Portugal Situation Report Saturday 22^nd May 2021

 

Introduction

Good morning – We start today not with Covid-19 but with rural fires. Yesterday there were three fires in the Algarve/Beja district border which had the potential, given the weather conditions, to spread quickly but were only prevented from doing so by what is known as a “muscular response” under the coordination of Civil Protection.

This involved later in the afternoon the deployment of four helicopters to fight two fires at the Faro/Beja border in Almodover, and then a short while later, a fire occurred inFoz do Carvalo, Alferce necessitating the deployment of a helicopter, although this was brought to a resolution in 40 minutes. Again another example of the muscular approach! Well done to all concerned.

Such fires do not start on their own, and in most cases are by negligence/carelessness. Yesterday morning we published as usual our fire alert/ translated into English for the ICNF into English by Safe Communities Portugal. We also set out the weather conditions so it is clear where the risks are. It was clear from this yesterday that the potential for fires was certainly there.

We would ask you please to share this information from our Facebook pages because the more people that are aware of this, potentially the less risk there will be to life and property.

On Thursday we announced the launch of our new website. As an official Civil Protection Volunteer Organisation under Portuguese law, our responsibilities include risk awareness, prevention and self-protection especially in terms of rural fires, but other catastrophes as well.

The new website has been designed for ease of access to these important functions and we encourage you to use them on a daily basis; for instance to check for IPMA fire risk, ANEPC rural fires in progress plus incidents and warnings. These are easily accessible from the home page so please use these functions. The site can be accessed here:  www.safecommunitiesportugal.com

We are aware from feedback that there may be a problem viewing correctly on tablets and we are taking this up with our coder to try and get this resolved.

We now come to Covid-19 and once again thank Fernanda Goncalves our board member for highlighting and working out the process calling SNS 808 24 24 24 if you have made an application for a vaccine under the self-scheduling system but have not yet received a SMS. We placed this on Facebook and it has reached around eight thousand and has by your response, clearly helped a number of people who used the line yesterday. We have upload the process onto our website here:

As you may have noticed over the last week, that on some days new cases have exceeded 500 and the latest Rt and incidence rates are increasing as well. The increase in cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections deserves “attention during the next week”, says the latest “red lines” INAS/DGS report.

“The increase in the levels  ​​of the transmissibility index (Rt) should be carefully monitored over the next week, as it may signal the beginning of a period of growth of the epidemic”, says the report released by the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) and by the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA). It is essential therefore that everyone continues to follow the basic rules, social distancing, and hygiene and face masks in particular.

Another advisory post we made yesterday was action to take if caught in a rip current. This is timely as we are just about to enter the Bathing season on 29th May and at present most beaches do not have lifeguards. We thank people who shared their experiences and grateful to all who shared the post reaching some seven thousand people. The information can be downloaded from our website here along with other tips on beach/sea safety.

Please have a Safe weekend and remember the Fire risk

Headlines

Covid-19: Costa wants reform to strengthen WHO and attacks nationalism in vaccines

The Prime Minister warned today that the world needs to be better prepared to face future pandemics, advocating reform to strengthen the World Health Organization (WHO), an International Health Regulation and a treaty pandemic worldwide.

“The world needs to be better prepared to prevent future health crises”, declared António Costa in a speech he gave in English, by videoconference, at the G20 Global Health Summit, which takes place in Rome.

In his speech, the Prime Minister of Portugal, the country that presides over the Council of the European Union until June, made a strong defence about the advantages of a multilateral approach in responding to global health issues.

“We must support, strengthen and reform WHO, and promote the full implementation of the International Health Regulations. Portugal is also willing to participate in the negotiation of an International Pandemic Treaty under the WHO, based on the International Health Regulations”, he stressed.

At this point, António Costa began by mentioning that the covid-19 pandemic took the world by surprise, and several lessons have been learned from it over the past year.

“We have learned that it is better to fight the pandemic together than in isolation; that nationalism in vaccines, trade barriers and obstacles in the supply chain will only make us worse off. And we have learned that our national health services and their workers are the first and best line of defence against current and future crises “, maintained the leader of the Portuguese executive.

European Union to maintain joint purchase of vaccines against Covid-19 until 2023

Member States of the European Union (EU) will maintain the joint purchase of vaccines against Covid-19 until 2023, prioritizing a “wide choice of vaccine technology”.

At the press conference after the meeting of Ministers of Health of the EU in Lisbon, Marta Temido stated that the Member States also decided to maintain the “portfolio of vaccines with messenger RNA technology and the usual vaccination technology”.

The Minister also said that Member States share the desire to maintain “high levels of testing” and sequencing, allowing to know “their current epidemiological situation”.

“A message that we can get from this meeting is that, in some way, we are currently in an epidemiological situation in which we have to keep our attention on what is the hope of the vaccination process, in the use of health care, but without neglecting it very close attention to the appearance of new variant ”, he also said.

Covid-19

In the last 24 hours, there are three more dead and 559 infected with Covid-19. The report is here:

Confirmed Cases: 844.288 (+ 559 / + 0.07 %)

Number of admitted: 207 (-1 /-0.48 %)

Number of ICU admitted: 55 (-3 /-5.17 %)

Deaths: 17.017 (+ 3 / + 0.02 %)

Recovered: 804.984 (+ 462 / + 0.06 %)

Active cases: 22,287 (+ 94 /+ 0.42%)

Safe Communities comparisons/trends show that- deaths are above last weeks’ average (2); new daily cases were over 500, higher than yesterday, and above last weeks’ daily average (372); new cases higher than recovered case again. – In hospital there was a marginal decrease. And second lowest for over a year since 27th March 2020 (then 191). Covid-19 Patients are 6641 less compared to number in hospital 1st February 2021. In ICU there was a decrease. Lowest since 11th September 2020

In terms of active cases there is a continuing increase over last 3 days but seventh sixth lowest since 22nd September 2020

It is important not to let our guard down at this crucial time. This means complying with the rules in place, – wearing face masks, social distancing, hygiene and no social gathering.

Health

Covid-19. R(t) increase “may signal the start of a growing period for the epidemic

The increase in cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections deserves “attention during the next week”, says the “red lines” report, estimating that Lisbon and the Tagus Valley reach 120 cases per hundred thousand inhabitants within 31 to 60 days.

“The increase in the values ​​of the transmissibility index (Rt) should be carefully monitored over the next week, as it may signal the beginning of a period of growth of the epidemic”, says the report released by the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) and by the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA).

According to these two entities, the value of Rt – which estimates the number of secondary cases resulting from an infected person – is higher than 1 nationally (1.03) and in the health region of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo (1, 11), “suggesting a growing trend, more accentuated in this region”,

According to these two entities, if this rate of growth of new cases is maintained, the “time to reach the incidence rate of accumulated to 14 days of 120 cases per hundred thousand inhabitants, will be from 61 to 120 days and 31 to 60 days, respectively, for the national level and Lisbon and the Tagus Valley ”.

In the last week, the Rt in the region of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo rose from 0.95 to 1.11.

On Wednesday, the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) informed Lusa that it was unaware of Covid-19 outbreaks related to the celebrations of winning the football championship by Sporting, but confirmed that the incidence of cases is growing in the last two weeks. In Lisbon.

Mayor of Odemira “displeased” with retreat and refutes numbers

The Mayor of Odemira said he was “displeased” at the withdrawal of the municipality to the third phase of the de-confinement plan, enacted yesterday, and refuted the number of cases of Covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants mentioned by the Government.

“The numbers that the municipality presents at this time, compared to what was transmitted to us by the Local Health Unit, would be 235 cases for every 100 thousand inhabitants. However, the numbers of the Directorate-General for Health differ and are 287 per 100 thousand inhabitants », said José Alberto Guerreiro, mayor.

Speaking to journalists, the mayor of this municipality in the district of Beja acknowledged that it was “a difference” that “still no one” “managed to explain” to him, but which is “significant”.

“Below 240 [cases of Covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants] we would not be penalized”, but “above 240 the reflex was this, of the decision making” of the Council of Ministers today, he stressed.

Asked by journalists about whether he was caught by surprise by the Government’s decision, José Alberto Guerreiro said before that he was “displeased, as was the population”, because he hoped that “the Council of Ministers would ponder this local reality that is well known”.

After being contacted by the Lusa agency about the statements made by the Mayor of Odemira, the Public Health coordinator at the Local Health Unit of the Litoral Alentejano (ULSLA), Joaquín Toro, clarified that «the real numbers are those of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) ‘.

Government presents Action Plan 6 billion euros to reactivate tourism and build the future.

The government today presented the Action Plan for the reactivation of the tourist industry, which foresees an investment of six billion euros in a set of initiatives aimed at companies, tourists and residents, which aim to position the sector in a higher level of creation of increase the reputation of the Portugal Brand and the competitiveness of the destination.

The document was presented by the Minister of the Economy, foresees an investment of 6,112 million euros in the Portuguese tourism sector to surpass the goal of 27,000 million euros of tourist revenues in 2027.

“Our goal is to reach 2027 at the level we projected in 2017. In 2017 we projected a pace of growth in tourist revenue that would reach 27 billion euros in 2027. The crisis could leave us below this objective. Our plan aims to put us at that level and even, if possible, overcome it”, stated the Minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition, Pedro Siza Vieira, in the presentation session.

Of the total of 6,112 million euros of investment foreseen in the «Reactivate Tourism | Construir o Futuro », the largest share, of 4,075 million euros, will be provided by Banco Português do Fomento, which will channel a budget of 3,000 million euros to support companies in the tourism sector.

The Plan “Reactivate Tourism | Construir Futuro » focuses on four pillars of action – Supporting Companies, Fostering Security, Generating Business and Building the Future – and is composed of specific actions, in the short, medium and long term, which will allow you to surpass the 27 billion euros of tourist revenues in 2027, in a sustainable manner, generating wealth and well-being throughout the territory, throughout the year and betting on the diversification of markets and segments, one of the goals advocated in the Tourism Strategy 2027”.

Spain

Covid-19. Spain with minimal deaths since summer and without communities at extreme risk

Spain recorded 19 deaths associated with covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the lowest number since the summer of 2020, and 4,792 new cases, according to data from the Ministry of Health and communities. With these data, the country totals 3,636,453 contagions and 79,620 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

The drop in the incidence of contagions in the Basque Country to 225.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants places all Spanish communities out of the extreme risk of transmitting the virus, which is 250.

In addition, the Ministry of Health reported a further decrease in the accumulated incidence for 135 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days, as well as in bed occupancy in Intensive Care Units, which is now 16.8% (minus four tenths).

However, the agency indicated that, for the calculation of the cumulative incidence in Ceuta, the 11 positive cases imported after the massive entry of migrants into the Spanish enclave were not counted. In the vaccination campaign, communities reported having inoculated more than 1.6 million doses this week.

So far, a total of 16,347,683 people have been inoculated with the first dose, or 34.5% of the population, and 7.8 million have full immunity after receiving the two doses or the single dose of the Janssen vaccine.

Other News

About half of the PSP Police are over 45 years of age

Lisbon, 21 May 2021 (Lusa) – About half of the PSP’s police force is over 45 years old and the number of personnel decreased by 2% last year, being more notorious in the career of agents, according to the social balance of 2020 of this police.

“With regard to the distribution of police force (…), it appears that it is in the age group of 50-54 years that there is a greater incidence of personnel, with 20.22% of the total, being followed by the age groups of 45- 49 years old with 19.03%, 40-44 years old with 15.24%, 55-59 years old with 13.88% and 35-39 years old with 12.34%. ”, Says the document, published on the page of the Internet of the Public Security Police (PSP).

PSP’s workforce decreased by 420 workers last year (2% less), from 20,977 in 2019 to 20,557, according to the same document.

The report points out that the careers in which the number of employees decreased the most were that of agent, less 312 employees, and boss, less 94.

Of the 20,557 members of the PSP, 96.47% are policemen, who at the end of 2020 amounted to 19,915, distributed by the careers of agents (84.82%) chiefs (11.19%) and officers (3.99%).

Last year, 653 policemen left the PSP, the main causes being retirement (72.74%) and service fees (11.33%).