Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 22nd September 2021
Introduction
Covid-19 has taken a bit of a back seat over the last few days, for good reasons; that is the continued decrease in new cases, in deaths, hospitalisations, those in ICU and active cases. As such there is generally less news concerning this topic.
Looking forward with this good news, it will be interesting to see tomorrow whether the Council of Ministers make any announcements, ahead of the Situation of Contingency which is due to expire on 30th September at 23.59 hrs. Very little news on this subject so far.
The main news over the last few days has certainly been the volcanic eruption at La Palma on the Canary Islands, and secondly the forthcoming municipal elections. Regarding the former we have been monitoring and reporting on Facebook the situation several days before the eruption, which came a little earlier than some experts predicted.
Following the eruption we created a major incident page on our website which we are keeping up to date with the latest news, plus photos and charts. As far as the impact on Portugal is concerned, the main one is the potential of ash reaching Madeira, which the latest news suggests is now low, at least for the next few days.
There have been suggestions circulating on social media of a tsunami that have been based on a worst case scenario. However this has not been stated as a risk by any of the official seismic organisations, international or local, that are closely involved in monitoring developments.
Conversely, according to experts monitoring the situation, earlier yesterday the rate of deformation of the ground seems to slowly be decreasing, which might be a sign that the eruption is stabilizing. In addition, earthquake activity has decreased.” However last night they reported that there are concerns that the eruption is still far from stable and yet more vents, possibly further north could open up. Inflation has been continuing and reached 30 cm in places, sign that magma is still pressurizing and accumulating underground. This is also shown by continuing earthquake activity. Although much weaker than before the eruption, it remains significant.
The Ministry of Internal Administration is closely following this eruption, with special care for the two dimensions that, at this stage, are most relevant to Portugal: an eventual intervention for the withdrawal of Portuguese citizens, support for the Spanish authorities, and the evolution and displacement of the ash cloud [mainly towards the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira], as well as other related phenomena”, according to the MAI in a statement.
Details of the La Palma volcanic eruption can be downloaded from our major incident page here: https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/la-palma-canary-islands-volcanic-eruption/
On another topic yesterday Brits in Portugal posted very useful information that SEF have told them that they will imminently start contacting those of you who have sent a request for residency under the Withdrawal Agreement through the dedicated Brexit email.
If you were living in Portugal on or before 31 December 2020, but have not yet registered for residency, please send an email to brexit@sef.pt with a copy of your passport, proof of address and proof you were living in Portugal before the end of last year. If it may affect you then please visit their page here: https://www.facebook.com/BritsInPortugal
Turning to rural fires, on Monday we were without the rural fire risk chart, due to a technical issue affecting both ICNF and IPMA chart production. We contacted ICNF in the morning and it was repaired in the evening.
We are now less than 10 days away from the end of the Critical Fire Period so it will be interesting to see whether or not there is any extension, as has happened in some recent years. We have also seen in previous years, such as 2017, major rural fires in October. Recently the wet weather in some parts of the country has resulted in a decrease in fires and looking ahead over the next few days we see from 23rd to 25th September at least, most of the mainland at low risk. No doubt Government will take into account the good news released yesterday that this year until September 20th, has the lowest number of fires and the second lowest value of burnt area, since 2011
With that good news have a Safe Day
Covid-19 DGS Situation Report
Confirmed Cases: 1.063.100 (+ 780 / + 0.07 %)
Number of admitted: 455 (-16 /-3.40 %)
Number of ICU admitted: 78 (-4 /-4.88 %)
Deaths: 17.925 (+ 11 / + 0.06 %)
Recovered: 1.012.577 (+ 1805 / + 0.18 %)
Active cases: 32,598 (-1036 / – 3.07%)
Fourth consecutive day under 1000 cases and is the best Tuesday since June 15th (there were then 973 cases).
The number of deaths is the highest in the last 15 days – the average in September is 8.7 deaths daily.
Admissions are at the same level as on Sunday, when the lowest level since June 27 was recorded. The number of patients in intensive care units is the lowest since June 15th.
Large decrease in active cases.
Health
Covid-19: Task Force calls on users without a second dose of vaccine to use “open house” modality
Lisbon, September 21, 2020 (Lusa) – The task force that coordinates the vaccination process against covid-19 called today for all people who have not yet received the second dose to go to any vaccination center, using the modality “open house”.
“Currently, with a slower pace of vaccination (since the majority of the population is already vaccinated) and greater availability of vaccines, the second doses can take place in a vaccination center different from the place where the first dose was administered. Go to a center and get vaccinated, Covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Only together and with a sense of individual and community responsibility will it be possible to defeat this virus”, says a note from the ‘task force’, which recalls that the “Open House” modality is working without restrictions on age groups or place of residence of users.
Open house schedules are available at https://covid19.min-saude.pt/casa_aberta/
According to the vaccination report released today by the General Directorate of Health (DGS), 83% of the population has already completed vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and 86% – almost 8.9 million people – already have at least one dose of the vaccine.
Covid-19: Pfizer says vaccine provokes strong immune response in children between 5 and 11 years old
The Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccine has been shown to be safe and highly effective in young children, ages five to 11, the companies announced this Monday morning.
The data must be reviewed by the drug regulatory authority in the United States (Food and Drug Administration, FDA) before the children can be inoculated, according to the US press. Pfizer and Biotech plan to ask FDA permission to use the vaccine on children in these age groups later this month.
Pfizer and Biotech announced the results in a statement that did not include very detailed data about the trial. The results have not yet been peer reviewed or published in a scientific journal.
The trial included 2268 children between the ages of five and 11 years. Of these, two-thirds received two doses of the vaccine three weeks apart. The remainder were inoculated with two doses of placebo.
Children who received the vaccine produced a strong immune response, similar to the antibody levels seen in previous trials of participants aged 16 to 25. But children aged five to 11 achieved this response with just 10 micrograms of the vaccine — one-third of the dose given to older children and adults.
Other News
GNR seized half a ton of tobacco leaf in Maia
The Tax Action Unit, through the Tax Action Detachment of the Port of GNR, seized, in a warehouse in Maia, half a ton of tobacco leaf, with a capacity to produce more than 500 thousand cigarettes.
As part of an investigation aimed at controlling the movement of goods, the Guard soldiers complied with a non-household search warrant in a warehouse, where they detected about half a ton of tobacco leaf in an unauthorized place and without customs control.
According to the GNR, if it had been introduced for consumption through marginal commercial circuits, “the tobacco seized would have caused loss to the State, in the context of the Special Tax on Tobacco Consumption, of approximately 86 thousand euros”.
A 34-year-old man was made a defendant and subject to a Term of Identity and Residence.