Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 2nd February 2022
Introduction
Good morning – Since the beginning of the year there have been over 700 rural fires of which more than 450 occurred from 28th to 30th January. Over 85% of these recent fires were in the far north. On Friday two fires broke out in hard-to-reach mountain areas and one broke out in a forested area near a village. There were no populations or homes in danger.
The largest of these fires occurred in the Montesinho mountain range, in the district of Bragança, where firefighters, land and air resources were sent at 0800 hrs on Friday, and it was only subdued in the afternoon of the following day. This fire broke out in the Lama Grande area and was the most worrying due to the extent and difficulty in controlling it confirmed the ANEPC. The estimate points to the possible destruction of 2000 hectares in Portugal and Spain, where the fire spread.
Rain has been lacking and the situation of drought in most of the country is reflected in very low levels of relative humidity which, associated with the east wind and the absence of what is called “the nocturnal recovery” of humidity when the sun goes down, leads to an increased fire hazard when there is a fire. In fact at the time of the fires on Saturday the Relative humidity levels were as low as 11% in the afternoon in this general area.
For this reason, ANEPC decided on Saturday to prohibit the burning of debris and extensive burns. This was lifted at midnight last night.
Fires in the winter is not very common, but it’s not unheard of either: Having fires in the winter months has to do with weather and climate conditions and there have been years when this has happened.
The situation does not only relate just to an increased fire risk but also water supply. Yesterday Government announced that use of water for electricity production has been suspended at the Alto Lindoso, Touvedo, Vilar-Tabuaço and Cabril/Castelo de Bode dams. At the Bravura dam, in the Algarve, it is no longer possible to use the water for agricultural purposes given the magnitude of the drought.
Turning to Covid-19, a reminder that the Online Vaccination Scheduling Portal is now available to request the scheduling of the first dose of the vaccine against Covid-19, for children aged 5 to 11, so that they can be vaccinated on February 5th and 6th. This can be at the most convenient location, according to the availability and installed capacity of the existing vaccination posts”, according to SPMS in a statement.
The SPMS also added that “children who are eligible for the administration of the second dose, that is, who were vaccinated on December 18 and 19, will receive an SMS with confirmation of the respective schedule”.
Lastly a reminder concerning internet security. This has been in the news over the last two weeks mainly due to the hacking of Expresso and SIC, more recently the alleged attack on the Portuguese Government website and yesterday TAP’s Twitter account. In the case of Expresso and SIC there sites were down for a number of days before temporary sites were established. In the case of the Parliament site this was initially down for only a few minutes and then again for a number of hours for maintenance work on the site to be undertaken.
So I ask this question: If you are operating a business do you have a backup in case your site is either hacked into or goes down for whatever reason? This is worth thinking about, what are the financial implications if this happened to you, and do you have the information available to recreate your site should it not be backed up? Something to check with your hosting company.
With that have a good day.
Headlines
Covid-19: WHO warns it is premature for any country to “declare victory” over coronavirus
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned yesterday that it was premature for any country to “declare victory” over the pandemic, claiming that, since the emergence of the Omicron variant, more than 90 million infections with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have already been recorded.
“It is premature for any country to surrender or declare victory” over the covid-19 pandemic, the WHO director-general said at a press conference, just days after two years had passed since the declaration of a public emergency of international concern. .
According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, since the Omicron variant was identified, just 10 weeks ago, almost 90 million cases of infection have been recorded by the organization, “more than was reported in the entire year 2020”.
“We are witnessing a worrying increase in deaths in many regions of the world”, warned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who expressed his concern about the “narrative that is taking hold in some countries” that, because of vaccines and the high transmissibility and reduced severity of Omicron, preventing transmission is “no longer possible or necessary” to prevent transmission of the virus.
“Nothing could be further from the truth”, stressed the director-general of the WHO, saying that the organization is not calling for countries to return to confinement, but to “protect their populations using all the tools at their disposal” to combat the disease.
COVID-19 DGS Report Tuesday 1st February
Confirmed: 2,690.690 (+50,888 / +1.93%)
Admitted to hospital: 2,437 (-32 / -1.30%)
Admitted to ICU: 155 (-5 / -3.13%)
Deaths: 19,968 (+63 / +0.32%)
Recovered: 2.078.357 (+44610 / +2.19%)
Active cases: 592,365 (+6215 / +1.04%)
TRENDS
Number of new cases over 50,000 and almost double that of yesterday, but below the highs of last week.
After two days of large increase in hospitalisations a moderate decrease.
A decrease in ICU maintaining an overall stable trend over the last 4 weeks
Marked increase in the number of deaths 14 more than yesterday and 34 more than the day before
A moderate increase in active cases after yesterday’s reduction
Health
António Costa tests positive for covid on the eve of the meeting with Marcelo
The Prime Minister tested positive for covid-19 in an antigen test. In a statement, António Costa’s office states that the prime minister is doing well and is asymptomatic. According to information, the prime minister has already informed Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The information was meanwhile confirmed by the Prime Minister’s office. In a statement, the cabinet states that “the prime minister carried out a test for covid-19 and had a positive result” in an antigen test. According to the information provided, António Costa is asymptomatic and will serve a seven-day isolation period.
António Costa was to head the Socialist Party (PS) delegation that would be received next Wednesday by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in the round of meetings with the parties after the legislative elections.
Covid-19: Death of a 6-year-old in Santa Maria was not due to the vaccine
According to the statement, “the complementary laboratory tests were completed” and sent to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, “on the present date, the autopsy report carried out on January 18 on the 6-year-old child who was admitted to Hospital de Santa Maria”
The National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences concluded that the death of a 6-year-old child at Hospital de Santa Maria was not due to the vaccine against covid-19, according to the results of the autopsy carried out.
“With the knowledge and consent of the Magistrate of the Public Prosecutor’s Office who is in charge of the process, it is reported that the death of the child was not due to vaccination against covid-19. This information has already been transmitted to the child’s family ”, reads a statement from the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF), released this Tuesday.
According to the statement, “the complementary laboratory tests were completed” and sent to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, “on the present date, the autopsy report carried out on January 18 on the 6-year-old child who was admitted to the Hospital de Santa Maria”.
The INMLCF also states in the statement that, out of respect for the family and for intimacy and private life, “it does not disclose other information of a clinical nature”.
Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte (CHULN) announced on January 17 that a six-year-old boy who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 had died the day before at Hospital Santa Maria and that the causes of death were being investigated.
Covid-19: BA.2 strain of Omicron variant detected in 57 countries
The BA.2 strain of the Omicron variant, which some studies have shown to be more contagious than the original version, has been detected in 57 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed this Tuesday.
Omicron, which spreads and mutates rapidly, has become the world’s dominant variant since it was first detected in southern Africa ten weeks ago.
In its weekly epidemiological bulletin, the WHO explained that this variant represents more than 93% of all samples of covid-19 collected in January and has as sub-variants BA.1, BA.1.1 , BA.2 and BA.3.
BA.1 and BA.1.1 – the first versions identified – still constitute more than 96% of the Omicron variant cases recorded in the global GISAID database.
But there is a sharp increase in the number of cases involving the BA.2 lineage, which has several mutations different from the original version, particularly in the binding of the `spike’ protein to human cells.
“The sequences designated BA.2 have been submitted to GISAID by 57 countries to date,” the WHO noted, adding that in some countries this sub-variant now represents more than half of the Omicron samples collected.
The WHO added that little is known about the differences between the sub-variants and called for studies to be carried out on the characteristics of the virus, including its transmissibility, ability to evade immune protections and virulence.
Covid-19: Immune response is stronger in those who have recovered after a dose of vaccine
A study by the Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) confirmed that the immune response is stronger in people who have recovered from covid-19, after a dose of vaccine, than after taking two doses by those who have never been infected.
This is one of the results of a study that the Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) has been conducting on the cellular immune response (mediated by T lymphocytes) and mediated by antibodies to the vaccine against covid-19, over time. .
Under analysis were 100 of its employees, 50 of which have never been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and the remaining 50 are people who have recovered from the disease.
According to Artur Paiva, researcher at the CHUC Clinical Pathology Service, “it was confirmed that the immune response is much stronger in individuals recovered from infection after a dose of vaccine, than in naive individuals (who have never been infected by SARS). -CoV-2) after taking two doses”.
“The results obtained in this study, which was accepted for publication in the international scientific journal Clinical and Experimental Medicine, revealed that, six months after infection with SARS-CoV-2, 48 of the 50 participants recovered from the infection maintained protection against the virus, or by the presence of IgG antibodies, or by specific T lymphocytes”, he revealed.
However, “eight of the 50 participants did not have SARS-CoV-2 specific T lymphocytes.”
“This data is relevant, because it has been shown that, in other coronaviruses, it is T lymphocytes that ensure long-term immunity, although it is still unknown whether this circumstance is also valid for SARS-CoV-2”, he added.
Other news
More fires and more area burned in January than in same month 2021
The month of January had more than 500 fires than the same month last year and more than 1,600 hectares of burned area, according to provisional data from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF).
This January, rural fires consumed 3,312 hectares, 1,613 hectares more than in the same period last year, with 717 occurrences being recorded, and 504 more than in 2021.
Provisional data from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, covering the month of January (from the 1st to 08:00 on Monday) indicate that 77% of the burned area concerns bush, 22% forest stands and 0% in agriculture.
In January 2021, the ICNF registered 213 rural fires, which resulted in 1,699 hectares of burned area, destroying an area of 1,640 hectares of bush, 55 of forest stands and four of agricultural areas. .
On Saturday, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) banned burning and burning from 00:00 on Sunday and until 23.59 hrs 1St February due to the danger of fire.
ANEPC justifies the decision with the forecast, by the ICNF, of “increased wind intensity that, in combination with the continuation of hot and dry weather, with temperatures above average for this time of year , combined with the number of communications to carry out burning of piles of debris and extensive burns, can give rise to rural fires”.
On Friday, ANEPC registered 132 occurrences related to rural fires in mainland Portugal.
TAP Twitter account was targeted by hackers
TAP confirmed that it had been targeted by hackers. Twitter account has been suspended for prevention
TAP’s Twitter account was the target of unauthorized access by hackers this Tuesday. An information already officially advanced. “TAP confirms that its official Twitter account was the target of a computer attack. The Company has already taken all the necessary steps to protect your account, which is currently suspended.”
The airline’s profile image was modified, with a photograph of a man with a beard and moustache surrounded by white rays and a name: Micheal Sayloor. The hackers also added several tweets with the word “awesome”.
TAP’s communication office does not provide further details, and it is not yet certain whether the cybercrime unit of the Judiciary Police will be investigating the case.
This week, the Parliament website was also the target of a computer attack. Expresso knows that the Judiciary is still trying to understand the scale of the invasion and whether or not there was exfiltration of computer data. The site is currently down so computer experts can run all the tools to investigate the matter.
Fuel consumption increased 19.4% in December
In terms of average selling prices to the public, ERSE notes that Braga, Santarém and Coimbra had the cheapest diesel and gasoline, and Bragança, Beja, Faro and Lisbon the most expensive.
Consumption of oil-derived fuels increased by 102.6 kilotons (kton) in December, year-on-year, which represents an increase of 19.4%, according to data from the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE), released this Tuesday. .
According to the Fuel and LPG Market Bulletin, for December 2021, “consumption [of oil-derived fuels] in December 2021 was 19.4% higher (102.6 kton) than the same period in 2020”
The most significant increase was seen in the consumption of aircraft fuel (jet fuel), with a year-on-year rise of 77.1%, followed by gasoline (+20.2%) and diesel (+13.8%).
Only the consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) decreased, by 1.8% in December, compared to the same month of 2020.
Compared to the same period in 2019, before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, consumption in December 2021 was 42.7 kton lower, with a decrease in jet (-23.4%), in diesel ( -3.4%) and gasoline (-2.5%) and only an increase in the case of LPG (+3.9%).
Compared to November 2021, global consumption of oil-derived fuels increased by 12.2 kton, which represents an increase of 2%.
In the case of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the increase was 23%, for gasoline, 10.4% and for diesel, the growth was 2.3%, compared to the previous month.
Only the consumption of fuel for aircraft (‘jet fuel’) decreased by 13.8% in December, compared to November.
1,997 new positive cases of covid-19 were diagnosed, with 1,205 on the island of São Miguel, 586 on the island of Terceira, 57 on the island of São Jorge, 48 on the island of Faial, 43 on the island of Pico, 27 on the island of Santa Maria, 17 on the island of Graciosa and 14 on the island of Flores, following 5,179 tests carried out.
“The company did not meet the demands of the workers, that is, the hiring of more professionals to ensure the postal distribution and change the turns, hence the decision to go on strike”, pointed out the union leader.
The municipality made available 4,500 euros for the implementation of this protocol, which aims to reinforce the preventive immunization underway at the Portimão Vaccination Centre and in the municipality’s primary health care units.
According to the Maritime Authority, in the place where the vessels were detected, there are “establishments for cultures in marine waters” and “navigation is prohibited, except for vessels used by the owners of the establishments located there and surveillance and emergency vessels”.
However, one particular spectacle which is about to start is having to deal with the effects of Covid. The winter Olympics are due to start in Beijing very shortly and whilst the world has been dealing with their issues of Covid, The Chinese Government has been trying to keep a lid on it through some would feel draconian measures for its citizens.
As touchdown began in earnest this week, athletes were getting tested en masse at Beijing International. (It’s the PCR throat swab this time.) To avoid needless interaction, they’re carrying their own suitcases. They’ve been shown to their seats on socially distanced buses run by the Chinese organising committee. (Bus and taxi drivers are trapped inside the bubble, too.) And then they’re off through the “processing centre” to wait up to six hours for test results inside the closed loop — a pandemic purgatory of isolation, action sports, and a nebulous nether region reserved for quarantine.
Europe has recorded 9,629,074 new COVID-19 cases in the last seven days, the majority of which are Omicron cases, data by the World Health Organisation (WHO) show. European Union Member States top the table as the European countries with the highest number of cases. Yet, despite the numbers, some EU and Schengen Area countries are already facilitating restrictions by removing some measures which were imposed at the end of November 2021, when the existence of the Omicron virus variant was first detected in southern Africa.
Therefore, since the quarantine rule currently has little to no significance when it comes to halting the spread of the virus, starting from tomorrow, January 26, all unvaccinated and unrecovered travellers will be permitted entry to Norway without having to follow the quarantine requirement. Nonetheless, it has been emphasised that travellers who haven’t been vaccinated or recovered from the virus are still required to take a pre-entry test.
The Danish government has announced the end of domestic restrictions imposed due to Coronavirus, as the country no longer categorises the virus as a socially critical disease. The new rules will enter force on February 1, and, according to them, several restrictions such as wearing a face mask, presenting the vaccination certificate to enter leisure facilities, and following a curfew restriction will no longer apply.
On the other hand, unvaccinated travellers, as well as those who haven’t received an additional dose, will continue to be subject to the ten-day quarantine requirement unless they are part of the exemption list.
Although this puts Covid-19 into second place, it is not good news as far as this subject is concerned. Last Friday’s bulletin from the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) showed that 303 municipalities are at extreme risk of infection, that is, with more than 960 cases of covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants in 14 days.
Lastly the Instituto do Sangue da Transplantação (IPST) yesterday appealed for the contribution of all potential blood donors, at a “particularly demanding time” due to the covid-19 pandemic and in the face of “a great difficulty in maintaining stable blood and blood component supply reserves”. The current situation has “caused a large reduction in the number of donors and the postponement of previously scheduled collection sessions”.
“It is plausible that the region is reaching the end of the pandemic”, said the main official of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe, still urging caution, due to the unpredictability of the virus.
In 2021, the Portuguese Armed Forces accounted for a total of 27,741 effectives, excluding military personnel in the reserve situation out of service effectiveness. This number represents an increase of 1,007 employees compared to 2020, whose consolidated data recorded a total of 26,734 employees in that year, reinforcing the increase already seen in 2019 (26,569 employees). Considering this universe, the available numbers reveal a sustained growth in the last three years.
This Monday, in a city council session, the Municipality explains that it was unanimously decided to institute this measure in an area of 8.5 hectares in the area of the former Matos da Picota quarry, where the developer Blueotter Circular, SA intends to install a management unit for waste.
The Jewish Community of the Algarve (CJA) becomes the fourth official Jewish community in Portugal, having been registered as a Religious Collective Person (non-Catholic) on Tuesday, January 4, in the National Register of Legal Persons.
In a statement, the Navy indicated that the crew member, was rescued and transported by the Portuguese Air Force EH-101 aircraft to Horta airport, where he landed at around 11:20 am.
The WHO has for months demanded that countries do more to accelerate the distribution of vaccines in poorer nations, calling on all countries to vaccinate at least 70% of their populations by the middle of this year. Half of the WHO’s 194 member states missed the previous target of vaccinating 40% of their people by end-2021 and 85% of people in Africa were yet to receive a single jab, Dr Tedros said.
The Omicron variant, which studies have shown generally leads to less severe infection among vaccinated people than Delta, has raised long-awaited hopes that Covid-19 is starting to shift from a pandemic to a more manageable endemic illness like seasonal flu.
Meanwhile the EMA, European Medical Agency has warned of a new threat to citizens’ health away from Covid 19. Influenza has returned to Europe at a faster-than-expected rate this winter after almost disappearing last year, raising concerns about a prolonged “twindemic” with Covid-19 amid some doubts about the effectiveness of flu vaccines.
However, when we look at Europe and in particular Portugal the rise in new infections in the past week has been the fifth highest in the world. This is based on countries with more than 1 million in population and is the 7-day figure per 1 million of population. Denmark, France, Israel, and Slovenia are the countries with higher rates than Portugal. Denmark has a rate of 42,872 new cases per million, France has 38,475 cases, Israel has 37,171 and Slovenia has 33,790 cases per million of population. Portugal’s rate for the week was 33,186.
Spain is in a good position to open the debate, having one of the world’s highest vaccination rates with 90.5 per cent of its population over the age of 12 fully immunised. But the question has sparked disagreement between governments seeking some sort of normality and some parts of the medical community which advocate keeping its guard up. The country is working with the scientific community to eventually shift from “managing a pandemic to managing a disease which we hope science will reclassify as an endemic illness”, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said this week.
At the start of the pandemic, medical professionals advocated the use of masks were not conducive and did not protect people from the virus. But by April 2020, we had realised how important public masking could be. Because SARS-CoV-2 is spread by asymptomatic as well as symptomatic people, simply “staying home if you’re sick” doesn’t stop the virus’ spread; we need to protect each other from asymptomatic spreaders, too. Because the virus spreads by aerosols, simply maintaining a 6-foot distance from other people is insufficient; only with good masks can you stop breathing in the viral particles expelled by someone across the room. And although N95s and the equivalent are the most reliable, we have learned that even cloth masks can do a terrific job at filtering out the virus when good-fitting, well-made and appropriately used.