for irrigation in the Algarve was raised by a specialist at the University of the Algarve.

The doubling of the use of treated wastewater for irrigation by the end of the year in the Algarve implies investing and building infrastructure to transport it from source to destination and that work remains to be done, warned a specialist from the University of Algarve .

The director of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Algarve (UAlg) warned that it is first necessary to understand where the Wastewater Treatment Stations (WWTP) are and who are the recipients of this non-potable water that can be used to irrigate crops. or golf courses and then define the type of investment needed to transport that water to its destination. Carlos Guerrero thus commented on the objective defined by the Permanent Commission for the Prevention, Monitoring and Monitoring of the Effects of Drought to “extend the use of reused water for purposes that do not require drinking water, namely in the irrigation of permanent crops and in the support of ecosystems”.

According to the Commission, “at the moment, in the Algarve, a cubic hectometer of reused water is already used, and this value is expected to double by the end of the year”, but the university professor considered that there are other measures that can also help to save water and increase the reserves of this good to allow its use in agriculture and for human supply.

“The problem of doubling [treated wastewater for irrigation] involves promoting and installing the necessary infrastructure to get water where it is needed. I am talking about the water resulting from the Wastewater Treatment Stations, which cannot be moved and are not mobile, they are well fixed”, said the university professor.

The same source said that the Algarve “has a set of WWTPs that cost millions” and have “state-of-the-art technology from the point of view of water treatment”, but underlined that, “then this treated water has to be taken to the sites”. where it is needed”, such as green spaces in cities, golf courses, or some tree crops”.

“I think it is necessary to create these infrastructures and, before that, to know who will pay for them. It is necessary to base the installation projects and know the needs, not only of pipes, but also of pumping stations and all the infrastructure necessary to move the water”, he exemplified. Carlos Guerrero stressed “that it remains to be explained and defined who pays for these structures”, whether “it is who produces the water, who is going to use it or the common citizen”, and none of these issues is already defined, he added.

Carlos Guerrero considered that the reduction in water availability due to the effects of drought and climate change is a reality that can also be “mitigated” with other “complementary” measures, such as the installation of technologies to support irrigation management in agriculture, raising people’s awareness of savings or combating losses in the supply network, which, he assured, could “water the 40 golf courses in the Algarve”. Another of the measures recommended by the Commission was the reactivation of underground abstractions, which Carla Antunes, also a professor at the University of Algarve, said was one of the “easiest and fastest” to implement.

“Although groundwater resources are considered to be a strategic reserve and as a last alternative, perhaps, immediately, if we continue with this drought, we will even have to resort to groundwater”, said Carla Ventura, stressing that “there is no solution great” and it will be with “small solutions” that we will “be able to overcome this drought”.

ALBUFEIRA: MAN ARRESTED BEFORE SETTING HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW ON FIRE

The GNR have arrested a 40 year old Ukrainian man for domestic violence after they caught him in the act, showering his mother-in-law with gasoline and preparing to set her on fire.

In a statement, the GNR explains that the man was arrested after “an occurrence involving an alleged situation of domestic violence, in which the suspect threatened his 34 year old companion and her mother. The man was found to have two gasoline jerry cans in his possession.” A source from the GNR, explained that the individual was arrested in the act, at the moment he showered his mother-in-law with gasoline and was preparing to set her on fire, which luckily did not happen due to the timely intervention of the police. The GNR also clarified that the detainee’s companion managed to flee the house to safety in time too. Two gasoline jerrycans, a lighter and an air pressure gun were seized from the scene.

MINOR EARTHQUAKE 20KM SOUTH OF LAGOS

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) say that an earthquake of magnitude 2.8 on the Richter scale was registered at 18:50 yesterday evening, with the epicentre about 20 km south-southeast from Lagos.

According to the IPMA, no information was received confirming that this earthquake was felt by anyone.

Latest SEF Stats Show over 150 nationalities are resident in the Algarve

Finally to end this report we bring you the latest figures of immigrant population in the Algarve according to the latest SEF statistics. The Algarve is a very cosmopolitan region with over 150 different nationalities resident in the region.

The Algarve has a total of 105,142 immigrants living across the region. The largest number are in Loule, 18,707 followed by Albufeira, 16,433. Next is Portimao, 12,014 and then Lagos, 11,651.

In terms of the different nationalities,  immigrants from the UK are the largest percentage of the total with 19.76%, followed by Brazil with 16.64%, Romania with 6.52%, France with 6.02% and Italy with 5.23%. Ukraine, India, Germany, The Netherlands and Nepal make up the top ten countries for immigrants in the Algarve.

Have a great day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MUrder Suspect is held in Prison pending his trial.

The Portimão Court decided to apply the coercive measure of preventive detention to a man indicted for committing a crime of murder, in Lagos, following a drug-related argument.

The decision was taken by the Portimão Criminal Investigation Court at the end of the first judicial interrogation of the detainee, a 46-year-old man, suspected of killing a 43-year-old man, the Public Ministry (MP) released in a statement.

The court agreed with the measure proposed by the Public Ministry, and the investigation is now in the hands of the Portimão department of the Southern Directorate of the Judiciary Police ( PJ ), the note reads.

This security force detained a man last Tuesday in the Lagos area on “strong suspicions” of committing a crime of qualified murder.

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the time, in the late afternoon of June 14, 2022, “inside a vacant house in Lagos, following a drug-related argument, the detainee armed with a glass hit the victim’s neck, after which, he grabbed a stick with nails on the end and struck her on the head, causing her death”.

New Train Link to Lisbon from VRSA announced

A new link to Lisbon by connecting the railway line with the University and the Airport on the Olhão-Faro-Loulé axis was announced this week..

The president of CCDR/Algarve, José Apolinário, considered earlier this week that the requalification and electrification of the Algarve Railway Line (in progress) and the implementation of the Intercidades Vila Real de Santo António – Tavira – Olhão – Faro to Lisbon in 2024 are two of the main priorities of the Algarve 2030 Strategy.

Speaking at a seminar on mobility promoted by AMAL, in what he considered to be contributions to the region’s political position on the matter, the president of the CCDR also added that the modernization of rolling stock on the Algarve Line, the renovation of the southern railway line between Tunis and Torre Vã and the replacement of the concurrence on the railway line in Tunis.

He also mentioned the implementation of a feasibility study for the Algarve Andalusia Connection (Faro Airport/Seville Airport), which already has a public declaration of support from AMAL, NERA and Andalusia. He stressed that the review of PROTAL should provide for and safeguard that rail corridor.

With regard to the highway, it prioritised the conclusion of the renegotiation process of the Algarve Litoral sub-concession.

In this regard, he recalled that in 2021, Infraestruturas de Portugal was ordered to make provisional payments to the sub-concessionaire of around 30 million euros and a monthly amount of 1.2 million euros to the concessionaire Rotas do Algarve Litoral, SA.

The decision of the main arbitration action is awaited, following the review that took place initially during the intervention of the Troika and then in the amendment to the contract with a visa refused by the Court of Auditors in 2018. 48.9 million euros have already been paid and the amount requested is 445 million.

Praia da Rocha will have video surveillance and more patrols this summer.

From June 21st, on the first day of summer 2022, Portimão City Council announces that security measures in Praia da Rocha will be reinforced.

Also during this week, the contract will be signed for the installation of video surveillance in the municipality of Portimão, in particular in Praia da Rocha, where it is planned to install 32 cameras in various areas of this seaside resort, namely along Avenida Tomás Cabreira.

After this Tuesday’s contacts with the Minister of Internal Administration, President Isilda Gomes was immediately assured that the PSP Intervention Corps will remain in Praia da Rocha, a fact that the municipality welcomes.

The municipality also appeals to entrepreneurs in that area, namely those in bars and nightlife establishments, to “maintain scrupulous compliance with opening hours, thus preventing them from having to be reduced. It is also called for the conduct and rules for the sale of alcohol to be strictly complied with”, says the municipality in a statement.

“The Portimão City Council is closely following the evolution of this situation, and will not hesitate to take more drastic measures and positions if justified”, concludes the note.

Algarve will have a unique intermodal pass.

The Algarve regional and municipal transport authorities and five public transport companies in the region signed a memorandum of understanding this Monday to work on the creation of a single intermodal pass, said the president of the Algarve Intermunicipal Community.

The expectation is that the single intermodal pass “will be a reality in the first half of next year”, with the Algarve being the third region in the country, after Lisbon and Porto, to work to create a single pass for all transport operators. regional audiences, said António Pina.

The president of the Algarve Intermunicipal Community ( AMAL ) was speaking on the sidelines of the signing of the document, within the scope of the seminar “The challenges of mobility”, held today at the Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo, in Faro .

According to that official, the objective “is to standardise the purchase of a pass” and, for that, the entities that sign the memorandum undertake “to work and provide information” so that there is “only one pass for the various public transport that operate in the region”.

The memorandum includes AMAL, as the Regional Transport Authority, CP, which operates the railway, and then the other seven municipal transport entities in Albufeira, Faro, Lagos, Loulé, Olhão, Portimão and Tavira.

The same source considered that this memorandum will “mobilise efforts for concentration between the different public transport services” and expressed the wish that AMAL, in the future, “will also become the railway transport authority”, in order to be able to define forms of interconnection with road transport.

“Public transport is now increasingly on the agenda of every family. If until some time ago, the issue of public transport was seen from the point of view of climate action and the reduction of pollution by the [less] individual use of each one’s cars, now it has another dimension”, he noted.

According to the mayor of Olhão, the current price of fuel “leads families to realise that public transport is perhaps the only way to relieve the family budget in terms of mobility”.

This new reality places, according to António Pina, “mobility in the priorities of municipal management and government management”.

Stressing that it is still too early to talk about a final cost for this intermodal pass, which will begin to be defined when the work carried out by all the actors evolves, António Pina considered that “the union of the different modules is the only one that can bring some efficiency to the system. ”.

“All [operators] provide public service and what is intended is to gain efficiency in this public service and effectiveness”, he said, adding that “the passenger is the same, the user is the same” and it is necessary to “make your life easier, providing reliable information, making the most effective connections possible and with the convenience of using the same pass for everything”.

 

In addition to these entities, the road transport companies Vizur, EVA Transportes, PXM – Transportes Rodoviários Urbanos de Faro, Translagos and Sandbus also participated in the signing of the memorandum.

GNR detains 26 people over a long weekend

 During this period, the GNR detained 12 people for driving with excessive alcohol, eight for drug trafficking, four for not having a legal licence to drive, three for possession of a prohibited weapon, one for domestic violence and one for theft.

The GNR detained 26 people in the Algarve region during the mini-vacation period provided by the holiday last Thursday, most of them for driving with excessive alcohol and drug trafficking, it was announced today.

In a statement, the GNR added that, between Wednesday and Sunday, it launched an operation “especially focused on the flow of people that took place this past weekend”, reinforcing its patrol on the main roads, bathing and entertainment areas. night.

Thus, during this period, the GNR detained 12 people for driving with excessive alcohol, eight for drug trafficking, four for not having a legal licence to drive, three for possession of a prohibited weapon, one for domestic violence and one for theft.

According to the GNR, 1,182 doses of cannabis and 285 doses of cocaine were also seized.

 

Covid 19- Algarve registers 4,523 cases and 11 deaths between June 7th and 13th

According to the DGS weekly epidemiological bulletin, compared to the previous week, there were 43,534 fewer cases of infection.

In the region, there were 4,523 infections by SARS-CoV-2 (minus 1,013) and 11 deaths (minus five) between the 7th and 13th of June, according to data released this Friday by the Directorate-General for Health ( DGS ).

Portugal recorded, between the same period, 114,410 infections with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, 256 deaths associated with covid-19 and a decrease in hospitalizations in wards and intensive care.

According to the DGS weekly epidemiological bulletin, compared to the previous week, there were 43,534 fewer cases of infection, with a reduction of 41 deaths in the comparison between the two periods.

As for hospital occupancy in mainland Portugal due to covid-19, the DGS started to release data on hospitalizations for the Monday before the report was published on Fridays.

Based on this criterion, the bulletin indicates that, last Monday, 1,896 people were hospitalised, 95 less than on the same day of the previous week, with 98 patients in intensive care units, less 10.

According to the DGS bulletin, the seven-day incidence was, on Monday, at 1,111 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, having registered a decrease of 28% compared to the previous week.

By region, Lisbon and Vale do Tejo recorded 50,786 cases between June 7 and 13, 18,368 less than in the previous period, and 79 deaths, 19 less.

The Central region accounted for 15,773 cases (minus 6,336) and 63 deaths (minus four) and the North totaled 30,295 cases of infection (minus 15,227) and 75 deaths (minus eight).

In Alentejo, 4,341 positive cases were recorded (2,379 less) and 17 deaths (five less).

As for the autonomous regions, the Azores had 4,571 new infections between 7 and 13 June (153 more) and three deaths (four less), while Madeira recorded 4,121 cases in those seven days (364 less) and eight deaths (four more), according to DGS data.

According to the report, the age group between 40 and 49 years old was the one with the highest number of cases at seven days (19,147), followed by people between 50 and 59 years old (17,829), while children up to 9 years old were the group with the fewest infections (6,551) this week.

Of the total admissions, 768 were elderly over 80 years of age, followed by the age group from 70 to 79 years (459) and from 60 to 69 years (229).

The DGS also recorded 21 admissions in the age group of children up to 9 years old, 10 from 10 to 19 years old, 18 from 20 to 29 years old, 40 from 30 to 39 years old, 67 from 40 to 49 years old and 110 from 50 to 59 years old. .

The bulletin also mentions that, in these seven days, 186 people over 80 years old died, 56 people between 70 and 79 years old, 10 between 60 and 69 years old, three between 50 and 59 years old and one between 20 and 29 years old.

Regarding vaccination against covid-19, the bulletin states that 93% of the population has the complete vaccination, 64% of those eligible the first booster dose and 45% of the elderly aged 80 years or older the second dose to reinforce immunisation against the virus. SARS-CoV-2.

 

Madeira Situation Report Wednesday 22nd June 2022

Brief Covid-19 update

On June 19th, there were 95 patients hospitalised in the general Covid-19 unit (22 non-vaccinated, 1 vaccinated with the first shot, 72 fully vaccinated), and 1 hospitalised patient in the Covid-19 intensive care unit (fully vaccinated). As for the age of the hospitalised patients who were in the general Covid-19 unit, 27 are aged 18-65 and 68 are 65 or older. The patient in intensive care is aged 65 or older.

There were 15 deaths from June 13th to June 19th. There had been a total of 320 deaths.

On June 21st, it was announced that there had been 8 new Covid-19 cases in the Region’s schools in the previous 24 hours (5 students, 2 teachers and 1 non-teaching member of staff).

Extra Porto Santo ferry services on June 26th

Porto Santo Line informed there will be extra ferry services to and from Porto Santo on June 26th. This is intended to encourage more visitors to Porto Santo during the weekend of St. John’s festival.

 The timetable of the ferry services on that day will be:

Funchal – Porto Santo: 08h00 & 16h30 (extra)

Porto Santo – Funchal: 13h00 (extra) & 20h000

To amend the booking (free of charge), the customers must do so by visiting one of the Porto Santo Line branches:

– Estrada Monumental, number 175C, Funchal (open from Monday to Sunday – 09h-12h30 & 14h00-20h00)

– Rua D. Estevão de Alencastre, Loja 6/7, Porto Santo (open from Monday to Friday – 09h00-12h30 & 14h00-18h00

Alternatively, passengers can call 291 210 300 from Monday to Friday (09h00-12h300 & 14h00-18h00) or send an email to infopsl@gruposousa.pt.

Madeira Airport to have flights to 26 countries during the summer

Miguel Albuquerque, the President of the Madeira Regional Government, revealed that Madeira Airport will have flights to to 26 countries during the summer. This a 73% increase in comparison to 2019 (11 countries). There will be flights to 60 airports, an increase of 20% (10 more airports than in 2019). He has no doubts that everything is in place for the Region to benefit from a good summer season.

Wizzair started flights to Madeira

Wizzair’s first flight to Madeira took place on June 18th. The aircraft, carrying about 240 passengers, laded in Funchal after 19h00.

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:

RIBEIRA BRAVA

June 22th – 09h00 to 09h45 & 15h30-16h00 (TODAY)

– Cruz e Caldeira

– Cova

– Cabouco

– Fonte do Pinheiro

– Terça

– Fajã das Flores

– Vale (partial)

– Moreno (partial)

– Caminho do Chão

SANTA CRUZ

June 22th – 09h00 to 12h00 (TODAY)

– Cova das Pedras

– Morena

– Caminho do Ribeiro do Eixo

– Caminho do Estreito

– Caminho do Pomar

– Caminho do Mosqueiro

– Rua da Morena

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.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 22nd June 2022

Murder Suspect is held in Prison pending his trial

The Portimão Court decided to apply the coercive measure of preventive detention to a man indicted for committing a crime of murder, in Lagos, following a drug-related argument.

The decision was taken by the Portimão Criminal Investigation Court at the end of the first judicial interrogation of the detainee, a 46-year-old man, suspected of killing a 43-year-old man, the Public Ministry (MP) released in a statement.

The court agreed with the measure proposed by the Public Ministry, and the investigation is now in the hands of the Portimão department of the Southern Directorate of the Judiciary Police ( PJ ), the note reads.

This security force detained a man last Tuesday in the Lagos area on “strong suspicions” of committing a crime of qualified murder.

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the time, in the late afternoon of June 14, 2022, “inside a vacant house in Lagos, following a drug-related argument, the detainee armed with a glass hit the victim’s neck, after which, he grabbed a stick with nails on the end and struck her on the head, causing her death”.

New Train Link to Lisbon from VRSA announced

A new link to Lisbon by connecting the railway line with the University and the Airport on the Olhão-Faro-Loulé axis was announced this week..

The president of CCDR/Algarve, José Apolinário, considered earlier this week that the requalification and electrification of the Algarve Railway Line (in progress) and the implementation of the Intercidades Vila Real de Santo António – Tavira – Olhão – Faro to Lisbon in 2024 are two of the main priorities of the Algarve 2030 Strategy.

Speaking at a seminar on mobility promoted by AMAL, in what he considered to be contributions to the region’s political position on the matter, the president of the CCDR also added that the modernization of rolling stock on the Algarve Line, the renovation of the southern railway line between Tunis and Torre Vã and the replacement of the concurrence on the railway line in Tunis.

He also mentioned the implementation of a feasibility study for the Algarve Andalusia Connection (Faro Airport/Seville Airport), which already has a public declaration of support from AMAL, NERA and Andalusia. He stressed that the review of PROTAL should provide for and safeguard that rail corridor.

With regard to the highway, it prioritised the conclusion of the renegotiation process of the Algarve Litoral sub-concession.

In this regard, he recalled that in 2021, Infraestruturas de Portugal was ordered to make provisional payments to the sub-concessionaire of around 30 million euros and a monthly amount of 1.2 million euros to the concessionaire Rotas do Algarve Litoral, SA.

The decision of the main arbitration action is awaited, following the review that took place initially during the intervention of the Troika and then in the amendment to the contract with a visa refused by the Court of Auditors in 2018. 48.9 million euros have already been paid and the amount requested is 445 million.

Praia da Rocha will have video surveillance and more patrols this summer.

From June 21st, on the first day of summer 2022, Portimão City Council announces that security measures in Praia da Rocha will be reinforced.

Also during this week, the contract will be signed for the installation of video surveillance in the municipality of Portimão, in particular in Praia da Rocha, where it is planned to install 32 cameras in various areas of this seaside resort, namely along Avenida Tomás Cabreira.

After this Tuesday’s contacts with the Minister of Internal Administration, President Isilda Gomes was immediately assured that the PSP Intervention Corps will remain in Praia da Rocha, a fact that the municipality welcomes.

The municipality also appeals to entrepreneurs in that area, namely those in bars and nightlife establishments, to “maintain scrupulous compliance with opening hours, thus preventing them from having to be reduced. It is also called for the conduct and rules for the sale of alcohol to be strictly complied with”, says the municipality in a statement.

“The Portimão City Council is closely following the evolution of this situation, and will not hesitate to take more drastic measures and positions if justified”, concludes the note.

Algarve will have a unique intermodal pass.

The Algarve regional and municipal transport authorities and five public transport companies in the region signed a memorandum of understanding this Monday to work on the creation of a single intermodal pass, said the president of the Algarve Intermunicipal Community.

The expectation is that the single intermodal pass “will be a reality in the first half of next year”, with the Algarve being the third region in the country, after Lisbon and Porto, to work to create a single pass for all transport operators. regional audiences, said António Pina.

The president of the Algarve Intermunicipal Community ( AMAL ) was speaking on the sidelines of the signing of the document, within the scope of the seminar “The challenges of mobility”, held today at the Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo, in Faro .

According to that official, the objective “is to standardise the purchase of a pass” and, for that, the entities that sign the memorandum undertake “to work and provide information” so that there is “only one pass for the various public transport that operate in the region”.

The memorandum includes AMAL, as the Regional Transport Authority, CP, which operates the railway, and then the other seven municipal transport entities in Albufeira, Faro, Lagos, Loulé, Olhão, Portimão and Tavira.

The same source considered that this memorandum will “mobilise efforts for concentration between the different public transport services” and expressed the wish that AMAL, in the future, “will also become the railway transport authority”, in order to be able to define forms of interconnection with road transport.

“Public transport is now increasingly on the agenda of every family. If until some time ago, the issue of public transport was seen from the point of view of climate action and the reduction of pollution by the [less] individual use of each one’s cars, now it has another dimension”, he noted.

According to the mayor of Olhão, the current price of fuel “leads families to realise that public transport is perhaps the only way to relieve the family budget in terms of mobility”.

This new reality places, according to António Pina, “mobility in the priorities of municipal management and government management”.

Stressing that it is still too early to talk about a final cost for this intermodal pass, which will begin to be defined when the work carried out by all the actors evolves, António Pina considered that “the union of the different modules is the only one that can bring some efficiency to the system. ”.

“All [operators] provide public service and what is intended is to gain efficiency in this public service and effectiveness”, he said, adding that “the passenger is the same, the user is the same” and it is necessary to “make your life easier, providing reliable information, making the most effective connections possible and with the convenience of using the same pass for everything”. 

In addition to these entities, the road transport companies Vizur, EVA Transportes, PXM – Transportes Rodoviários Urbanos de Faro, Translagos and Sandbus also participated in the signing of the memorandum.

GNR detains 26 people over a long weekend

 During this period, the GNR detained 12 people for driving with excessive alcohol, eight for drug trafficking, four for not having a legal licence to drive, three for possession of a prohibited weapon, one for domestic violence and one for theft.

The GNR detained 26 people in the Algarve region during the mini-vacation period provided by the holiday last Thursday, most of them for driving with excessive alcohol and drug trafficking, it was announced today.

In a statement, the GNR added that, between Wednesday and Sunday, it launched an operation “especially focused on the flow of people that took place this past weekend”, reinforcing its patrol on the main roads, bathing and entertainment areas. night.

Thus, during this period, the GNR detained 12 people for driving with excessive alcohol, eight for drug trafficking, four for not having a legal licence to drive, three for possession of a prohibited weapon, one for domestic violence and one for theft.

According to the GNR, 1,182 doses of cannabis and 285 doses of cocaine were also seized.

Covid 19- Algarve registers 4,523 cases and 11 deaths between June 7th and 13th

According to the DGS weekly epidemiological bulletin, compared to the previous week, there were 43,534 fewer cases of infection.

In the region, there were 4,523 infections by SARS-CoV-2 (minus 1,013) and 11 deaths (minus five) between the 7th and 13th of June, according to data released this Friday by the Directorate-General for Health ( DGS ).

Portugal recorded, between the same period, 114,410 infections with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, 256 deaths associated with covid-19 and a decrease in hospitalizations in wards and intensive care.

According to the DGS weekly epidemiological bulletin, compared to the previous week, there were 43,534 fewer cases of infection, with a reduction of 41 deaths in the comparison between the two periods.

As for hospital occupancy in mainland Portugal due to covid-19, the DGS started to release data on hospitalizations for the Monday before the report was published on Fridays.

Based on this criterion, the bulletin indicates that, last Monday, 1,896 people were hospitalised, 95 less than on the same day of the previous week, with 98 patients in intensive care units, less 10.

According to the DGS bulletin, the seven-day incidence was, on Monday, at 1,111 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, having registered a decrease of 28% compared to the previous week.

By region, Lisbon and Vale do Tejo recorded 50,786 cases between June 7 and 13, 18,368 less than in the previous period, and 79 deaths, 19 less.

The Central region accounted for 15,773 cases (minus 6,336) and 63 deaths (minus four) and the North totaled 30,295 cases of infection (minus 15,227) and 75 deaths (minus eight).

In Alentejo, 4,341 positive cases were recorded (2,379 less) and 17 deaths (five less).

As for the autonomous regions, the Azores had 4,571 new infections between 7 and 13 June (153 more) and three deaths (four less), while Madeira recorded 4,121 cases in those seven days (364 less) and eight deaths (four more), according to DGS data.

According to the report, the age group between 40 and 49 years old was the one with the highest number of cases at seven days (19,147), followed by people between 50 and 59 years old (17,829), while children up to 9 years old were the group with the fewest infections (6,551) this week.

Of the total admissions, 768 were elderly over 80 years of age, followed by the age group from 70 to 79 years (459) and from 60 to 69 years (229).

The DGS also recorded 21 admissions in the age group of children up to 9 years old, 10 from 10 to 19 years old, 18 from 20 to 29 years old, 40 from 30 to 39 years old, 67 from 40 to 49 years old and 110 from 50 to 59 years old. .

The bulletin also mentions that, in these seven days, 186 people over 80 years old died, 56 people between 70 and 79 years old, 10 between 60 and 69 years old, three between 50 and 59 years old and one between 20 and 29 years old.

Regarding vaccination against covid-19, the bulletin states that 93% of the population has the complete vaccination, 64% of those eligible the first booster dose and 45% of the elderly aged 80 years or older the second dose to reinforce immunisation against the virus. SARS-CoV-2.

 

Portugal Situation Report Wednesday  22nd June 2022

Good morning – Five years ago this week was Portugal’s largest fire at Pedrogão Grande which resulted in the deaths of 65 people and around 204 injured with tremendous devastation to the area. The situation was repeated just four months later with extensive fires in the centre of Portugal whereupon and 45 people died. A year later in August 2018 there was the Monchique fire, where although no one died, there was extensive damage to property and people’s livelihoods plus some 37,000 hectares of land burned.

From the 2017 tragedies there have been many changes, which have boosted the growth of a stronger, more cohesive and objective civil protection culture – but there is still more to do, especially in getting communities more closely involved.

All these devastating fires have one thing in common and that is in the lead up to the fires the country at the time was in severe drought and temperatures were far higher than usual – in fact a similar situation to this year, except the drought situation is now is even more acute, two thirds the mainland at extreme drought.

It is therefore essential more than ever that people know what to do should a fire break out, and approaches your home. Do you await the arrival of the firefighters, who may not be able to reach you quickly, or do you attempt to leave your home? In a major fire situation where the fire has intensified to a point it has become out of control, attempting to leave your home could have drastic if not fatal consequences, as was the case in the Pedrogão Grande fire. Knowing the level of protection that the construction of your house affords in case of rural fires, and having a plan and knowing what to do if such a situation should arise, is therefore in everyone’s interest, especially those living in high risk areas.

In order to address such issues the Escola Nacional de Bombeiros  organized what was an excellent webinar on Monday this week where expert speakers address some of these issues particular the subject of evacuations. There were many learning points, particularly on how fires intensify and the impact this has on firefighting capacity. Basically the more it intensifies the less likelihood that it can be extinguished, hampering rescue operations and therefore the greater the likelihood of casualties if near populated areas.

It seems a pity therefore, that despite the widespread promotion of this event on various social media sites, and that it was over-subscribed on zoom, there appears few, if any from the foreign community who attended this, apart from three of us at Safe Communities. It included an excellent presentation on evacuations, which was in English! It is a sad point I feel that whereas active fires taking place will always garner interest on social media, preventive measures invariably receive less attention.

So my message is to take advantages of the opportunities out there, including our own website, to increase your awareness and knowledge of fires, because by doing so you will be more informed and more prepared, thus reducing the risk of injury, or worse, to yourself and family members should a major fire develop!

The theme of prevention, again is highlighted in a dangerous wells campaign we have recently launched, highlighting that with over 70 deaths and more injured through well accidents over the last five years, more preventive steps need to be taken by owners to cover their wells. This gained a fair response, but it is only after an accident takes place that you see the greater response. On Monday a foal fell into a well in Lagos and was thankfully rescued, requiring the deployment of 10 Bombeiros. This need not have happened if the owners had covered the well as required by law. Hopefully the “rescuers” will report this to the Lagos municipality so that enforcement action can be taken.

Finally – The arrival of hot weather and summer means that more time is spent outdoors. Whether at the beach, in the pool or even in the countryside, people are also much more exposed to the sun and, therefore, to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It is with the aim of helping people stay safe and protected that the WHO have launched the SunSmart Global UV App, an application that serves to alert to the levels of UV radiation. The app is available free of charge, in six languages on both the Apple App and Google Play stores for Iphones and Androids. Very helpful especially when travelling to countries with high UV levels.

With that have a safe day.

News

Government announces campaigns for efficient use of water

Lisbon, June 21, 2022 (Lusa) – The Government announced today that it will launch campaigns to promote the efficient use of water from July, aimed at all types of consumers, with monthly meetings to monitor the situation until the end of September.

The measures were announced today by the Minister of Environment and Climate Action, Duarte Cordeiro, at a joint press conference with the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Maria do Céu Antunes, after the two ministers presided over the 9th Meeting of the Permanent Commission on Prevention, Monitoring and Accompaniment of the Effects of Drought, in which an assessment of the situation was made regarding the meteorological, hydrological, hydro-agricultural situation, crops and animal watering, and the assessment of critical situations.

The ministers recalled that, according to official forecasts, 34% of the country is in severe drought and 66% is in extreme drought, and that rain forecasts will not reverse the situation.

Data from the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera indicate that this year is the driest on record (since 1931) and that only the year 2005 approached the current situation, so the meteorological and agrometeorological drought “forces to take measures ”.

At the beginning of February, there had already been a meeting of the Commission, at which measures were announced and taken, which will now be complemented with others, and, guaranteed Duarte Cordeiro, water for human consumption is safeguarded for two years. 

Major Carvalho, one of the biggest drug traffickers in the world, was captured

MAJOR CARVALHO, ONE OF THE LARGEST COCAINE TRAFFICKERS IN THE WORLD CAPTURED

Former Brazilian major Sérgio de Carvalho, considered one of the biggest cocaine traffickers in the world and who was on the run in Lisbon for about two years, was captured this Tuesday in Hungary.

According to information gathered by JN, the fugitive, whom Portuguese and Brazilian authorities had seized 11.7 million euros in a van in Lisbon and almost forty planes in Brazil, was in Hungary with a forged Mexican passport.

Sérgio de Carvalho lived in Lisbon for almost two years. With international arrest warrants on him, this 62-year-old former Brazilian Military Police major managed to go unnoticed in the Portuguese capital, using three false identities and two apartments between 2019 and 2020.

In November 2020, when the Brazilian Federal Police and several European police forces advanced with a major search and arrest operation, Sérgio de Carvalho narrowly escaped our Judiciary.

Since then, there have been rumours about the drug trafficker’s whereabouts as different as Dubai and the Azores, but his arrest has only now been achieved, with the collaboration of police from different countries and the intervention of Europol.

Researchers launch website for owners of pets with cancer

Porto, June 21, 2022 (Lusa) – Researchers from the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto (ISPUP) launched an online platform aimed at owners of pet animals with cancer, which aims to provide “credible” information and characterize risk factors associated with the development of the disease in animals.

Speaking to Lusa, Kátia Pinello, researcher at ISPUP and professor at the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), clarified today that the ‘website’, entitled ‘Pet-OncoNet’, arises from the logic of ‘Uma Saúde’ (‘One Health’ in English) and the need to fill “a knowledge gap in this area”.

“We feel that tutors feel lost when dealing with the diagnosis of cancer in four-legged companions”, said the researcher, who is one of the coordinators of the project.

Launched to provide “credible, accurate and useful” information about companion animals, the digital platform includes, for example, data on the dog breeds most predisposed to the development of tumours, ways to detect cancer early in the pet, but also information on ongoing clinical trials and procedures to support the animal during treatment.

“Our goal is to create a community that studies and shares information about veterinary oncology in all aspects”, he said.

Consulted by Lusa, the website shows that in Portugal, the main tumours in companion animals are located in the skin, followed by mammary tumours.

In addition to providing information, the objective of the platform is also to characterize the risk factors associated with the development of cancer in animals and humans.

In order to proceed with the characterization of risk factors, the researchers are inviting all tutors and owners of companion animals – cats and dogs – to respond to an epidemiological survey, which will be available on the website until the end of December. October.

The results obtained within the scope of the survey will later be published on the initiative’s website. The researchers also want to create a “psychological support group” to help owners deal with animal grief, an issue that “is still not very well accepted”.

More here with links in English

https://www.petonconet.pt/

Two thirds of mainland in Extreme drought and one third at severe drought

The rain that is expected to fall this week will not relieve the country of the drought that plagues the entire continental territory. According to the latest data from the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA), 66% of the country is in extreme drought and 33% in severe drought, announced the Minister of the Environment, Duarte Cordeiro, and the Minister of Agriculture, Maria do Céu Antunes, this Tuesday at a joint press conference.

At the end of May 97% of the mainland was at severe drought so this a marked worsening of the situation.

“We have to get used to living with less water”, said Duarte Cordeiro, assuring that “the country has water for human consumption safeguarded for two years”. The communication followed another meeting of the Permanent Commission for the Prevention, Monitoring and Follow-up of the Effects of Drought (CPPMAES).

In the end, the two authorities added 28 more measures to tackle the drought to the 50 announced since February. Among these, new awareness campaigns are being prepared for a more efficient and conscious use of water, aimed at consumers, farmers and industrialists and which will be launched until July.

Duarte Cordeiro also informed that Lisbon is in permanent liaison with Madrid, taking into account that Spain is also going through an extreme drought situation and that there will be a new meeting between the two countries at the end of the month.

In addition to the short-term measures, associated with the closure of fountains, limitations on the use of water in agriculture, restrictions on irrigation of green spaces and restrictions on hydroelectric production, the official recalled the structural measures associated with the reuse of treated wastewater, namely in the Algarve. .

A similar plan adapted to the Alentejo should be completed by July and a third plan will be prepared for the Tagus and Oeste region. These are actions to face “more resiliently” the problem of drought in Portugal, defended the Minister of the Environment.

In the Agriculture area, Minister Maria do Céu Antunes announced that of the 44 reservoirs monitored, 37 dams ensure storage to maintain irrigation campaigns, but their use is being done “very carefully”.

In the case of the Bravura dam, in the Algarve, with less than 14% of its capacity, use is being exclusively for public supply and two holes were drilled for agricultural irrigation and watering of animals.

In Santa Clara, in Alentejo, agricultural abstraction increased from 3550 hm3 per hectare to a maximum of 2000 hm3/ha in the Mira perimeter. And the “quota lowering” is planned to create conditions for public supply and for the rule.

 

Madeira Situation Report Wednesday 15th June 2022

by Daniel Fernandes  

Brief Covid-19 update

On June 13th, there were 93 patients hospitalised in the general Covid-19 unit (27 non-vaccinated, 2 vaccinated with the first shot, 57 fully vaccinated, 7 vaccinated with a booster shot), and 2 hospitalised patients in the Covid-19 intensive care unit. (1 non-vaccinated, 1 fully vaccinated). As for the age of the hospitalised patients who are in the general Covid-19 unit, 1, is aged 0-17, 22 are aged 18-65 and 70 are 65 or older. The patients in intensive care is aged 65 or older.

There were 15 deaths from June 6th to June 13th. There had been a total of 305 deaths.

On June 14th, it was announced that there had been 13 new Covid-19 cases in the Region’s schools in the previous 24 hours (8 students, 2 teachers and 3 non-teaching staff).

First ever Covid-19 outbreak in Madeira prison

The only prison in the Madeira Region faced its first ever Covid-19 outbreak. As of June 6th, there had been 45 Covid-19 cases among the inmates. They are in prophylactic isolation, under monitoring by the prison’s medical staff, and have their own period of outdoor time in isolation from the remaining inmates.

Water supply disruption

There will be a water supply disruption today, from 09h00 to 12h00, at Rua Passeio da Quinta do Salvador, as a result of planned work on the water supply chain. The following areas will be affected:

– Rua Passeio da Quinta do Salvador

– Rua da Quinta Aragem

– Impasse 1 da Rua da Quinta Aragem

– Beco da Quinta do Salvador

Power cut

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

FUNCHAL

June 15th – 09h00 to 11h30

– Caminho do Galeão (numbers 33 and 35)

– Impasse Jardim Botânico (number 4, numbers 8 to 14)

FUNCHAL

June 15th – 09h00 to 12h00

– Rua João Paulo II (numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, 8A and 10)

– Rampa do Pico da Cruz (number 1)

CANIÇAL

June 17th – 08h00 to 10h00

– Zona Franca Industrial – Platform 28

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/2022/06/15/publicidade-o-fornecimento-de-energia-sera-interrompido-nos-dias-horas-e-locais-abaixo-indicados-anuncio-58-2022/

 

Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 15thh June 2022 

Good morning – The first item this morning is a reminder of our dangerous wells campaign. Our first post reached many people, and we thank all of you who shared this important message. A shocking statistic is that in the last 5 years some 66 people have died after falling into wells, plus five more in the last 12 weeks! These have ranged from young children to the elderly from north to south of the country. This need not have happened if the owner of the well had made them safe as required by law.

If you are a property owner with land in the rural areas, check that your well is covered if the land is not walled or has adequate fencing. Many wells are in a state of disrepair and as the picture shows (from a property currently for sale in the north of Portugal) and can be a death trap especially for young children and animals.

I covered this topic on KissFm radio last Sunday and we will continue to promote this safety message whilst encouraging more pro-active awareness and enforcement action by municipalities.

Again a warning concerning safety on beaches in particular to stay away from unstable cliffs which are clearly marked, as well as safety when entering the water. There have been over 20 deaths from drowning at sea so far this year and without many of these are a result of rip currents.

In particular be alert for young children who may be attracted to a bright object/toy in the water and enter alone to try and retrieve it with drastic consequences.

With the recent very hot weather there are a number of public safety messages we have published over the last week. The first of these relates to health and to avoid excessive exercise especially during the hottest parts of the day. It is important to recognize the signs of dehydration and what immediate action to take. Always carry plenty of water with you when cycling or hiking.

The other relates to rural fires. Given the conditions over the last few days I am surprised that there has not been more fires, which hopefully shows that key messages on fire prevention are getting across. We monitor fires throughout the day and it is clear that over the last few days the majority of fires have been in the north and mainly late afternoon/evening coinciding with the hottest part of the day.

A very encouraging statistic is that the average time from registration of a fire until its conclusion is less than an hour and some less than 20 minutes. This is import because the longer a fire burns the greater the perimeter becomes and its intensity and the more resources are required to try and extinguish the fire. When the Rural Fire Hazard is very high or extreme, this can be particularly challenging for fire fighters, especially if there are multiple fires in the same area.

Each day we include in the fire risk the FWI Rural Fire Hazard as it is important that people are aware of how quickly a fire could start in their area. The higher the level means that that there the conditions in placed based on six measurements that determine the rate of the spread of fires.

Please report fires by dialling 112 immediately and avoid any actions that could inadvertently start a fire.

Alarms are sounding: water this summer will have to be managed with caution and limitations on public use of water are inevitable. Measures will be decided this month. May was very dry and forecasts for June are no better.

Saving water will have to be the watchword this summer. After some relief in March and April, the month of May was the hottest on record in Portugal and very dry. Accordingly the forecasts from the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and the Atmosphere, which are being worked on with the Portuguese Environment Agency, the prediction is for an even drier second half of June, which places the country in the most serious scenario ever in terms of water shortage at the beginning of summer.

We must do everything to conserve water

With that please have a Safe Day 

NEWS

Minister of Health announces “contingency plan” in emergencies for the summer months

Lisbon, June 13, 2022 (Lusa) – The Minister of Health, Marta Temido, announced today, in Lisbon, that “a contingency plan” will be put in place between June and September to seek to solve the lack of doctors in hospital emergency rooms in the country.

Marta Temido was speaking after a day of meetings with clinical directors of several hospitals in the Lisbon region, and then with unions and the Medical Association about the “instability of the operation” of these services.

In the short term, said the minister, the Government will move forward with “a contingency plan in the months of June, July, August and September, with a more articulated, anticipated and organized operation of network emergencies, of the National Health Service”.

The lack of doctors in several hospitals in the country has led in recent days to the closure of obstetrics emergencies, or requests to the urgent patient guidance centers (CODU) to refer users to other hospitals.

In statements to journalists, the Minister of Health also spoke of the opening of the hiring of specialists, namely with the opening of a competition, and the “precaution of remuneration issues”, in addition to the “support for those who are on the ground and the leaders” of hospitals. .

It is the CODU, from the Mécia National Institute of Emergency (INEM), who receive 112 calls related to health emergencies, then manage the necessary means to respond to users. 

Doctors say the 2021-2030 National Health Plan is incomplete and point to omissions

Lisbon, June 14, 2022 (Lusa) – The Portuguese Medical Association considers that the National Health Plan (PNS) 2021-2030 is incomplete and points to omissions in the areas of chronic kidney disease, which affects 10% to 20% of Portuguese people, and musculoskeletal rheumatic diseases.

In a document that Lusa had access to, the Ordem dos Médicos (OM) also says that the PNS “ignores the enormous weight of the problems relating to the national health system and, in particular, to the National Health Service”, stressing that “the The absence of a diagnosis regarding the very structures of the system, makes the elaborated plan incomplete and makes it impossible to fulfil other objectives in the next decade”.

Speaking to Lusa, the chairman of the Ordem dos Médicos considered that there are several important issues that “have not been properly evaluated” in what is intended in a National Health Plan for the next 10 years.

“We are going to have changes in migratory flows – we are already having and we will have them on a larger scale – and this is not foreseen in the National Health Plan”, said Miguel Guimarães, insisting that “these plans require certain types of options and, if perhaps, to some interventions so that these people can have access to health care, so that they can be integrated. And none of this is planned.”

In the position it issued in the public consultation of the PNS 2021-2030, the OM says that chronic kidney disease is not given due importance, recalling that it is “very prevalent” – it affects 10% to 20% of the Portuguese population – and underlines that the incidence “is expected to increase in the coming decades”.

It is estimated that by 2040, chronic kidney disease will be the fifth cause of years of life lost.

“Chronic kidney disease is linked to a part of the costs that the State has in the partnerships it makes to ensure services, such as haemodialysis”, underlined the chairman, also highlighting the “huge effort” that the country has made and carried out in the area of ​​transplantation. 

Portugal has granted more than 42,000 temporary protections to people who fled the war in Ukraine

Lisbon, June 14, 2022 (Lusa) – Portugal has so far granted more than 42,000 temporary protections to people who fled the war in Ukraine and reported to the Public Ministry the situation of 731 children who arrived in the country without their parents, indicated the SEF.

According to the latest update made by the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), since the beginning of the war, on February 24, Portugal has granted 42,151 temporary protections to Ukrainian citizens and foreigners residing in Ukraine, 26,620 of which to women and 15,531 men. .

The SEF adds that the largest number of temporary protections granted continues to be in Lisbon (7,646), Cascais (2,635), Porto (1,630), Sentra (1,495) and Albufeira (1,168).

The SEF also indicates that it issued 37,881 certificates granting residence permits under the temporary protection regime.

This certificate, issued after the National Health Service, Social Security and Tax Authority have assigned the respective numbers, is necessary for refugees to start working and access support.

During the process of allocating these numbers, citizens can consult the numbers that, in the meantime, are being allocated, in their reserved area of ​​the digital platform https://sefforukraine.sef.pt.

The SEF also adds that requests for temporary protection were authorized for 12,743 minors, representing about 30% of the total.

The SEF also reveals that it communicated to the Public Prosecutor (MP) the situation of 731 Ukrainian minors who arrived in Portugal without their parents or legal representatives, cases in which it is considered that there is no “current or imminent danger”.

In these situations, in which in most cases the child arrived in Portugal with a family member, the case is communicated to the MP for the appointment of a legal representative and eventual promotion of a process for the protection of the child.

 

Situation Report Azores Wednesday 15th June 2022  

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid-19 

In the seven days from Friday 3rd June until Thursday 9th of June there were 3885 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 6,179 tests performed. 4,076 people have recovered, and two deaths have been recorded with the total at 114 There are a total of 4,235 active cases, 190 fewer than last week.

There are 63 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 9th June and 30 patients are in hospital because of Covid only. There are 2 patients in the ICU.

101812 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over a third of the population.

Rescued in the Azores two sailboat crew members adrift 

The Portuguese Navy this morning rescued two crew members of a sailboat that was adrift due to “several anomalies”, off the island of Faial.

According to the statement from the Navy, through the Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC Delgada), in conjunction with the National Maritime Authority (AMN), “assistance was coordinated to two crew members, who were aboard the sailboat ‘Zambla’, flying the French flag, this morning, at 01:05 am, on the 13th of June”.

The Navy said that the vessel was off the island of Faial, 3.5 nautical miles, the equivalent of about six kilometres, southeast of the port of Horta, and “was adrift due to various anomalies”.

“The captain of the port of Horta acted on the spot, sending elements from the Horta Lifeguard Station to the vessel. The sailboat was towed, for reasons of navigation safety, having docked, at 03:47, at Marina da Horta, with the two crew members”, concludes the Navy.

Maritime Police recovered decomposing body off the island of Santa Maria 

A body in a high state of decomposition was collected this Sunday by the Maritime Police about 25 nautical miles (about 46 kilometres) from Vila do Porto, on the island of Santa Maria, revealed the National Maritime Authority.

In a statement, that entity clarifies that the local command of the Maritime Police of Vila do Porto received, at 12:04, “through a coastal fishing vessel” the alert for the corpse, which, “apparently”, will be from a man.

The Maritime Authority explains that “the body was collected and transported by elements of the Maritime Police to the port of Vila do Porto, where death was declared by the Health Delegate”.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office was also contacted, and the body was later transported to the Medico-Legal Office of the Santa Maria Health Centre by members of the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service.

Graciosa Health Unit will have three more doctors and two nurses 

The Health Unit on the island of Graciosa, in the Azores, will have three more doctors, two of whom are in general and family medicine, an internist and two nurses.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 15th June 2022 

Lagos invests four million euros in the transport network

The Lagos City Council announced this week the award, for four million euros, of the acquisition of passenger transport services that will allow the “A ONDA” transport network to operate for the next three years.

According to a statement from the municipality, the public tender that was concluded provides for the maintenance of the 10 current lines that make up “A ONDA” and which serve the entire municipality.

A fleet of 18 vehicles will cover an estimated 2.7 million kilometres, “ensuring accessibility conditions for people with reduced mobility, thermal comfort and the ease of contactless ticketing”, said the municipality.

Sardine Festival considered one of the best summer events in Europe

The Sardinha Festival, promoted by the municipality of Portimão since 1985, leads the list of the 25 best summer gastronomic events in Europe, prepared by the renowned travel site ‘Big 7 Travel’ and now released, taking into account the public’s suggestions, as well as as well as the contributions of the editorial team itself.

According to those responsible for the list (available at https://bigseventravel.com/25-of-the-best-summer-food-festivals-in-europe/), in addition to good grilled sardines, other typical snacks and entertainment, with emphasis on live music, the festival in Portimão allows visitors to get to know the local customs and traditions, namely through the historical reconstitution of the unloading of sardines.

In the last edition before the pandemic, held in 2019, the Festival broke records, attracting around 100,000 visitors to the riverside area of ​​Portimão in five days, which on several occasions sold out the amount of sardines available.

This year’s edition will take place from the 3rd to the 7th of August and will be preceded once again by the reconstitution of the fish discharge, scheduled for the 2nd of August.

During the five days of the gastronomic event, grilled sardines in bread will once again be queen, accompanied by boiled potatoes and Algarve salad, served in the various restaurants in the area between bridges and in the stalls of local associations and clubs, which offer more than a thousand seats to taste that gastronomic ex-libris.

The entire riverside area, between the Portimão Museum and the old Lota, will host craft and sweets stalls, with lots of street entertainment and music.

Woman helped at Fábrica beach after dislocating kneecap

A 59-year-old Spanish woman suffered on Sunday, June 12, a dislocation of her kneecap on Fábrica beach, in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António , having been helped by elements of the “SeaWatch” project, announced the National Maritime Authority.

The alert was received at 1:00 pm, through the lifeguard, with the immediate activation to the site of the elements of the “SeaWatch” project, supported by a quad bike, and also elements of the Vila Real de Santo António Fire Department.

The victim was stabilised and transported to the disembarkation site, and was later taken on a boat to the Factory. At the scene, where firefighters were waiting, she was transported to a hospital.

Two people rescued from the sea in Cacela Velha.

Two people were rescued from the sea in Cacela Velha , in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António , on the morning of Friday, June 10th, because they were in difficulty, having lost their feet and being dragged by the current. of the Ria Formosa, announced the National Maritime Authority.

The rescue was carried out by elements of the “SeaWatch” project, which belongs to the National Maritime Authority, following a request for assistance.

The elements, who were nearby, went to the scene with the support of a water scooter and rescued the 49-year-old man and the 48-year-old woman, of Brazilian nationality, having been transported ashore. The couple was in good physical condition and no medical assistance was needed, having left the place by their own means. 

Parishes to get together to run the festivals of Popular Saints.

The festivities of Santos Populares will take place between the 10th and 28th of June in Vila Real de Santo António and in Hortas with dances and typical meals, announced the Parish Council of the county organisation.

The festivities will involve several associations of the parish and will take place on the nights of 10, 11, 12, 23, 24, 25 and 28 and June at Praça Marquês de Pombal, in Vila Real de Santo António, and on the nights of the 12th and 24th of same month at Rua da Columbófila, in Hortas.

Before the balls, the participation of the parish associations related to music and dance is planned, through small performances. This initiative is organised by the Vila Real de Santo António Parish Council in partnership with the City Council.

Albufeira  promotes summer vacation programs for the young.

Between the 14th and 15th of June, it is possible for young people from Albufeira to sign up for the “Youth in Action” program.

The program, to take place between July 4th and August 26th,between the ages of 13 and 18, will be divided into four fortnights: the first from July 4th to 15th, the second from July 18th to 29th, the third from August 1st to 12th and the Wednesday, 16th to 26th of August. When registering, a fortnight preference will be requested. The vacancies, per fortnight, are limited to 44 participants, who will be divided into two groups. The municipality also informs that each young person can only participate for a fortnight and there can be no group exchanges.

Entries are made exclusively online and are available from this Tuesday until 17:00 tomorrow, the 15th. The selection of participants will be made in order of registration.

On June 22, selected participants will be contacted in order to be able to go to the Youth Office (next to Mercado dos Caliços) to formalise their registration. Selected participants will have to share the costs of the program with the total amount of 60.60 euros, which includes activities at Aquashow and Jeep Safari. The remaining activities will be funded by the municipality of Albufeira, as well as the transport, insurance, monitoring and materials necessary to carry out these same activities. You can register here .

For the “Infantis em Ação” program, aimed at children aged 10 to 12, registration takes place on the 20th and 21st of this month between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, also online. This program will take place between the 4th of July and the 26th of August and will also occupy four fortnights. Seats per fortnight are limited to 22 participants.

The selection of participants will also be in order of registration and on the 25th of June the selected participants will be contacted. Participants selected for the project will have to share the costs of the program with the total amount of 48.50 euros, which includes the following activities: Lagos Zoo, two Bowling, Zoomarine and Padel games with lunch.

Finally to end this Algarve report we bring you the latest numbers regarding Covid 19.

The Algarve region had 5,558 positive cases of covid-19 and 16 deaths between May 31 and June 6, while Portugal recorded 158,534 infections with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, 292 associated deaths, and a decrease in hospital admissions, indicated the Directorate-General for Health ( DGS ).

In intensive care there was a slight increase. According to the DGS weekly epidemiological bulletin, compared to the previous week, there were 15,479 fewer cases of infection, with 68 more deaths, however, compared to the two periods.

As for hospital occupancy in mainland Portugal due to covid-19, the DGS started to release data on hospitalizations for the Monday before the report was published on Fridays.

Based on this criterion, the bulletin indicates that, last Monday, 1,991 people were hospitalised, 101 less than on the same day of the previous week, with 108 patients in intensive care units, plus one.

According to data from the DGS, the seven-day incidence was, on Monday, at 1,539 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, having registered a decrease of 9% compared to the previous week, while the transmissibility index (Rt) of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 dropped from 1.00 to 0.98 nationally.