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Situation Reports news and reviews

Portugal Situation Report Saturday 8th May 2021

 

Introduction

Good morning – The news over the last day or so is very positive: with continued reduction in transmission and incidence rates; the continuing reduction in hospital and ICU cases; vaccinations reaching 100,000 per day ahead of schedule; the reduction in the number of municipalities that are not at the last phase of de-confinement, and the announcement by the UK yesterday evening the Portugal has been included in its so called Green List concerning travel from England”

This is a very positive start to the weekend and good news for Portugal.
Not everything runs to clockwork in crisis situations, there are bound to be setbacks, but over the last few days it has been generally positive. In the lead up to the Council of Ministers meeting there was the usual speculation, this time being the changes concerning the movement of municipalities forward, back and remaining where they are. The end result is that in the entire country there are now only four municipalities not in the final phase, plus the two parishes of Odemira, where at present a health cordon remains in place.

This means of course, coupled with the reopening of the border with Spain, that the number of movements have increased considerably and with that the potential risk of the spread of Covid-19. However so far in the last week this has not materialised – in fact transmission and incidence rates have fallen to the lowest levels since March. With this good news it would be easy to become complacent and let our guard down. However we are not yet at a stage of normality. Vaccinations, although progressing well will still take some months before we are at a state of immunity, and there are variants to be aware off, which are being monitored very closely. Social distancing, hygiene, the wearing of face masks will be with us for some time until a stage where the risk is minimalised, allowing a return to a normal lifestyle.

Yesterday UK’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps yesterday announced the list of countries on the Green List which includes Portugal (including Madeira and Azores). He said the list will be reviewed every three weeks from reopening. However, some green list countries may continue to place restrictions on UK travellers, including quarantine measures, so passengers are encouraged to check all requirements and FCDO travel advice before they book any foreign travel.
From the UK perspective, as we understand it at the moment, anyone travelling from England to a “green” list destination will have to have a negative PCR test before they leave and provide one for when they return home.

Currently Portugal is only allowing UK arrivals into Portugal for essential reasons and the current Order is due to expire 23.59 hrs 16th May 2021. Yesterday the President of Regional Tourism Algarve João Fernandes, stated “It is important that Portugal, in the next review of the state of calamity, does not condition travel to Portugal only for essential trips. That will be decisive”. We await an update from the Portuguese Government as to when and if this decree will change

I earlier mentioned media speculation, but also in the last few days we have noticed several negative news headlines, which bear little resemblance to the actual story. Nothing new in this, but it seems a pity at a time when we are clearly moving forward, tabloid journalism creates an atmosphere of negativity sometimes based on apparent poor research.  Also there has been some question marks as to accuracy and it seems that in the rush to create headline news, some of the fundamental elements of journalism are being lost, namely validating where possible and credibility of sources. We often at Safe Communities hold back on information to try and ensure as much accuracy as possible, even if that means not being first with the news.

Anyway with that let’s have a positive and Safe Weekend

 

Headlines

Covid-19: Costa says that problems are in the production of vaccines and regulation of the medicine market

The Prime Minister considers that the fundamental problems in access to vaccines against covid-19, more than in the lifting of patents, are in the production capacity and in the regulation of the drug market worldwide. “The crucial problem is focused on production capacity. And there is a fundamental problem related to the regulation of the medicine market and that States have to organize themselves globally to find other ways with the pharmaceutical industry to finance research” , stated António Costa in an interview with Lusa.
Faced with the proposal of an international movement led by India and South Africa in favour of the release of patents on vaccines against covid-19, the leader of the Portuguese executive admits this debate.

However, for the Prime Minister of Portugal, a country that presides over the Council of the European Union (EU) until the end of June, the problem in India and other countries “is not precisely in the holding or not holding of the patent, but in the capacity to have increased production capacity on a global scale “. “There is a fundamental problem with the pharmaceutical industry, which is one of the few where funding for fundamental research is provided predominantly by private funding. It has been the case in the pharmaceutical industry over the years and, therefore, this remuneration of research costs is then made ‘a posteriori’ in the payment of the price “of the medicine or vaccine, points out António Costa.

In the Prime Minister’s view, “this situation” creates a very complex problem on a global scale. “Since the income gap between countries is brutal, the cost of a medicine that is accessible to us in Europe can be absolutely unbearable in other countries, with income levels that are much lower than ours,” he says. Regarding the problem generated by the fight against the pandemic, the Prime Minister points out that “the concrete issue is fundamentally centred on a problem of supply capacity”.
“In the case of covid-19, for the first time, I believe, it was necessary on a global scale to ensure the supply of the same good to all of humanity.

Covid -19

On Friday Portugal recorded 1 more death and 377 new cases of   covid-19, according to the DGS report.

Confirmed Cases: 838.852 (+ 377 / + 0.04 %)
Number of admitted: 280 (-3 /-1.06 %)
Number of ICU admitted: 75 (-2 /-2.60 %)
Deaths: 16.989 (+ 1 / + 0.01 %)
Recovered: 799.442 (+ 490 / + 0.06 %)
Active cases: 22,421 (- 114 /- 0.5%)

Safe Communities comparisons/trends: show that deaths are below last weeks’ average (2); new daily cases are below last weeks’ daily average (405) and 5th lowest since 7th September 2020 and recovered cases more than new cases. Those in hospital are the lowest for over a year since 26th March 2020 (then 191) and in ICU being the lowest since 21st September 2020. Active cases continued a moderate decrease being the lowest since 23rd September 2020

 

Health

Self-scheduling for over 60s planning to start next week

Editorial Staff, May 7, 2021 (Lusa) – Self-scheduling for vaccination against the covid-19 should start to include people from 60 years old, instead of the current 65, by the end of next week, the “task force” source told Lusa yesterday.
“As this is a complex and massive system that is in transition, it was decided in this initial phase to open self-scheduling only to people over 65, and it is expected to open self-scheduling to people over 60 at the end next week or beginning of the next ”, replied the ‘task force’ to a question sent by Lusa.
The measure aims to continue the increase in the rate of vaccination – which reached about 100 thousand doses administered on Thursday for the first time -, in order to have the entire age group above 60 years of age vaccinated with at least the first dose “Until the end of May or in the third week of May”, as the Minister of Health, Marta Temido, anticipated on April 21.

Covid-19 Variants

Visit Madeira

The most recent report by DGS and INSA monitoring red lines for covid-19 shows that the estimated prevalence of the Manaus (Brazil) variant in the country increased from 0.4% in March to 4.3 %, in April. Unsurprisingly, the variant associated with the United Kingdom remains the most prevalent in Portuguese territory, with a prevalence of 91.2%. In addition, until May 5, 101 cases of the Manaus (Brazil) variant were confirmed, another 16 since the last report. The estimated prevalence of this variant increased from 0.4% (in March) to 4.3% (in April).
In an inverse trend, the presence of the South African variant decreased from 2.5% to 1.3%, last month, with 77 cases identified.
It should also be noted that, so far, seven cases of the Indian variant have been confirmed.

 

One Hundred thousand vaccine target reached

“About 100 thousand vaccines were administered on Thursday, a number that should also be registered today, thus anticipating the initial expectation by about a week”, said the structure that coordinates the logistics of vaccination in Portugal in information sent to Lusa on Friday. According to this team led by Vice Admiral Gouveia e Melo, this result of vaccinating 100 thousand people a day “was only possible with the implementation of the self-scheduling process , which allowed a significant increase in the rate of vaccination, despite some setbacks verified in the process “.

On April 23, the portal for self-scheduling for vaccination came into operation, which had registered, until the beginning of this week, about 206 thousand registrations for taking the vaccine. With the entry of the second phase of the vaccination plan and a greater availability of vaccines by pharmaceutical supplying companies, the rate of vaccination is increasing significantly.

Covid-19. UK raises risk of variant discovery in India

The Directorate-General for Health of England (PHE) has announced that the number of infections with variant B.1.617.2 has more than doubled, from 202 to 520 in a week, which is causing concern among health authorities.
According to PHE, “the evidence suggests that this variant, first detected in India, is at least as transmissible as B.1.1.7 (Kent’s variant)”. However, he says the other features “are still being investigated”.

There are two other variants also discovered in India (B.1.617 and B.1.617.3) under monitoring in the United Kingdom that have also been increasing, but at lower values. According to the authorities, “almost half of the cases are related to travel or contact with travellers”, and although spread across the country, the majority of cases are concentrated in the northwest areas, namely Bolton, and London.

Additional testing in these areas is being implemented to contain outbreaks

UK limits AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 40

The scientific committee that oversees the anti-covid-19 vaccination campaign in the United Kingdom recommended limiting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 40, after 242 cases of blood clots have been reported. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, JCVI, which emphasizes that the benefits continue to outweigh the risks associated with covid-19, had already advised in April not to give this vaccine to older adults. 30 years when it was possible.

However, the offer of another vaccine to this age group should only happen when there are alternative drugs and “if there is no substantial delay or impediment in accessing vaccination,” said the president of JCVI, Wei Shen Lim, at a press conference.
“If the vaccination program continues in force, a future wave of infections is likely to be less than initially anticipated given what we know about vaccines” in terms of reducing complications and transmitting the disease, he maintained. According to the data announced this Friday, among more than 28 million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca with the University of Oxford administered until April 28, 242 cases of blood clots have been identified , an incidence of 10.5 cases per million.

Covid-19: WHO approves emergency use of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) approved this Friday the emergency use of Sinopharm’s covid-19 Chinese vaccine, recommending its administration to people over 18 years old. t is the first Chinese vaccine to be approved by the WHO and the sixth of all vaccines against covid-19 approved by the organization.
The announcement was made at the WHO’s regular press conference call on the covid-19 pandemic, broadcast from the organization’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The vaccine produced by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm is recommended for people over the age of 18, and should be administered in two doses with an interval of two to three weeks. Despite continuing to evaluate data on the vaccine, as it is provided by the laboratory, the WHO group of experts considers that Sinopharm’s formula meets the requirements for safety, efficacy and quality.

 

 

Overseas Situation Report Friday 7th May 2021

 

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible!” – Audrey Hepburn

As this is the end of the week, this report is focussing on the report from the WHO and it looks at how the situation In India is and what is happening in the Americas currently with regards to both infections and deaths due to the Covid-19 crisis.

For the second successive week, the number of Covid-19 cases globally remains at the highest levels since the beginning of the pandemic, with over 5.7 million new weekly cases, following nine consecutive weeks of increases. New deaths continue to increase for the seventh consecutive week, with over 93,000 counted. The South-East Asia Region continues to report marked increases in both case and death incidences. India accounts for over 90% of both cases and deaths in the region, as well as 46% of global cases and 25% of global deaths reported in the past week. Case incidence in the regions of Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Africa and the Americas decreased, while rates in the Western Pacific Region were comparable to the previous week. The number of deaths decreased in Europe, Africa and the Western Pacific region, while slight increases were reported in the Americas and Eastern Mediterranean regions.

The highest numbers of new cases were reported from India (2,597,285 new cases; 20% increase), Brazil (421,933 new cases; 4% increase), the United States of America (345,692 new cases; 15% decrease), Turkey (257,992 new cases; 32% decrease), and France (163,666 new cases; 23% decrease).

In India which is currently the epicentre of the world’s biggest outbreak, the WHO is granting support operationally across Covid-19 response technical areas, through procurement to help meet the greatest demands and critical gaps. WHO is procuring laboratory supplies, including 1.2 million reagents, to meet the massive demand for testing.

For the demand on hospital beds and critical equipment, WHO is procuring mobile field hospitals with a capacity of maximum 50 beds to set up in the most affected areas. WHO is also chartering flights to deliver 4,000 oxygen concentrators to help meet increased demand of medical oxygen. Over 2,600 WHO technical staff working in various programmes such as polio tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases have been repurposed to support the Covid-19 response in India with rapid situational analyses and the implementation of tailored responses.

With India being a country that manufactures vaccines as well as distributes, them it is imperative for the country and around the world that this supply chain continues.

With that in mind this week saw the news that the USA had committed to to support the temporary waiver of intellectual property on Covid-19 vaccines in a bold move to end the pandemic as quickly as possible.

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, praised the commitment by the United States administration of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. “This is a monumental moment in the fight against Covid-19. The commitment by the President of the United States Joe Biden and Ambassador Katherine Tai, the US Trade Representative, to support the waiver of IP protections on vaccines is a powerful example of American leadership to address global health challenges,” said Dr Tedros.

“I commend the United States on its historic decision for vaccine equity and prioritizing the well-being of all people everywhere at a critical time. Now let’s all move together swiftly, in solidarity, building on the ingenuity and commitment of scientists who produced life-saving Covid-19 vaccines.”

On Wednesday, Ambassador Tai issued a statement saying the extraordinary circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic required extraordinary measures to respond and that the waiving of intellectual property protections on vaccines was needed to help end the pandemic. The United States would, the statement continued, participate in World Trade Organization negotiations to support the temporary waiving of protections, and work with the private sector and other partners to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution.

Whilst the world has focused on India, there is another grim statistic which has come out of the Americas this week.

Hospitalisations and deaths of younger people are surging as the Covid-19 pandemic accelerates across the Americas, said Carissa F. Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

“Adults of all ages – including young people – are becoming seriously ill. Many of them are dying,” Dr. Etienne said during her weekly media briefing. In the past week, nearly 40% of all global Covid-19 deaths took place in the Americas.

“In Brazil, mortality rates have doubled among those younger than 39, quadrupled among those in their 40s and tripled for those in their 50s between December 2020 and March 2021,” she continued. “This is tragic, and the consequences are dire for our families, our societies and our future.”

She said that hospitalization rates of people under 39 rose by more than 70 percent in Chile during the past few months. In Brazil hospitalizations have been highest among people in their 40s. “In some areas of the U.S., more people in their 20s are now being hospitalized for Covid-19 than people in their 70s,” Dr. Etienne said.

“For much of the pandemic, our hospitals were filled with elderly Covid-19 patients, many of whom had pre-existing conditions that made them more susceptible to severe disease,” Dr. Etienne noted. “But look around intensive care units across our region today. You’ll see they’re filled not only with elderly patients, but also with younger people.”

Since healthy young people are more likely to survive, they may remain in hospitals for weeks, she said. As a result, countries must be prepared for surging hospital demand.

“If infections continue to rise at this rate, we expect that over the next three months, countries across our region will need to maintain and even increase their ICU bed capacity further,” she warned.

Countries should hire and train more health workers and specialized personnel, she said. Existing health workers should be supported “after operating in ‘crisis mode’ for so long,” she added.

“But we also can’t expand ICU capacity indefinitely. There are simply not enough health workers to hire and train in time. Which points us back to the best option: we must all recommit to a comprehensive response grounded in prevention and maintain health care for Covid-19 and other conditions,” Dr. Etienne said.

Today, more Latin American countries than ever before are reporting more than 1,000 Covid-19 cases a day.”

She reported that infections are increasing rapidly in the Guyanas and across Argentina and Colombia, “where weekly case counts are five times higher than they were this time last year.” In Central America, Guatemala is experiencing a significant increase in infections while Costa Rica is reporting record-high infections.

Puerto Rico and Cuba are driving infections in the Caribbean, although cases are also rising in many smaller islands. Nearly 70% of total Covid-19 cases in Anguilla have been reported in the last ten days. Following the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano, cases are rising in St. Vincent and the Grenadines among internally displaced people.

In total, more than 1.3 million people were infected with Covid-19 in the Americas in the last week and more than 36,000 died from Covid-related complications.

What this does tell us is that the Covid-19 pandemic is certainly a long way from being over and we must all be aware of the dangers and how easy it could return to the sort of numbers we say at the start of the year.

Until the next time Stay Safe.

Total number of cases worldwide – 156,726,037

Total number of deaths worldwide – 3,270,478

Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 134,123,437

Active cases – 19,332,122  (12.3% of Total Cases)

Closed cases – 137,393,915

Information and statistics from:

https://www.worldometers.info/

 

Madeira  Situation Report 5th May 2021

 

by our Special Correspondent, Daniel Fernandes

Covid-19 update.

There were 64 new Covid-19 cases, 58 recoveries and no deaths from Covid-19 in Madeira since the previous Madeira Situation Report. There have been no deaths from Covid-19 for over 0 days.

On Saturday, there were 17 new Covid-19 cases (from 1 passenger who had arrived from Switzerland and 16 cases of local transmission) and 20 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital decreased to 14, 4 of whom were in intensive care.

On Sunday, there were 22 new Covid-19 cases (all cases of local transmission) and 14 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital increased to 15, 4 of whom were in intensive care.

On Monday, there were 9 new Covid-19 cases (from 1 passenger who had arrived from France, 1 passenger who had arrived from the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region and 7 cases of local transmission) and 13 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital decreased to 13, 4 of whom were in intensive care.

And on Tuesday, there were 16 new Covid-19 cases (all cases of local transmission) and 11 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital remained at 16, 4 of whom were in intensive care.

There were 267 active cases on Friday, of which 14 had been imported while the other 247 cases had been a result of local transmission. As of Tuesday, there had been 9,035 cases, 8,697 recoveries and 71 deaths.

On Tuesday, there were 25 patients in isolation in a dedicated hotel, 226 patients in isolation in their own accommodation and 16 patients in Covid-19 units, 4 of whom in intensive care.

On the same day, there were 97 suspected cases under epidemiological investigation and analysis, which were all linked to patients who tested positive for Covid-19, to calls made to the SRS24 helpline, to referrals by SESARAM (Madeira Regional Health Service) and to airport screening.

There were 9,026  travellers under monitoring by the health authorities. Monitoring is being carried out through the ‘MadeiraSafe’ app. There were also 627 people, who had contact with positive cases, being monitored by the health authorities of several Madeira municipalities and of Porto Santo.

As for Covid-19 testing on passengers who had arrived at Funchal and Porto Santo airports, 193,012 samples had been collected until Tuesday (at 15h30). By Tuesday, 388,918 samples from RT-PCR tests had been processed and 46,371 antigen rapid tests had been carried out in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

The SRS 24 helpline (Regional Health Service – 800 24 24 20) received 406 calls from Friday to Tuesday. Overall, it has received 47,691 calls.

The Covid-19 mental health helpline (Linha de Acompanhamento Psicológico da Direção Regional de Saúde – 291 212 399 – available every day from 09h00 to 21h00), which was set up to provide emotional and mental support to anyone in Madeira received 24 calls from Friday to Tuesday. Overall, it has received 3,459 calls.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/01/17-novos-casos-de-covid-19-20-recuperados-159-suspeitos-quatro-nos-cuidados-intensivos/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/02/22-novos-casos-de-covid-19-14-recuperados-86-suspeitos/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/03/9-novos-casos-de-covid-19-13-recuperados-116-suspeitos/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/04/16-novos-casos-de-covid-19-11-recuperados-97-suspeitos/

Vaccination update.

A shipment of 23,400 Pfizer vaccine does arrived in the Region on Monday. So far, 105,297 Pfizer vaccine doses have been received.

As of May 2nd, 91,293 vaccine doses (68,897 1st doses & 22,396 2nd doses) had been administer in the Region. This means 27.1% of the population have been vaccinated with at least 1 dose of the vaccine, while 8.8% have been fully vaccinated. A total of 9,617 vaccine doses ( 8,817 1st doses & 800 2nd doses) were administered in the previous week.

On May 1st, 18 bed-ridden patients in Porto Santo were inoculated against Covid-19. Teams from the Porto Santo Fire Service and from the Porto Santo Health Centre transported them to the vaccination centre. So far, 1,008 vaccine doses (131 of which were 2nd doses) have been administered in Porto Santo. Planning for the vaccination of bed-ridden patients in the island of Madeira is underway, with the direct cooperation of the Fire Service in transporting them to the vaccination centres.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/03/chegaram-hoje-mais-23400-vacinas-da-pfizer-a-ram/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/04/mais-de-91-mil-vacinas-contra-a-covid-19-ja-foram-administradas-na-madeira/

University of Madeira students to be tested on May 13th

Students from the University of Madeira (Universidade da Madeira) will be tested for Covid-19 on May 13th. This will be the second mass testing campaign on these students. The first mass testing campaign took place in April. The aim of the testing campaign is to ensure a safe return to teaching on campus. Testing will take place at Campus da Penteada, on the -2 floor (Piso -2), in a designated area at the car park.

https://www.jm-madeira.pt/regiao/ver/127248/Alunos_da_UMa_voltam_a_ser_testados_no_dia_13_de_maio

Power cut

Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira (Madeira power supplier) announced there will be power cuts due to planned work on the electricity supply network. These works cannot be postponed.

FUNCHAL – May 6th – 09h00 to 11h00

– Estrada da Vitória (numbers 28 to 37)

– Caminho da Ribeira dos Socorridos (numbers 4 to 34)

– Caminho das Quebradas (numbers 43 to 80)

– Caminho das Quebradas de Baixo (number 1)

– Caminho da Lombada (numbers 47 to 118)

– Caminho da Cova do Til (numbers 2 to 50)

– Rua Pico da Lombada (numbers 1, 5, 18B, 28 and 44)

– Travessa de Santa Rita (number 13)

– Travessa do Pico da Lombada (numbers 4,8 and 18)

– Vereda do Pico da Lombada (number 10 to 38)

– Vereda do Pico da Lombada (Microprodutor)

– Levada dos Piornais (numbers 356 to 541)

– Beco de Santa Rita (number 16)

May 6th & 7th – 09h00 to 11h30 & 14h00 to 16h00

– Caminho dos 3 Paus à Viana (numbers 7 to 204)

– Travessa da Viana (numbers 7 to 38)

– Travessa dos Três Paus (numbers 3 to 81)

– Vereda da Viana (numbers 18 to 50)

– Escadinhas da Viana (number 11 to 20)

– Impasse dos Três Paus (numbers 1 to 21)

May 7th – 0h00 to 07h00

– Rua da Urbanização da Torrinha (numbers 4 to 19)

– Rua da Carne Azeda (numbers 28 to 91)

– Rua da Cidade do Cabo (numbers 4, 10, 12 and 24)

– Rua do Dr. Ângelo Augusto da Silva (numbers 26 and 28)

– Rua Nova do Til (numbers 3 to 24)

– Rua do Padre Lopes (numbers 1 and 2)

– Rua do Til

– Rua da Torrinha (numbers 52 and 54)

– Beco do Sales

– Beco do Sousa (numbers 1 to 8)

– Travessa do Costa Dias

– Travessa das Voltas (numbers 3 to 23)

– Impasse 1 from Rua do Til (numbers 1 to 5)

– Bairro do Til

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 (Serviço de Apoio ao Cliente): 800 221 187.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/05/publicidade-o-fornecimento-de-energia-sera-interrompido-nos-dias-horas-e-locais-abaixo-indicados-anuncio-36-2021/ 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 5th May 2021

 

The outermost regions (ORs) of the European Union

The outermost regions (ORs) of the European Union (EU) have proposed to the Commission the “acceleration” of vaccination against Covid-19 in their territories, after the appeal made by its President, the Azorean José Manuel Bolieiro.

“In this joint declaration, approved by all the outermost regions, we signalled a proposal for a new EU approach to the ORs, an appeal to the European Commission and the European Council to keep an eye on health developments in the ORs and even to propose accelerating vaccination strategies”, said the president of the Conference of Presidents of the ORs, José Manuel Bolieiro, who also heads the Regional Government of the Azores.

He was speaking to journalists in Ponta Delgada, after having chaired, by videoconference, the interim meeting of the presidents of the ORs.

The EU includes nine ORs: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion and São Martinho (France), Azores and Madeira (Portugal) and the Canary Islands (Spain).

The leader of the Conference of Presidents of the ORs confirmed that he had sent a letter to the European Commissioner for Health and Food Security on this matter, taking into account the specific characteristics of these regions and their health systems in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said that, in this way, “the mission of defending the populations” of the ORs is being carried out with zeal and determination, with the intention of “insisting on making the Member States see, but also on their own EU, the importance of finding an accelerated vaccination solution for the ORs”.

In the final declaration of the meeting, it is easy to see that the “vulnerability of the ORs, recognized in article 349 of the European Treaty, was exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic, compromising the socio-economic development of these regions”.

“This health crisis has had serious consequences for the economic sectors, namely the sectors of tourism, events and culture, which are particularly fragile and exposed to uncertainties regarding the future of their activities. The recovery is made more difficult by the structural constraints of their markets “.

In the document, the Conference of Presidents of the ORs “invites the Council to ask the European Commission to prepare a new strategy for the benefit of the ORs, taking full account of the new situation resulting from the pandemic and the challenges that remain for these regions”.

Those responsible for these territories also recall the “specific characteristics of the ORs, spaces that are particularly sensitive to international events in their respective geographical areas: epidemic outbreaks in neighbouring countries, restrictions on the movement of people and goods, supply disruptions, among others”.

For this reason, the Conference of Presidents of the ORs also called on the Council to “be particularly vigilant with regard to the evolution of the health situation in the ORs and to apply appropriate and accelerated vaccination strategies”.

In the context of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the “preservation of the POSEI budget beyond 2022” is advocated and the “negative effects that a possible reduction of that budget could have on the ORs” are recalled.

This is the case of “production losses, abandonment of agricultural holdings and degradation of the agricultural landscape and, in particular, of rural areas”.

Covid-19 

The Regional Health Authority has said that in the last four days the number of new positive cases of Covid-19 resulting from 5,176 tests is 53.  These tests were carried out in reference laboratories in the Region, in private laboratories with conventions, in the Regional Health Service, through rapid tests (mass screening), in the laboratory of Terceira University and by means of tests carried out in the scope of occupational medicine.

São Miguel registered most of the cases with 46. Santa Maria had 1 and Flores had 6

There have been some recoveries, 81 in total.  Most of them on the island of São Miguel with 76. 2 on Santa Maria and Terceira had 3.

There are currently 869 people on active surveillance.

12 patients are hospitalized, 11 in the Hospital of Divino Espírito Santo in Ponta Delgada, with one in the Intensive Care Unit, and one in the Hospital of Santo Espírito on Terceira Island.

As of today, the Region has 191 positive cases, 181 in São Miguel, seven in Flores, two in Santa Maria and one in Terceira.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 4,946 positive cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed in the Azores, 4,602 people recovered from the disease and 31 died.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 5th May 2021

 

Covid-19: Portimão Vaccination Centre today exceeds five thousand inoculated vaccines.

In a statement, the municipality states that, since it started operating on April 26, the Portimão Vaccination Centre has administered 4,924 vaccines against Covid-19.

According to the same source, the goal is to cover the entire population of the municipality over 60 years old by next Friday, May 7.

These figures reflect that, the municipality was covered by a booster vaccine and obtained extraordinary authorization to start vaccinating locals over 60 years of age, due to the outbreaks that led to the setback in the process of deflation and the consequent autarchic request for the opening of the Vaccination Centre in Portimão.

Installed in the Sports Pavilion of Portimão, the structure started with an average of 300 vaccines/day, evolving to 1,000 vaccines/day since the reinforcement in the meantime verified, and it is estimated that a total of 10,000 vaccines will be reached by the end of this phase.

The municipality advances that, in the maximum exponent of its capacity, the Centre is vaccinating a greater number of people than that found in any other similar structure in the Algarve region; it should be noted that in the moments of queuing the average waiting is between at 7 and 10 minutes, with an average vaccination peak in the order of 130 inoculations/hour.

Municipal Vaccination Centre of Loulé with capacity for 400 inoculations daily.

The Municipal Vaccination Centre of Loulé, installed in the Municipal Sports Pavilion of the city, which went into operation on the 27th of April, has a capacity for 400 daily inoculations, which may be higher if necessary and the number of vaccines to be administered so justify, the municipality assured in a statement.

According to the same document, the Centre has 5 vaccination points, with the possibility of expansion. It also includes a reception area, pre-vaccination space and recovery area, where users must remain up to 30 minutes after inoculation.

It operates daily, including weekends and holidays, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, and, in addition to health professionals, it also relies permanently on elements of the Civil Protection Service, security forces and municipal officials “who provide support, whether in terms of cleaning space, psychological, administrative support or even monitoring users “, notes the city council.

The Loulé Vaccination Centre was born out of a partnership between the municipality, which provided the space and supported all the logistics necessary for the installation, the ARS and the services of the Ministry of Health.

Remember that, in order to be immunized against Covid-19, residents must be invited for vaccination by contacting the Health Centre, but may, at this stage, make an online request for scheduling through the Directorate-General for Health website ( https://covid19.min-saude.pt/pedido-de-aghecimento/ )

Covid-19: VRSA already has a Vaccination Centre in operation.

Equipment has a capacity for 250 inoculations daily.

The Covid-19 Vaccination Centre in Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) is already in operation, complying with all the guidelines of the Directorate-General for Health with a view to effecting massive vaccination of the population.

Installed in the Ilídio Setúbal Pavilion, next to the Sports Complex of VRSA, the new equipment will have the capacity to administer 250 vaccines daily, with a clinical and technical staff of about 15 professionals and respecting all the rules of the national vaccination protocol.

Access is reserved for people who have already been contacted and have a valid appointment (with date and time), intended to receive residents from all parishes in the municipality, according to the priorities and stages established by the vaccination plan. The place has easy access and parking, being properly adapted for people with reduced mobility, and the entry is made through Avenida Ministro Duarte Pacheco, next to the commercial area there.

The structure has six distinct areas, namely the area for admission, reception, pre-vaccination, vaccination, post-vaccination/recovery and emergency, with pre-defined circulation corridors and complying with all the prevention and hygiene measures provided by the authorities of health. It operates from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, remaining in operation until the National Vaccination Plan against Covid-19 is completed.

https://barlavento.sapo.pt/algarve/covid-19-vrsa-ja-tem-em-funcionamento-um-centro-de-vacinacao

Faro Council offers free transportation to the local vaccination centre.

Faro Council has announced that it is offering free transportation to the local vaccination centre for citizens aged over 60 or with mobility problems.

To benefit from this service, citizens can call a taxi by telephone (800 219 019) between 9am and 6pm.

The citizen’s name must be provided, as well as their address and the date and hour of their vaccination.

Lagos Municipal Police is already in operation.

In this initial phase, 12 agents are on the ground.

The Mayor of Lagos, Hugo Pereira, received yesterday, Monday, May 3, the first agents who were part of the Municipal Police Service and started to exercise their functions in this new administrative police body in that city.

The Regulations for the Operation of the Municipal Police Service provide that this new structure will have, during the installation period, a staff of 26, consisting of a commander, a graduate (Chief Coordinator) and up to 24 agents.

In this first phase, the twelve trainee agents who have completed their training start their duties, to which seven more will subsequently join, currently attending the training given by the FEFAL Foundation, followed by the training given by the PSP School and a period of six months of internship.

At the reception, the 12 trainee agents who started functions in the field attended, in uniform, but also the seven elements who are already in training, because, as mentioned by Paulo Reis, the vice-president of the Chamber who has this area assigned, despite being in different phases of internship, “these agents are all part of the same team, where the spirit of camaraderie and understanding must prevail”.

Mayor Hugo Pereira left words of encouragement to the new agents, confident that “they will be up to the task of overcoming the challenges inherent to the role”.

Underlining the context of a pandemic, the President of Lagos underlined “the important role of the Municipal Police in enforcing public health measures in force, especially in this phase of lack of definition and resumption of economic and tourist activity, as well as restoring respect for space public, especially in the area of ​​the historic centre, which will be another of the priorities for action”.

The staff of the Municipal Police Corps will be provisionally accommodated in the Old Town Halls and, in the future, in the building of the old Tourism Office, where they will move after carrying out the necessary adaptation works for this new function.

https://barlavento.sapo.pt/algarve/policia-municipal-de-lagos-ja-esta-em-funcionamento

Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 5th May 2021

 

Good morning – In the last few says there has been much focus on Odemira municipality, located in Beja District, which is Portugal’s largest municipality in terms of land area.

This follows the decision of the Council of Ministers last Thursday to impose a health cordon in the parishes of São Teotónio and Longueira – Almograve, due to the high incidence of cases of Covid-19, especially among agricultural sector workers.

The Prime Minister highlighted at the time that “some of the population in the municipality live in situations of unacceptable unhealthy housing, with overcrowding of dwellings”, reporting situations of “enormous risk to public health, in addition to a stark violation of human rights”.

The Mayor of Odemira, José Alberto Guerreiro, revealed over the weekend that he had filed a complaint about the situation and that there is “enough material” for the creation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry. In addition, the Judiciary Police is investigating several complaints made regarding possible cases of human trafficking and slavery related to the arrival of immigrant workers to the plantations in Odemira. These investigations go beyond what has already been denounced by the local mayor. The Odemira Public Prosecutor’s Office has had 11 inquiries on aiding illegal immigration for the purposes of labour exploitation, according to a source from the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) told Lusa.

This situation concerning agricultural workers has been a continuing problem for some years and although enforcement action has been taken by SEF, clearly a more overarching review and more importantly, solutions are needed.  According to the Minister of Territorial Cohesion, Ana Abrunhosa, a large part of Odemira’s agricultural workers live in ‘dignified’ situations, but there are “about 20% to 30% of workers” who, in fact, live in overcrowded garages and houses”.

“We are talking about a huge amount, but that percentage was much higher a few years ago, so it is a problem that takes time to resolve,” said the Minister for Territorial Cohesion.

With people sharing overcrowded situations, reports of those sharing the same beds, this is a breeding ground for the spread of the pandemic. Certainly we welcome a parliamentary of commission of enquiry to address issues of exploitation in all its forms.

In the past week we have seen the border with Spain open up, although there seems to be some confusion as to whether travelling through it is for essential reasons only. In Galicia, the most Northerly part of Spain which adjoins Portugal, the Mayor is reported to be very unhappy as his region is still in a state of pandemic with their municipal borders in lockdown.

With the lack of control at the borders there are fears that those people who are arriving from parts of Europe where quarantine is required may not be adhering to the rules. We saw the figures issued on the first day of the border being open of Spanish vehicles coming into Portugal of 6000 cars. When travel is still supposed to be for essential reasons many were quoted as “coming over for lunch!” or to enjoy the shopping.

Also this week we heard of the proposal from the EU about a vaccine card for travel throughout Europe. This proposal, and it has to be agreed by EU nations before anything can happen, is to help open up the countries to tourists, who have been vaccinated or have immunity, before the end of the summer.

There has also been a focus on vaccinations and in particular the self-scheduling system over the last few days. Certainly many people have contacted us both to say the system worked well for them and they received the vaccination as scheduled. There are however those that are encountering problems either awaiting SMS messages regarding confirmation or other issues.

Yesterday, the Task Force Coordinator acknowledged that there had been scheduling disruptions over the last few days which “are already identified”, estimating that this mixed process will work “without significant problems” next week. All issues had already been identified, with the correction being carried out as expeditiously as possible.

This new system, according to the “task force” that coordinates vaccination, consists of a “local part and a centrally controlled part, where it is possible, for example, to carry out self-scheduling by the user”.

According to the structure coordinated by Gouveia e Melo, this change has led to a “very significant increase in schedules” and to the release of health professionals who were involved in local scheduling, contributing to the increase in the rate of vaccination.

From what we have learned from the official reports, and general feedback, the vast majority of vaccinations have gone ahead as scheduled. We are in a health crisis and given the magnitude of the problem, everything will not go as planned on occasions. We are only a week or so into the new scheduling system and now that the problems have been identified at an early stage, we hope for an early resolution. The fact that these centres were established, and operational in just a few weeks in itself an achievement. For those who have encountered problems the Parish Councils are there to help.

The good news is that a quarter of the Portuguese population have received at least one dose of the vaccine against Covid-19, indicated by the weekly report released this Tuesday. Between 27th December and 2nd May, 2,568,000 million people received at least one vaccine, equivalent to 25% of the population.

With that positive note please have a Safe Day.

Headlines

Covid-19. A quarter of European adults already have the first dose of the vaccine

A quarter of adults in the European Union (EU) have already received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, the European Commission announced today, celebrating the milestone of the 150 million vaccines administered in the community.

“Vaccination is gaining speed across the EU – we have just passed the 150 million vaccines administered”, announces European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a message on the social network Twitter.

Along with a commemorative video of the landmark, with photographs of European citizens vaccinated against Covid-19, Ursula von der Leyen disclosed that “a quarter of Europeans [adults] have already taken their first dose”.

“We will have enough doses to vaccinate 70% of adults in the EU by July”, she guaranteed”.

Still, the official goal of the European Commission is that, by the end of the summer, 70% of European adults are immunized with the vaccine.

Currently, four vaccines are approved in the EU: Comirnaty (trade name of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine), Moderna, Vaxzevria (new name of the AstraZeneca drug) and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson group).

Covid-19

The Covid-19 statistics presented by DGS on Tuesday 4th May show the following:

Confirmed Cases: 837.715 (+ 258 / + 0.03 %)

Number of admitted: 296 (-26 /-8.07 %)

Number of ICU admitted: 87 (-3 /-3.33 %)

Deaths: 16.981 (+ 4 / + 0.02 %)

Recovered: 797.901 (+ 777 / + 0.10 %)

Active cases: 22,833 (- 523 – 2.2%)

Safe Communities comparisons/trends: show that: deaths were above last week’s average;- new daily cases were the 4th lowest since 7th September and recovered cases were almost 3 times higher than new cases. The number in hospital with Covid-19 was the lowest for over a year since 26th March 2020 (then 191) and in ICU they were the second lowest since 25th August 2020 (lowest 27th April (86). Active cases saw a large decrease for one day. Lowest since 24th September 2020.

Health

Odemira vaccination progress

About 9,500 vaccines against Covid-19 have already been administered in the Alentejo municipality of Odemira, the municipality announced today, indicating that “almost” the entire population over 60 has already received the first dose.

In a statement sent to the Lusa agency, the municipality of the district of Beja explains that “in the space of a week” almost 6,000 vaccines were administered”, with” 2,035 citizens “already having the second inoculated dose”.

“In the coming days, efforts will be continued to vaccinate as many people as possible, in the shortest possible time, and thus increase the protection of the community against the disease”, the document reads.

Covid-19: Tourist resorts and local accommodation closed in São Teotónio and Almograve.

Lisbon, 04 May 2021 (Lusa) – The Government ordered the closure of the activity of tourist enterprises and local accommodation establishments in the parishes of São Teotónio and Longueira – Almograve, which are in a health cordon.

According to an order from the Minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition published in Diário da República, at least 275 companies are located in these two parishes that are prevented from working, as many of their employees live outside the circumscribed area. The cordoned area is in place because of the high incidence of Covid-19 among immigrants working in agriculture.

With regard to the accommodation sector, “many economic operators have seen their ‘staff’ be reduced, no longer being able to provide their guests with the quality service for which they are governed”, states the order published on Monday in a supplement.

According to the dispatch, the closure of the activity of tourism enterprises and local accommodation establishments located in the perimeter of the sanitary fence is considered desirable, “taking into account the concerns expressed by the entrepreneurs of the region”.

It also says that the operating entities of the tourist undertakings and the local accommodation establishments located in the perimeter of the sanitary fence must communicate to the security forces and the health authorities the identity of the eventual guests for the purposes of authorization to leave.

On Friday, the Government ordered “the temporary requisition, for reasons of urgency and of public and national interest”, of the “totality of properties and the rights inherent to them” that make up the ZMar Eco Experience tourist complex, in the parish of Longueira -Almograve (Odemira), to accommodate people in compulsory confinement or allow their “prophylactic isolation”.

Portugal strengthens support to Cape Verde in the fight against the pandemic.

The Portuguese Government is sending a team from the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) to Cape Verde, between 4 and 11 May, to support the efforts of Cape Verdean health authorities in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.

The INEM team, composed of two elements – a doctor and a logistics official, will be accompanied by an official from Camões, Cooperation and Language Institute, and aims to identify the needs of Cape Verde’s health structures in response to the pandemic situation, at the request of the Cape Verdean Government. In addition to the island of Santiago, a trip to the island of São Vicente is planned.

The diagnosis carried out by the INEM team will serve to prepare the future mission of a Portuguese medical team, with a view to strengthening the response capacity of the national health service of Cape Verde, through the provision of human and technical resources.

This action is part of the execution of the Action Plan for the Sanitary Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic between Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking countries and Timor-Leste.

Health Survey

Lisbon, 04 May 2021 (Lusa) – More than half of the respondents over the age of 18 years in a national study that was presented yesterday in Lisbon, consider their health status to be good (29%) or very good (23%).

According to the conclusions of the study, which had as its scientific advisor the President of the Disciplinary Council of the Order of Doctors, Maria do Céu Machado, 52% of the respondents, over 18 years old, evaluate their health status in this way, while 31% consider it “reasonable” and only 17% say it is “unhealthy”.

With the title “The Health of the Portuguese: A BI in its Own Name”, the research aims to be “a sociological portrait of health in Portugal” and is the first of a new Médis project, which says it aims to “open new doors and points of view that enrich and broaden the public discussion around the health of the Portuguese ”.

Based on two indicators, “the health you have”, which assesses the current health status of the respondents, and “health potential”, which measures the effort they make to maintain or improve their health status, the work concluded that almost half of the respondents (46%) are below the average level of the scale of personal commitment to health promotion.

This means, according to the summary to which the Lusa agency had access, that “an important part of the population considers to have a pro-health attitude that is less than desirable”, that is, “it integrates few effective behaviours to defend or improve their health status and welfare”.

On the other hand, the research also reinforces the thesis that mental health is an area still very undervalued by the Portuguese and that physical health is tended to be worse than mental health, being the one that people consider most in their self-assessment.

Other news

SEF Inspectors and Employees to strike on Friday 7th May 2021.

Lisbon, 04 May 2021 (Lusa) – SEF inspectors and employees will hold a strike in all workplaces on Friday 7th May 2021 to protest the Government’s intention to extinguish this security service, announced today one of the unions that convenes stoppage.

The strike, which will take place between 00:00 and 24:00 on Friday (all day Friday), was announced by the Union for the Investigation and Inspection of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SCIF / SEF) and is supported by the Employees Union. the SEF (SINSEF) and the Union of Investigators, Inspection and Borders Inspectors (SIIFF).

The union guarantees that the strike will “suspend all activity” and is motivated by the formalization in the Council of Ministers and made public in Diário da República “of the Government’s intention to extinguish the SEF”.

“This stoppage is a protest against the Government’s intention to extinguish the SEF. SEF needs to be restructured internally and strengthened, dissolution is not a solution. We demand a wide-ranging and in-depth debate between political parties with parliamentary seats and civil society on the reform of the SEF” the president of SCIF / SEF told Lusa.

Acácio Pereira considered that “the extinction of the SEF would have the immediate effect of distributing its functions to five or more entities, which would degrade the service provided to citizens, nationals and foreigners, with more bureaucracy, more delay, less security and less respect for human rights”.

According to the union, the creation of a new entity “will not bring an answer to the problems that have long been identified and which resulted from a stark lack of investment in SEF in the last twenty years”.

Region Reports

Madeira

Situation Report Madeira, May 1st – May 4th, by our Special Correspondent, Daniel Fernandes

Covid-19 update.

There were 64 new Covid-19 cases, 58 recoveries and no deaths from Covid-19 in Madeira since the previous Madeira Situation Report. There have been no deaths from Covid-19 for over 0 days.

On Saturday, there were 17 new Covid-19 cases (from 1 passenger who had arrived from Switzerland and 16 cases of local transmission) and 20 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital decreased to 14, 4 of whom were in intensive care.

On Sunday, there were 22 new Covid-19 cases (all cases of local transmission) and 14 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital increased to 15, 4 of whom were in intensive care.

On Monday, there were 9 new Covid-19 cases (from 1 passenger who had arrived from France, 1 passenger who had arrived from the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region and 7 cases of local transmission) and 13 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital decreased to 13, 4 of whom were in intensive care.

And on Tuesday, there were 16 new Covid-19 cases (all cases of local transmission) and 11 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital remained at 16, 4 of whom were in intensive care.

There were 267 active cases on Friday, of which 14 had been imported while the other 247 cases had been a result of local transmission. As of Tuesday, there had been 9,035 cases, 8,697 recoveries and 71 deaths.

On Tuesday, there were 25 patients in isolation in a dedicated hotel, 226 patients in isolation in their own accommodation and 16 patients in Covid-19 units, 4 of whom in intensive care.

On the same day, there were 97 suspected cases under epidemiological investigation and analysis, which were all linked to patients who tested positive for Covid-19, to calls made to the SRS24 helpline, to referrals by SESARAM (Madeira Regional Health Service) and to airport screening.

There were 9,026  travellers under monitoring by the health authorities. Monitoring is being carried out through the ‘MadeiraSafe’ app. There were also 627 people, who had contact with positive cases, being monitored by the health authorities of several Madeira municipalities and of Porto Santo.

As for Covid-19 testing on passengers who had arrived at Funchal and Porto Santo airports, 193,012 samples had been collected until Tuesday (at 15h30). By Tuesday, 388,918 samples from RT-PCR tests had been processed and 46,371 antigen rapid tests had been carried out in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

The SRS 24 helpline (Regional Health Service – 800 24 24 20) received 406 calls from Friday to Tuesday. Overall, it has received 47,691 calls.

The Covid-19 mental health helpline (Linha de Acompanhamento Psicológico da Direção Regional de Saúde – 291 212 399 – available every day from 09h00 to 21h00), which was set up to provide emotional and mental support to anyone in Madeira received 24 calls from Friday to Tuesday. Overall, it has received 3,459 calls.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/01/17-novos-casos-de-covid-19-20-recuperados-159-suspeitos-quatro-nos-cuidados-intensivos/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/02/22-novos-casos-de-covid-19-14-recuperados-86-suspeitos/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/03/9-novos-casos-de-covid-19-13-recuperados-116-suspeitos/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/04/16-novos-casos-de-covid-19-11-recuperados-97-suspeitos/

Vaccination update.

A shipment of 23,400 Pfizer vaccine does arrived in the Region on Monday. So far, 105,297 Pfizer vaccine doses have been received.

As of May 2nd, 91,293 vaccine doses (68,897 1st doses & 22,396 2nd doses) had been administer in the Region. This means 27.1% of the population have been vaccinated with at least 1 dose of the vaccine, while 8.8% have been fully vaccinated. A total of 9,617 vaccine doses ( 8,817 1st doses & 800 2nd doses) were administered in the previous week.

On May 1st, 18 bed-ridden patients in Porto Santo were inoculated against Covid-19. Teams from the Porto Santo Fire Service and from the Porto Santo Health Centre transported them to the vaccination centre. So far, 1,008 vaccine doses (131 of which were 2nd doses) have been administered in Porto Santo. Planning for the vaccination of bed-ridden patients in the island of Madeira is underway, with the direct cooperation of the Fire Service in transporting them to the vaccination centres.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/03/chegaram-hoje-mais-23400-vacinas-da-pfizer-a-ram/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/04/mais-de-91-mil-vacinas-contra-a-covid-19-ja-foram-administradas-na-madeira/

University of Madeira students to be tested on May 13th

Students from the University of Madeira (Universidade da Madeira) will be tested for Covid-19 on May 13th. This will be the second mass testing campaign on these students. The first mass testing campaign took place in April. The aim of the testing campaign is to ensure a safe return to teaching on campus. Testing will take place at Campus da Penteada, on the -2 floor (Piso -2), in a designated area at the car park.

https://www.jm-madeira.pt/regiao/ver/127248/Alunos_da_UMa_voltam_a_ser_testados_no_dia_13_de_maio

Power cut

Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira (Madeira power supplier) announced there will be power cuts due to planned work on the electricity supply network. These works cannot be postponed.

FUNCHAL – May 6th – 09h00 to 11h00

– Estrada da Vitória (numbers 28 to 37)

– Caminho da Ribeira dos Socorridos (numbers 4 to 34)

– Caminho das Quebradas (numbers 43 to 80)

– Caminho das Quebradas de Baixo (number 1)

– Caminho da Lombada (numbers 47 to 118)

– Caminho da Cova do Til (numbers 2 to 50)

– Rua Pico da Lombada (numbers 1, 5, 18B, 28 and 44)

– Travessa de Santa Rita (number 13)

– Travessa do Pico da Lombada (numbers 4,8 and 18)

– Vereda do Pico da Lombada (number 10 to 38)

– Vereda do Pico da Lombada (Microprodutor)

– Levada dos Piornais (numbers 356 to 541)

– Beco de Santa Rita (number 16)

May 6th & 7th – 09h00 to 11h30 & 14h00 to 16h00

– Caminho dos 3 Paus à Viana (numbers 7 to 204)

– Travessa da Viana (numbers 7 to 38)

– Travessa dos Três Paus (numbers 3 to 81)

– Vereda da Viana (numbers 18 to 50)

– Escadinhas da Viana (number 11 to 20)

– Impasse dos Três Paus (numbers 1 to 21)

May 7th – 0h00 to 07h00

– Rua da Urbanização da Torrinha (numbers 4 to 19)

– Rua da Carne Azeda (numbers 28 to 91)

– Rua da Cidade do Cabo (numbers 4, 10, 12 and 24)

– Rua do Dr. Ângelo Augusto da Silva (numbers 26 and 28)

– Rua Nova do Til (numbers 3 to 24)

– Rua do Padre Lopes (numbers 1 and 2)

– Rua do Til

– Rua da Torrinha (numbers 52 and 54)

– Beco do Sales

– Beco do Sousa (numbers 1 to 8)

– Travessa do Costa Dias

– Travessa das Voltas (numbers 3 to 23)

– Impasse 1 from Rua do Til (numbers 1 to 5)

– Bairro do Til

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 (Serviço de Apoio ao Cliente): 800 221 187.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/05/publicidade-o-fornecimento-de-energia-sera-interrompido-nos-dias-horas-e-locais-abaixo-indicados-anuncio-36-2021/ 

Algarve

Algarve Situation Report, Wednesday 5th May 2021.

Covid-19: Portimão Vaccination Centre today exceeds five thousand inoculated vaccines.

In a statement, the municipality states that, since it started operating on April 26, the Portimão Vaccination Centre has administered 4,924 vaccines against Covid-19.

According to the same source, the goal is to cover the entire population of the municipality over 60 years old by next Friday, May 7.

These figures reflect that, the municipality was covered by a booster vaccine and obtained extraordinary authorization to start vaccinating locals over 60 years of age, due to the outbreaks that led to the setback in the process of deflation and the consequent autarchic request for the opening of the Vaccination Centre in Portimão.

Installed in the Sports Pavilion of Portimão, the structure started with an average of 300 vaccines/day, evolving to 1,000 vaccines/day since the reinforcement in the meantime verified, and it is estimated that a total of 10,000 vaccines will be reached by the end of this phase.

The municipality advances that, in the maximum exponent of its capacity, the Centre is vaccinating a greater number of people than that found in any other similar structure in the Algarve region; it should be noted that in the moments of queuing the average waiting is between at 7 and 10 minutes, with an average vaccination peak in the order of 130 inoculations/hour.

Municipal Vaccination Centre of Loulé with capacity for 400 inoculations daily.

The Municipal Vaccination Centre of Loulé, installed in the Municipal Sports Pavilion of the city, which went into operation on the 27th of April, has a capacity for 400 daily inoculations, which may be higher if necessary and the number of vaccines to be administered so justify, the municipality assured in a statement.

According to the same document, the Centre has 5 vaccination points, with the possibility of expansion. It also includes a reception area, pre-vaccination space and recovery area, where users must remain up to 30 minutes after inoculation.

It operates daily, including weekends and holidays, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, and, in addition to health professionals, it also relies permanently on elements of the Civil Protection Service, security forces and municipal officials “who provide support, whether in terms of cleaning space, psychological, administrative support or even monitoring users “, notes the city council.

The Loulé Vaccination Centre was born out of a partnership between the municipality, which provided the space and supported all the logistics necessary for the installation, the ARS and the services of the Ministry of Health.

Remember that, in order to be immunized against Covid-19, residents must be invited for vaccination by contacting the Health Centre, but may, at this stage, make an online request for scheduling through the Directorate-General for Health website ( https://covid19.min-saude.pt/pedido-de-aghecimento/ )

Covid-19: VRSA already has a Vaccination Centre in operation.

Equipment has a capacity for 250 inoculations daily.

The Covid-19 Vaccination Centre in Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) is already in operation, complying with all the guidelines of the Directorate-General for Health with a view to effecting massive vaccination of the population.

Installed in the Ilídio Setúbal Pavilion, next to the Sports Complex of VRSA, the new equipment will have the capacity to administer 250 vaccines daily, with a clinical and technical staff of about 15 professionals and respecting all the rules of the national vaccination protocol.

Access is reserved for people who have already been contacted and have a valid appointment (with date and time), intended to receive residents from all parishes in the municipality, according to the priorities and stages established by the vaccination plan. The place has easy access and parking, being properly adapted for people with reduced mobility, and the entry is made through Avenida Ministro Duarte Pacheco, next to the commercial area there.

The structure has six distinct areas, namely the area for admission, reception, pre-vaccination, vaccination, post-vaccination/recovery and emergency, with pre-defined circulation corridors and complying with all the prevention and hygiene measures provided by the authorities of health. It operates from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, remaining in operation until the National Vaccination Plan against Covid-19 is completed.

https://barlavento.sapo.pt/algarve/covid-19-vrsa-ja-tem-em-funcionamento-um-centro-de-vacinacao

Faro Council offers free transportation to the local vaccination centre.

Faro Council has announced that it is offering free transportation to the local vaccination centre for citizens aged over 60 or with mobility problems.

To benefit from this service, citizens can call a taxi by telephone (800 219 019) between 9am and 6pm.

The citizen’s name must be provided, as well as their address and the date and hour of their vaccination.

Lagos Municipal Police is already in operation.

In this initial phase, 12 agents are on the ground.

The Mayor of Lagos, Hugo Pereira, received yesterday, Monday, May 3, the first agents who were part of the Municipal Police Service and started to exercise their functions in this new administrative police body in that city.

The Regulations for the Operation of the Municipal Police Service provide that this new structure will have, during the installation period, a staff of 26, consisting of a commander, a graduate (Chief Coordinator) and up to 24 agents.

In this first phase, the twelve trainee agents who have completed their training start their duties, to which seven more will subsequently join, currently attending the training given by the FEFAL Foundation, followed by the training given by the PSP School and a period of six months of internship.

At the reception, the 12 trainee agents who started functions in the field attended, in uniform, but also the seven elements who are already in training, because, as mentioned by Paulo Reis, the vice-president of the Chamber who has this area assigned, despite being in different phases of internship, “these agents are all part of the same team, where the spirit of camaraderie and understanding must prevail”.

Mayor Hugo Pereira left words of encouragement to the new agents, confident that “they will be up to the task of overcoming the challenges inherent to the role”.

Underlining the context of a pandemic, the President of Lagos underlined “the important role of the Municipal Police in enforcing public health measures in force, especially in this phase of lack of definition and resumption of economic and tourist activity, as well as restoring respect for space public, especially in the area of ​​the historic centre, which will be another of the priorities for action”.

The staff of the Municipal Police Corps will be provisionally accommodated in the Old Town Halls and, in the future, in the building of the old Tourism Office, where they will move after carrying out the necessary adaptation works for this new function.

https://barlavento.sapo.pt/algarve/policia-municipal-de-lagos-ja-esta-em-funcionamento

Azores

Situation Report Azores – 5th May 2021 – From our colleague in the Azores 

The outermost regions (ORs) of the European Union 

The outermost regions (ORs) of the European Union (EU) have proposed to the Commission the “acceleration” of vaccination against Covid-19 in their territories, after the appeal made by its President, the Azorean José Manuel Bolieiro.

“In this joint declaration, approved by all the outermost regions, we signalled a proposal for a new EU approach to the ORs, an appeal to the European Commission and the European Council to keep an eye on health developments in the ORs and even to propose accelerating vaccination strategies”, said the president of the Conference of Presidents of the ORs, José Manuel Bolieiro, who also heads the Regional Government of the Azores.

He was speaking to journalists in Ponta Delgada, after having chaired, by videoconference, the interim meeting of the presidents of the ORs.

The EU includes nine ORs: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion and São Martinho (France), Azores and Madeira (Portugal) and the Canary Islands (Spain).

The leader of the Conference of Presidents of the ORs confirmed that he had sent a letter to the European Commissioner for Health and Food Security on this matter, taking into account the specific characteristics of these regions and their health systems in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said that, in this way, “the mission of defending the populations” of the ORs is being carried out with zeal and determination, with the intention of “insisting on making the Member States see, but also on their own EU, the importance of finding an accelerated vaccination solution for the ORs”.

In the final declaration of the meeting, it is easy to see that the “vulnerability of the ORs, recognized in article 349 of the European Treaty, was exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic, compromising the socio-economic development of these regions”.

“This health crisis has had serious consequences for the economic sectors, namely the sectors of tourism, events and culture, which are particularly fragile and exposed to uncertainties regarding the future of their activities. The recovery is made more difficult by the structural constraints of their markets “.

In the document, the Conference of Presidents of the ORs “invites the Council to ask the European Commission to prepare a new strategy for the benefit of the ORs, taking full account of the new situation resulting from the pandemic and the challenges that remain for these regions”.

Those responsible for these territories also recall the “specific characteristics of the ORs, spaces that are particularly sensitive to international events in their respective geographical areas: epidemic outbreaks in neighbouring countries, restrictions on the movement of people and goods, supply disruptions, among others”.

For this reason, the Conference of Presidents of the ORs also called on the Council to “be particularly vigilant with regard to the evolution of the health situation in the ORs and to apply appropriate and accelerated vaccination strategies”.

In the context of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the “preservation of the POSEI budget beyond 2022” is advocated and the “negative effects that a possible reduction of that budget could have on the ORs” are recalled.

This is the case of “production losses, abandonment of agricultural holdings and degradation of the agricultural landscape and, in particular, of rural areas”.

Covid-19 

The Regional Health Authority has said that in the last four days the number of new positive cases of Covid-19 resulting from 5,176 tests is 53.  These tests were carried out in reference laboratories in the Region, in private laboratories with conventions, in the Regional Health Service, through rapid tests (mass screening), in the laboratory of Terceira University and by means of tests carried out in the scope of occupational medicine.

São Miguel registered most of the cases with 46. Santa Maria had 1 and Flores had 6

There have been some recoveries, 81 in total.  Most of them on the island of São Miguel with 76. 2 on Santa Maria and Terceira had 3.

There are currently 869 people on active surveillance.

12 patients are hospitalized, 11 in the Hospital of Divino Espírito Santo in Ponta Delgada, with one in the Intensive Care Unit, and one in the Hospital of Santo Espírito on Terceira Island.

As of today, the Region has 191 positive cases, 181 in São Miguel, seven in Flores, two in Santa Maria and one in Terceira.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 4,946 positive cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed in the Azores, 4,602 people recovered from the disease and 31 died.

 

“Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday”.– Dale Carnegie

For many people across the world the scenes of sandy beaches , palm trees and pastel shades of buildings conjure up the typical exotic holiday. The Caribbean ticks all these boxes but for a region that depends so much on tourism the pandemic has had a devastating effect on their economies and for many of the countries in this region it will take years for them to recover.

The Carribean is made up of 20 different countries and in 2020 their economy saw a drop of 8.6% compared to the previous year, due to the pandemic. Figures for 2021 will be similar unless the tourists return.

In this report I will look at a few of these islands that make up the Caribbean and try to give an overview of how the region has been affected.

It had looked as if Barbados might avoid a destructive Covid-19 pandemic. The Caribbean nation, home to around 287000 people, registered fewer than 400 cases of the disease for the whole of 2020. But January 2021 saw a surge. By the end of the month, Barbados had registered well over 1000 new cases of Covid-19. On February 3, 2021, it went into lockdown.

On the same day, Saint Lucia declared a State of Emergency. It has confirmed more than three times as many cases of Covid-19 this year as it did last year. Like Barbados, Saint Lucia has imposed a nightly curfew on its 180 000 or so residents. Community transmission of Covid-19 has also been established in other parts of the Caribbean, including Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. “We are seeing more clusters of transmission and some places are no longer able to trace all the new cases that are emerging”, notes Joy St John, Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). CARPHA has helped co-ordinate the response to Covid-19 across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a regional body that brings together 20 countries and overseas territories, most of which are island states.

The membership is mostly English Speaking (Haiti and Suriname are notable exceptions). The Spanish speaking parts of the Caribbean are culturally and politically distinct. Neither Cuba, which has experienced a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases this year, nor the Dominica Republic, which has consistently struggled to contain the disease, are members of CARICOM. Covid-19 was not detected in the region until March, 2020. “The CARICOM Caribbean perhaps benefited somewhat from the lag between the outbreak taking off in Europe and the first cases arriving in the Caribbean”, explains Ian Hambleton (Professor of Biostatistics at The George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre).

According to an analysis co-authored by Hambleton, Caribbean nations began controlling movement into the country an average of 27 days before their first confirmed case of Covid-19. From April–June 2020, the CARICOM countries largely closed their borders. The majority imposed strict restrictions on internal movement. Those who broke curfew in Barbados were liable for hefty fines. The country saw sharp reductions in population mobility. By June, 2020, as new infections continued to rise in Central and South America, the Caribbean had flattened the curve. But the control measures came at a cost. The nations of the Caribbean are heavily reliant on tourism. In 2019, visitors and holidaymakers brought US $59 billion to the region. Saint Lucia lost at least $220 million in revenues last year. From June, 2020, the Caribbean began to reopen. Most countries demanded that visitors present a negative PCR test and complete a period of quarantine.

Jamaica set up a so-called ‘resilient corridor’, outside of which tourists were not permitted. St John does not think the return of tourism is the main driver behind the recent spike in cases. She points out that several countries managed to re-open their borders for several months, with few cases and no deaths. Still, it might well have been a tourist who brought the highly transmissible B.1.1.7. variant of SAR-CoV-2 to the Caribbean late last year. “There has also been a certain amount of Covid fatigue among the people here, so they have let down their guard a bit”, adds St John. Gatherings at Christmas probably contributed to a subsequent rise in cases, and there might have been too strong a focus on testing visitors, to the exclusion of the local population.

There are also country specific factors. Transmission in Belize was kick-started by people turning out to vote in the elections last November.

The UK is responsible for vaccinating populations on its overseas territories. It has dispatched 8000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the British Virgin Islands; the vaccination drive in the Cayman Islands is well underway. Other parts of the region are expected to start vaccinating their citizens by mid-March. Some nations are relying on COVAX, a joint initiative between WHO, and Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which aims to ensure equitable worldwide distribution of the vaccines. Others have struck bilateral deals with the manufacturers. Hambleton suggests that local familiarity with hurricane preparedness primed the people of the Caribbean for lockdown and stay-at-home measures.

The region has not seen the politicisation of mask-wearing or sizeable anti-lockdown protests. Chief Medical Officers have formed WhatsApp groups to share information and direct supplies, and heads of government have worked together to oversee the pandemic response. “Our politicians have kept themselves informed of what has been happening abroad and taken a pragmatic approach”, said St John. People have been co-operative. Businesses in Barbados took it upon themselves to close their doors if they discovered an employee had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. “There has been a real sense of ‘pulling together”.

In a recent report from The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) it has found that the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the worst economic decline in Latin America and the Caribbean in two hundred years. In addition to its economic toll, the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the region’s society and health systems. Although the region represents just 8 percent of the global population, it has reported 28 percent of all deaths.

The vaccination programme for many countries in the Caribbean is proving very difficult. Although The Cayman Islands, Aruba and Monserrat have already fully vaccinated their whole population the picture in many of the other countries is very different.

Although the vaccination reporting dates vary, One World’s freely available tables indicate that the share of the Caribbean population receiving at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine varies hugely from country to country. Its data indicates that Antigua has administered at least one dose to 30 per cent of its population; Barbados and Dominica 25 per cent; St Kitts-Nevis 22 per cent; Guyana 14 per cent; St Vincent 13 per cent; St Lucia and Grenada 11 per cent; Belize 10 per cent; the Dominican Republic nine per cent; Suriname six per cent; The Bahamas six per cent; Jamaica five per cent and Trinidad two per cent.

These are, of course, snapshots and need to be treated with a degree of caution as they do not, for example, account for variations in population size, the different financial arrangements governments have entered into with commercial suppliers, those now starting to receive vaccines through the WHO’s COVAX facility, the variation in the receipt of vaccines from donors including China and India, or their subsequent sharing between nations.

In addition, in St Lucia’s case, the reporting date was in March while all the others were in mid to late April. There are also no figures for Haiti or for Cuba. However, in Cuba’s case, it is well advanced in the final phase of trialling four candidate vaccines of its own, and President Díaz-Canel has said that if as expected its Soberana 02 and Abdala vaccines are proven efficacious and licensed, the entire population will be fully vaccinated by the year’s end.

With these caveats, what is apparent is that if Caribbean economic recovery is to begin this year, employment will be restored, tourism will return in a significant way, and a viable path found out of the pandemic, many more vaccines need to be made available very soon.

Until the next time, Stay Safe

Total number of cases worldwide – 153,524,738

Total number of deaths worldwide – 3,217,179

Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 130,880,827

Active cases – 19,426,732  (12.6% of Total Cases)

Closed cases – 134,098,006

Information and statistics from:

https://www.worldometers.info/

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/weekly-trends/

Madeira Situation Report 1st May 2021 

By Daniel Fernandes

Covid-19 update

There were 63 new Covid-19 cases, 58 recoveries and no deaths from Covid-19 in Madeira since the previous Madeira Situation Report. There have been no deaths from Covid-19 for over 0 days.

On Wednesday, there were 21 new Covid-19 cases (all cases of local transmission) and 19 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital decreased to 11, 1 of whom was in intensive care.

On Thursday, there were 18 new Covid-19 cases (from 1 passenger who had arrived from Poland, 1 passenger who had arrived from the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region and 16 cases of local transmission) and 16 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital increased to 13, 2 of whom were in intensive care.

And on Friday, there were 24 new Covid-19 cases (from 1 passenger who had arrived from Germany and 23 cases of local transmission) and 23 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital increased to 16, 2 of whom were in intensive care.

There were 261 active cases on Friday, of which 14 had been imported while the other 247 cases had been a result of local transmission. As of Friday, there had been 8,971 cases, 8,639 recoveries and 71 deaths.

On Friday, there were 25 patients in isolation in a dedicated hotel, 220 patients in isolation in their own accommodation and 16 patients in Covid-19 units, 1 of whom in intensive care.

On the same day, there were 157 suspected cases under epidemiological investigation and analysis, which were all linked to patients who tested positive for Covid-19, to calls made to the SRS24 helpline, to referrals by SESARAM (Madeira Regional Health Service) and to airport screening.

There were 8,184 travellers under monitoring by the health authorities. Monitoring is being carried out through the ‘MadeiraSafe’ app. There were also 664 people, who had contact with positive cases, being monitored by the health authorities of several Madeira municipalities and of Porto Santo.

As for Covid-19 testing on passengers who had arrived at Funchal and Porto Santo airports, 190,927 samples had been collected until Friday (at 15h30). By Friday, 383,525 samples from RT-PCR tests had been processed and 42,072 antigen rapid tests had been carried out in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

The SRS 24 helpline (Regional Health Service – 800 24 24 20) received 292 calls from Tuesday to Friday. Overall, it has received 47,285 calls.

The Covid-19 mental health helpline (Linha de Acompanhamento Psicológico da Direção Regional de Saúde – 291 212 399 – available every day from 09h00 to 21h00), which was set up to provide emotional and mental support to anyone in Madeira received 26 calls from Tuesday to Friday. Overall, it has received 3,435 calls.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/04/28/21-novos-casos-de-covid-19-19-recuperados-115-suspeitos/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/04/29/18-novos-casos-de-covid-19-16-recuperados-106-suspeitos/

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/04/30/24-novos-casos-de-covid-19-23-recuperados-157-suspeitos/

 

Vaccination update

As of April 28th, the Autonomous Region of Madeira had administered 84,853 Covid-19 vaccine doses.

https://www.jm-madeira.pt/regiao/ver/126868/Covid_19__Madeira_administrou_84_853_vacinas_ate_28_de_abril

Additional deconfinement measures

The Madeira Regional Government announced the following deconfinement measures, which became applicable on Tuesday:

1 – Shows, cultural events, conferences can take place with a maximum capacity of 50%, while complying with the existing distancing rules. No breaks are allowed so as to prevent gatherings.

2 – Care homes – a maximum of 2 visits per resident, per week are allowed. Each visit must be 1h long.

3 – Residents, students and emigrants who arrive by air:

Double testing on the 5th day remains, but there is a suspension of the requirement for prophylactic isolation between the 2 tests.

This rule is also applicable to Porto Santo, by air and sea, with double testing on the 5th day and a suspension of the requirement for prophylactic isolation.

And the following rules will become applicable on May 2nd at 00h00:

– The curfew will be in place everyday, from 23h00 to 05h00 and with the same exceptions.

Travel for professional reasons (with written evidence);

Healthcare professionals, professionals from healthcare and social care institutions, civil protection professionals, military personnel, ARAE (Autoridade Regional das Atividades Económicas) inspectors, security forces personnel, diplomatic personnel and clergy;

Diplomatic staff;

Bakery staff (for night shifts – with written evidence);

For health reasons, emergency shelter of domestic violence or human trafficking victims, to provide care to vulnerable or disabled people, for parental duties and urgent veterinary treatment;

Journalists and members of the clergy are also exempt;

Travel to the airport to collect or drop passengers;

Travel by public transport, taxi, TVDE (as long as in compliance with the relevant exceptions)

Agriculture workers traveling to their farms in order to water them in accordance with the rules;

For other reasons as long as they can be shown to be unavoidable or justified;

– Restaurants and similar – must close by 22h00, have a maximum capacity of 50%, comply with distancing rules, have a maximum of 5 people per table whether indoors or outdoors.

– Bars – must close by 22h00, have a maximum capacity of 50%, have a maximum of 5 people per table whether indoors or outdoors. It is forbidden to drink at the counter or while standing.

– Weddings and baptisms – must have a maximum capacity of 50%, comply with existing  distancing and protection rules and have a maximum of 5 people per table whether indoors or outdoors.

– Supermarkets and shops – must have a maximum capacity of 50% and comply with basic protection measures.

– Gyms – must have a maximum capacity of 50% and group classes are allowed indoors but must have a maximum of 5 people.

– Places of worship – existing rules remain

– Sport –  senior teams who take part in the regular national leagues are allowed to take part in competitive sports in the Region’s sporting facilities

Sports, at various levels, belonging to the sport’s national federation are allowed to resume training and competition

Civil Service and Loja do Cidadão – all services and organisations belonging to the Regional Civil Service (Administração Pública Regional – AT-RAM) will resume their usual working hours (09h00-17h30). Loja do Cidadão da Madeira will also resume its usual working hours (Monday to Friday – 08h30-19h39; Saturday (08h30-13h30).

However, each Regional Secretariat (Secretaria Regional) must adjust their workers’ working hours in order to prevent them from being in the office at the same time and to prevent excessive gatherings when arriving and leaving the workplace.

– Casinos, Gambling, Lottery and similar establishments – must close by 22h00

– The vehicles used by tourist entertainment companies and travel agents for tourism activities can have 100% capacity if all people inside have been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19. Otherwise, the 2/3 maximum capacity limit will remain. The same rules will be applicable to tourism vessel operators.

– Bathing resorts – existing distancing, protection and hygiene rules will continue to apply. Changing rooms, indoor showers and drinking fountains must remain closed. Must have a maximum capacity restriction.

This year’s bathing season will see the reopening of swimming pools, playgrounds, sporting infrastructure, floating platforms and equipments. The use of the all these facilities will limited and will require continuing compliance with the health authorities guidance.

https://www.jm-madeira.pt/regiao/ver/126538/Covid-19_Veja_todas_as_medidas_anunciadas_por_Albuquerque

https://joram.madeira.gov.pt/joram/1serie/Ano%20de%202021/ISerie-078-2021-04-30supl4.pdf

Power cut

Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira (Madeira power supplier) announced there will be power cuts due to planned work on the electricity supply network. These works cannot be postponed.

FUNCHAL

May 3rd – 09h00 to 11h30

– Caminho do Curral Velho (numbers 68 and 72)

– Vereda do Corgo

May 4th – 09h00 to 11h30 & 14h00 to 16h00

– Rua do Conde de Carvalhal (number 41)

– Rua do Lombo da Boa Vista

– Rua Luís Figueiroa de Albuquerque

– Beco Luís Figueiroa de Albuquerque

– Rua do Major Reis Gomes (numbers 38, 45 and 47)

– Rua do Dr. Brito Câmara (numbers 27 and 29B)

– Rua da Carreira (numbers 229A to 278)

– Rua das Cruzes (number 4)

– Largo do Visconde Ribeiro Real (numbers 2 and 4)

– Travessa das Violetas (numbers 4 to 42)

MACHICO

May 5th – 08h30 to 09h30

– Maroços

– Landeiros

SANTO DA SERRA

– Fontes Vermelhas

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 (Serviço de Apoio ao Cliente): 800 221 187.

https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/05/01/publicidade-o-fornecimento-de-energia-sera-interrompido-nos-dias-horas-e-locais-abaixo-indicados-anuncio-35-2021/

 

Situation Report Azores – 1st May 2021 

 

From our colleague in the Azores

1st Phase of Vaccinations 

The first phase of the vaccination plan against Covid-19 in the Azores is “practically completed”, with only bedridden patients and others that it has not yet been possible to contact, said the regional director of Health.

“This week, the first phase of the vaccination process will be practically completed, with the exception of some vaccinations at home.

According to the vaccination portal against Covid-19 in the Azores, 79,589 doses of vaccines against Covid-19 have already been administered to 56,419 people (22.9% of the population, according to the 2011 census), of which 23,170 with two doses (9.4%).

According to the Regional Director of Health, since Thursday alone, 9,500 doses of vaccines against covid-19 have been administered in the Azores.

“The process is starting to accelerate in the Autonomous Region of the Azores and what is expected for next month is that we have a greater number of vaccines arriving in the region”, he stressed.

Berto Cabral regretted, however, the delay in the arrival in the Azores of 10,000 doses of vaccines from AstraZeneca, which should have arrived this week and are now scheduled for the next.

The regional director said the region also continues to await information on the date and quantity of Janssen’s first batch of vaccines, with only 46,800 doses of Pfizer confirmed for the month of May.

The second phase of vaccination has already started in the Azores, but Berto Cabral appealed to people over 75 years old and with pathologies integrated in the first phase, who have not been contacted or vaccinated, to contact their health centres.

Measures Maintained 

The Regional Government announced yesterday that, despite the end of the state of emergency, the restrictive measures are maintained for the entire island of São Miguel with the objective of “safeguarding public health”, legally framing the decision in the Legal Regime of Civil Protection of the Region Autonomous of the Azores, in the Basic Law of Health and in the Legal Regime of the Public Health Authority.

 

Rt Nationwide 

According to the weekly report of the ‘National Institute of Health’ on the evolution of the covid-19 epidemic curve, the Rt – an indicator that estimates the number of secondary cases of covid-19 resulting from an infected person – is 1.04 in Madeira.

The North and the Centre have a Coronavirus transmission rate of 1, while Lisbon and Vale do Tejo and the Alentejo are at 0.96, the Algarve at 0.89 and the Azores at 0.87.

“Portugal presents the accumulated notification rate of 14 days between 60 and 119.9 [cases of covid-19] per 100 thousand inhabitants and an Rt below 1, that is, a moderate notification rate and with a decreasing trend”, further advances INSA.

According to the data released today, between April 9th ​​and 25th, “there was a sharp reduction in Rt”, which went from 1.08 to 0.96 in this period, which indicates a “decreasing trend in the incidence of SARS-CoV-2.

Regarding the accumulated incidence rate, the report states that all regions of the country have values ​​below 120 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with the exception of the Azores, which is at 120.7.

The North has a rate of 79.9, the Centre 41.1, Lisbon and Tagus Valley 57.8, the Alentejo 59.4, the Algarve 84.9 and Madeira 112.5.

These indicators – the rate of transmissibility of the virus and the rate of incidence of new cases of covid-19 – are the two criteria defined by the Government for the continuous assessment that of the process of deflation that began on March 15 and which continues the beginning of the fourth phase of easing restrictions.

Covid-19 

The Regional Health Authority has said that in the last three days the number of new positive cases of Covid-19 resulting from 6,117 tests is 56.  These tests were carried out in reference laboratories in the Region, in private laboratories with conventions, in the Regional Health Service, through rapid tests (mass screening), in the laboratory of Terceira University and by means of tests carried out in the scope of occupational medicine.

São Miguel registered most of the cases with 55. Santa Maria had 1.

There have been some recoveries, 63 in total.  Most of them on the island of São Miguel with 60.  Terceira had 3.

15 patients are now hospitalized, 14 in the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo in Ponta Delgada, with three in the Intensive Care Unit, and one in the Hospital of Santo Espírito on the Terceira Island, in the Intensive Care Unit. On active surveillance are 1,140 people.

As of today, the Region has 220 active positive cases, 212 in São Miguel, four in Terceira, three in Santa Maria and one in Flores. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 4,893 positive cases of covid-19 have been diagnosed in the Azores, and 4,521 people have recovered from the disease. 31 died, 78 left the archipelago and 43 presented proof of previous healing.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 446,996 tests have been carried out in the Azores to screen for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes covid-19 disease. The island of São Miguel is at High Risk level, subject to containment measures corresponding to this level of risk. All municipalities in the remaining islands are at Very Low Risk level.

As of 12:00 am tomorrow, Saturday, the measures to contain the pandemic, resulting from the end of the State of Emergency in Portugal, will be altered and adapted to the epidemiological reality of the Region. More information can be obtained online at: https://covid19.azores.gov.pt/ and on the Facebook page of the Regional Health Directorate: https://www.facebook.com/DirecaoSaudeAcores

Since December 31, 2020 and until April 29, 79,589 doses of vaccine against covid-19 have been administered in the Azores, corresponding to 56,419 people aged 15 years and over, with the first dose (27.85% coverage rate), and 23,170 people with both doses (11.44% coverage rate), within the scope of the Regional Vaccination Plan.

More information at: https://vacinacao-covid19.azores.gov.pt.

 

 

Algarve Situation Report  Saturday 1st May 2021

 

Aljezur maintains highest incidence in the Algarve, Portimão below Lagos and VRSA

Aljezur, with 465 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, in 14 days, remains, for the second consecutive week, the Algarve municipality with the highest incidence of Covid-19, according to data released this Friday, April 30, by the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).

Even so, Aljezur has a lower incidence than a week ago, when it had 501 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants.

These numbers were so high that they justified the decision taken yesterday in the Council of Ministers to make the Costa Vicentina municipality retreat in the process of deflation, returning to the phase of 5 April. The restaurants will only be able to operate with a terrace – and 4 people – until 10:30 pm during the week and 1:00 pm at the weekend.

Interestingly, according to DGS data, referring to the period between 14 and 27 April, Portimão, with 159 cases / 100 thousand inhabitants, had a lower incidence than Lagos (171), or Vila Real de Santo António (181), both municipalities that from tomorrow follow the rest of the country entering the fourth and final phase of deflation.

Portimão, on the other hand, was forced to maintain itself, at least another week, in the previous phase to which it had retreated fifteen days ago (closed terraces, sales to the wicket/entrance). Mayor Isilda Gomes has already announced that today, at the end of the afternoon, she will have an emergency meeting with Prime Minister António Costa to talk about this matter.

Returning to the 14-day cumulative incidence data, by municipality, Alcoutim and São Brás de Alportel are the only municipalities in the Algarve that have zero incidence, since they have not registered any new case of Covid-19 for at least three weeks.

https://www.sulinformacao.pt/2021/04/aljezur-mantem-incidencia-mais-alta-do-algarve-portimao-abaixo-de-lagos-e-vrsa/

 

The Mayor of Portimão, Isilda Gomes, will meet today with urgency with the Prime Minister

Portimão, Faro, April 30, 2021 (Lusa) – The Mayor of Portimão, Isilda Gomes, will meet today with urgency with the Prime Minister following the Government’s decision to keep the municipality in the same phase of the deflationary process it was announced today.

In a statement, the municipality indicated that the hearing requested “as a matter of urgency” from the prime minister, is scheduled for 18:00, at the São Bento Palace, in Lisbon.

The meeting was requested by Isilda Gomes (PS) “due to the decisions taken on Thursday in the Council of Ministers, which prevent Portimão from resuming the process of deflation”.

Isilda Gomes, cited in the note from the municipality of the district of Faro, expressed “great disappointment by the decision taken [by the Government], felt, once again, as a huge injustice”.

Portimão, which retreated to the second phase of the deflation 15 days ago, is one of eight municipalities out of 278 in mainland Portugal that does not advance on Saturday to the fourth and last phase of the deflation plan defined by the Government with the country’s entry into a situation of calamity, replacing the state of emergency.

Also prevented from proceeding to the fourth phase are Miranda do Douro, Paredes and Valongo, which remain at the level they are at, and Aljezur, Resende, Carregal do Sal, who retreated to different stages, but who are also retained, although may be “for a very short time”, because the Government has decided to carry out a weekly assessment.

According to data released by the municipality, Portimão counted on Thursday 39 active cases of infections by covid-19 in the municipality, a number below the limit of 67 cases, based on 120 per 100 thousand inhabitants.

In the accumulated period of 14 days used by the Government to define the rules of the deflation, there was a reduction of 200 cases in Portimão, accounting for an accumulated of 70 cases on Thursday, but only 39 of which were active.

The evaluation criteria used by the Government to define the rules of lack of definition have been criticized by the mayors, considering that they do not reflect the reality of cases of covid-19, unfairly penalizing the populations.