Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 29^th December 2021

New Year’s Eve: Câmara de Albufeira keeps fireworks to the sound of Kiss Fm and the transmission of “Carpe Nox” on RTP1

Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the traditional New Year’s party in Albufeira, at Praia dos Pescadores, was cancelled, however, the Municipality will not fail to mark the entry in 2022.

So, on December 31, at midnight, the local authority states that it will be possible to watch a pyro-musical show, which can be seen and heard from home. The fireworks will be launched from eight points in the municipality, reaching all parishes: Albufeira (2 launch points), Oura, Galé, Guia Ferreiras, Paderne and Olhos de Água.

The soundtrack and countdown for the entry into the New year will be broadcast by local radio Kiss Fm, on frequencies 95.8 fm and 101.2 fm.

At 1:30 am, RTP1 will also broadcast the New Year’s Eve night in Albufeira 2019-2020, with the show Albufeira Carpe Nox, which brought together 120,000 people at Praia dos Pescadores, among boats, planes, lights and sound, as well as music from Amor Eletro and The Black Mamba, exhibitions by the Flying Dragons and Airborne Pyrotechnics.

“This year, the New Year festivities had to be adapted to the circumstances and we decided to offer a fireworks show in different forms, which will cover the entire municipality and allow people to watch from their homes or hotel, where they are housed”, explains the Mayor, José Carlos Rolo. “The objective is to avoid the crowds and allow everyone to participate in the festivities from the tranquility of their homes”, he adds. 

Algarve hotels with last minute cancellations due to anti-covid restrictions

Algarve hotels anticipated a strong period of demand for the New Year, but they are being subject to massive cancellations with the new restrictions that force customers to submit negative tests, even if they are vaccinated.

Hotels in the Algarve are receiving last-minute cancellations due to the entry into force of new restrictions to combat the covid-19 pandemic and the worsening epidemiological situation.

“We are witnessing last-minute cancellations following the restrictions, due to the worsening of the pandemic. We continue to have reservations, but our forecasts, which were very optimistic for this year-end, are not confirmed”, stated the president of the Association of Hotels and Tourist Resorts in the Algarve (AHETA).

According to Elidérico Viegas, the new restrictions and the worsening of the pandemic have led to “many cancellations”, especially by the Portuguese, who are the ones who are most in demand in the region at this time of year, and also to a lower demand.

“Although there is still demand, the data we have now do not allow us to confirm the forecasts we had”, said the official, expressing the hope that, throughout the week, there may be last minute reservations, in case there is a slowdown in the number of new cases.

In view of the worsening of the epidemiological situation in Portugal, due to the Ómicron variant, the Government decided to bring forward the measures foreseen for the so-called “contact contention week”, which would only take place in January, to 0:00 on December 25th.

Among the measures enacted is the obligation to present a negative test in tourist establishments and local accommodation, when previously only the presentation of a digital certificate was required. 

Silves: Traders Exempt from Paying Municipal Fees in 2022

The Municipal Assembly of Silves unanimously approved the exemption from payment of fees for occupation of public space and/or advertising for the year 2022, for holders of commercial, service and restaurant establishments, closed, with suspended or conditioned activities, due to compliance with the restrictive measures imposed by the Government, in the context of the response to the pandemic.

In a statement, the municipality of Silves clarifies that the measure results from a proposal by the municipal executive led by the President of the Municipality of Silves, Rosa Palma, who had already received the unanimous approval of the Municipality of Silves, at the meeting on 29 November.

With the approval of this measure, the Municipality of Silves gives up revenue of around 226 thousand euros.

In this way, local entrepreneurs and merchants will not pay any fees in relation to requests for occupation of public space and/or advertising, between January 1 and December 31, 2022, a measure previously decreed by the municipality for the years 2020 and 2021, by the onset of the pandemic.

In addition to these measures, the Municipality registers others in support of the community, highlighting the activation of the Social Emergency Fund; the deferral of payment of bills for water supply and sanitation, with no default interest being charged, nor the suspension of the provision of said service; the suspension of the period for collecting all fees related to the municipal advertising licensing required by advertising companies; and exemption from payment and/or reduction of rents for concessionaires and commercial tenants of municipal spaces in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Castro Marim offered 700 Christmas hampers

This year, the Castro Marim City Council delivered around 700 Christmas baskets.

For the municipality, the initiative created a few years ago, with the aim of contributing to a “more comfortable and happier” Christmas, is of greater importance at a time when the pandemic has increased the number of vulnerable families economic.

The baskets include several essential food products, selected also with the concern of integrating themselves into a healthier diet and lifestyle.

 

Algarve Situation report Wednesday 22^nd December 2021

Algarve reinforces the regional strategy to combat COVID-19 for the coming months.

The Secretary of State Coordinator of the Calamity situation for the Algarve Region, Jorge Botelho, meets this week by sector with each intervention zone (Barlavento, Central and Sotavento), involving mayors, authorities and health services for a full articulation with the structure Civil Protection, with a view to designing the line of action for the coming months.

 Meetings are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday with each of the intervention sectors provided for in the organization implemented in the region, resulting from the activation of the Civil Protection Emergency Plan, which coincide with the areas of influence of each Health Center Group (ACES) of the Regional Health Administration (ARS) of the Algarve.

The first sector coordination meeting took place on December 20, and was dedicated to the ACES Barlavento sector, in which, in addition to the president of the Regional Health Administration Paulo Morgado, the Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Commander Vítor Vaz Pinto and the regional health delegate Ana Cristina Guerreiro, the mayors, as municipal authorities for Civil Protection, from the municipalities of Aljezur, Lagoa, Lagos, Monchique, Portimão, Silves and Vila do Bispo, the executive director of ACES Algarve II – Barlavento and respective Health Delegates.

The main objective of the working day is, based on an epidemiological situation and predictable evolution, to anticipate measures and adjust the support that has been materialized by the civil protection structures to the bodies of the National Health Service (NHS) that are committed to combating this international public health emergency.

Vaccination will also be a dominant theme due to the important phase in which it is now and the recently known designs in its planning.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, will follow the sectorial coordination meetings of ACES Central in which the mayors of Albufeira, Faro, Loulé, Olhão and São Brás de Alportel and ACES Sotavento participate, which will count on the participation of the mayors of Alcoutim, Castro Marim, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António.

This Christmas, 350 families from São Brás de Alportel receive solidarity baskets

This Christmas marked again by the pandemic and the crisis, the “Cabaz Solidário da Consoada” is reaching three and a half hundred homes in São Brás de Alportel, integrating in this edition a greater number of families.

The Consoada Solidarity Basket is an initiative promoted, in partnership, by the Municipality and the Parish Council of São Brás de Alportel, coordinating entities of the Local Platform for Food Aid, which is headquartered in the Social Store of São Brás de Alportel, with collaboration from all platform partners – local nucleus of Cáritas, Salvation Army, CCD – Center for Culture and Sports of Workers of the City Council and Parish Council and Santa Casa da Misericórdia of São Brás de Alportel.

Through the “Natal Solidário” program, in addition to food and essential goods, families also receive gifts for the little ones. In a press release, the Chamber explains that this solidarity action is made possible “by hosting the “Anjinhos de Natal” project, made possible thanks to the committed collaboration of the local Salvation Army nucleus, which counts on the generosity of a group of Algarvian groups from social beneficence’.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 15^th December 2021

COVID-19: Algarve Regional Health Authority Advises against events, parties and dinners that promote the gathering of people

This regional recommendation is in line with the “common sense” that has already been requested by Graça Freitas, general director of Health

The Algarve Regional Health Authority advises against, “with immediate effect”, the holding of events, parties and dinners that “promote the agglomeration of people” due to the situation of the pandemic.

In a communiqué, issued this Monday, December 13, and signed by Ana Cristina Guerreiro, Regional Health Delegate, it is explained that the “current national and regional epidemiological situation is characterized by a high degree of uncertainty, bearing in mind the dynamics of circulation of several viruses in the winter months and the emergence of a new strain of concern for SARS-CoV2”.

Added to this is the fact that, “regardless of full compliance with all public health measures, the risk of transmission is real and cannot be eliminated.”

This is because, according to the Algarve Regional Health Authority, “cases/outbreaks related to social events that promote the aggregation of people continue to occur, given the circulation of infected people, with or without symptoms, even with an effort of prior testing”.

Therefore, it is requested that those who carry out events “during the pandemic, even within the limits of the legal framework”, should consider “the risk”.

For the rest, this regional recommendation is in line with the “common sense” that has already been requested by Graça Freitas, general director of Health, during the festive season.

The Northern Regional Health Administration has also given similar advice. 

Loulé Municipality distributed 6,000 reusable masks to 1st Cycle students in the municipality

At a time when many of the Covid-19 infections have arisen in children and young people, the Municipality of Loulé has distributed more than 6000 masks to schools.

According to the Municipality in a statement, each student in the 1st cycle of the public school system was offered two reusable children’s masks. “The initiative aimed to strengthen the protection of the little ones and remind that the pandemic is not over and that it is imperative to reinforce care to prevent its spread”, adds the municipality.

 In total, 3000 students from public schools in the 1st cycle of the municipality were benefited. This is yet another action that joins others already implemented in schools since the beginning of the pandemic, highlighting, for example, the creation of the Solidary Education Line, measures to support distance learning or the joint preparation with ABC and the groups of schools, of the “Adaptation Strategy of the Educational Community of the Municipality of Loulé in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

VRSA mourns the death of former mayor Alfredo Graça

He led the municipality’s destinies for six years.

The municipality of Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) issued a note in which it expresses “the deepest regret” for the death of Alfredo Graça, Mayor of Vila Real de Santo António between January 1980 and January 1986.

Alfredo Graça took office at the Vila Real de Santo António City Council in January 1980, following the second municipal elections of 1979, elected by the APU coalition between the Portuguese Communist Party, of which he was a militant until the end of his life, and the MDP /CDE

“The six years he spent his municipal mandate were intense years of dedication to work, applying avant-garde thinking at a time when local authorities had practically no political and financial autonomy”, praise the VRSA municipal officials.

During his presidency, he was responsible for the construction of a Municipal Master Plan (PDM), the eighth to be implemented in Portugal, and developed important urban planning initiatives, valuing not only the quality of buildings, but also urban planning. .

“Alfredo Graça carried out his mandate under difficult conditions. A law on local finance had just been approved and the local authorities still did not have sufficient financial means for the great needs of the population, namely in water supply, in the construction of sewage networks and in the construction of roads and paths», recalls the Chamber Municipality of VRSA.

During his years of governance, initiatives linked to social housing and support for families also stand out, having led processes such as the change from the municipal market to a strategic area of ​​development or the creation of general guidelines for the PDM and the Sports Complex.

He was also responsible for strengthening ties with neighbouring Spain, through the twinning with Ayamonte. «For its important legacy», the municipality «decrees two days of municipal mourning, which are fulfilled today and tomorrow, and puts the flag at half-mast during this period».

To the bereaved family, colleagues and friends, the municipality extends its most heartfelt condolences and a profound message of solidarity. The windward team also expresses its deepest condolences.

 

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 8^th December 2021

Algarve reactivates vaccination centers to administer booster doses against Covid-19

The Algarve is preparing to reactivate the vaccination centers that have since been deactivated, to administer booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine and, eventually, to vaccinate children. The revelation was made this Monday by Paulo Morgado, president of the Regional Health Administration (ARS) of the Algarve.

 “What we want is, in places where we have already had large spaces for vaccination, to reactivate them again. In Faro, where the centre used to be located at Pavilhão da Penha, we have already found the solution at Forum Algarve. In Portimão, we are finding that solution”, said the official, at the press conference to update the epidemiological situation.

The reactivation of these spaces allows “avoid the accumulation of people in the vaccination process”, and, recently, “we had queues in some health centers, such as Faro and Portimão”.

According to Paulo Morgado, this happened because «there was little adhesion of the population to the vaccination process, with many shortages and, suddenly, there was a “click” at the national level, with the appearance of the new variant, with the increase in the number cases and with the measures taken by the Government, which led people to join».

Even so, explains the president of the ARS Algarve, the accumulation of people is also due to the Open House modality, which “is a disorganized process, with no scheduling, no time. But, as of today [yesterday], the Open House will have digital passwords again, as it used to, to avoid this disorganization”.

According to the latest data, for Saturday, the Algarve has 85% of people with full vaccination and 86.3% with at least one dose, approaching the numbers of the rest of the country.

Now, the main challenge is the administration of booster doses. Therefore, Paulo Morgado makes the “appeal to people who live and work in the Algarve, to get vaccinated. We have open vaccination for people over 65 years of age and for professionals at higher risk, and yesterday we started users vaccinated with Janssen, over 50 years old. People should go to vaccination centers, where we are available to vaccinate eligible people and we do not refuse the vaccine to anyone who belongs to these group.”

Then, highlights the official, “this process of vaccination will continue and the expectation we have is that, in the coming months, more groups will be included and that, like other countries, we will vaccinate children aged 5-11”.

COVID-19: The situation in the Algarve and the country is “worrying”

After months of absence, the press conference took place today in Loulé to raise awareness of the epidemiological situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Algarve.

António Miguel Pina, president of the Faro District Commission for Civil Protection, began by explaining that “Calamity seems to transpose into a situation of near chaos. Not necessarily so. The numbers are known, but it seems obvious to us all that we need to react again and activate what is foreseen in the plans that have already been put into practice in the past. This is what we are working on, to organize ourselves, whether at the level of vaccination or at the level of public health assistance in the control of epidemiological links, as a result of this activation of district and municipal plans”.

Ana Cristina Guerreiro, Regional Health Delegate for the Algarve, outlined the current situation, which she considers “worrying”.

The situation in the Algarve region, as at national level, I would consider worrying. Worrying on the one hand because the numbers are high, and on the other because the estimate is still of some growth. This puts pressure on health services and is one of our greatest concerns. Then the low temperature plays in favour of the virus and the pre-Christmas favouring contacts social activity, especially in enclosed spaces, itself also is favouring these contagion opportunities’, he said.

The responsible justified with numbers. “The latest data, referring to the 4th of December, show 265 new cases and that means that in the region we have 3339 positive people. The number of cases under active surveillance, that is, on the list of contacts with positive cases and high-risk contacts, is 3129. Intensive Care and within these, 14 ventilated”.

Regarding the incidence rates, “ours is high, as has been accompanied by data from the Directorate-General for Health and, at the moment, we have a rate of 761 cases for 14 days per 100,000 inhabitants, with some municipalities more affected than others”, such as Portimão, Lagoa, Monchique, Loulé and Faro.

By age group, Ana Cristina Guerreiro pointed out, the incidence has been predominant in the 30-39 age group. Then, closely followed by the group of 40-49 and the group of children from zero to nine who in the last 15 days «has grown a lot».

“The incidence rate in the last three oldest age groups, from 60 onwards, mainly in the last (80+), it appears that it does not grow proportionally as much as in other age groups. In other words, older age groups have been spared. This is clearly evidence of the effect of vaccination, which in this age group goes ahead because they started to be vaccinated earlier», he detailed.

Regarding outbreaks, “at the moment we have 35 active outbreaks, 20 of which in schools. Then we have two outbreaks in homes, one of them with some dimension, but already a few days old and therefore already stabilized, although it has not yet been concluded. In schools, in the region we have not had major outbreaks. We have outbreaks involving students and families. These isolated cases in schools, for us, are a bringing and bringing of cases to the community and it is to this extent that they end up taking some work and causing some damage. There are 85 schools with cases, but 20 schools with outbreaks. The students who are positive are 171 and in prophylactic isolation 2487. Employees are 20 positive and in prophylactic isolation 385. There were, at midnight on Saturday, 111 classes in prophylactic isolation», he said.

“The graphs show the evolution of all cases throughout the pandemic and show the clear impact of the assessment in reducing mortality. In the winter wave last year, mortality followed the curve”.

Covid.19: Municipality of Monchique cancels events to stop contagion

The Municipality of Monchique decided to cancel some of the Christmas activities, as part of the “Monchique Natal” program.

As explained by the municipality in a statement, the decision now announced, “was previously considered” and taken after the AMAL meeting held on December 2nd, where it was decided to cancel the year-end shows.

The decision comes due to the growing evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the municipality, with Monchique being among the 10 municipalities in the country at extreme risk.

In this sense, all activities scheduled for December are cancelled, keeping the Christmas lighting, display of the wooden crib and the competition “Buy at local businesses” with a view to promoting local businesses.

In order to prevent the spread of the disease and stop the increase in cases, it was also decided to cancel the monthly market in December, which would take place on Friday 10^th, to adopt a set of mitigation measures in order to stop the spread of the virus, namely: the granting of rapid tests to catering establishments, local commerce and services and civil protection agents.

The municipal executive also appeals to the population’s understanding, warning of the importance of vaccination and compliance with the rules.

Comment

On 1^st December the incidence rate in Monchique was 1105 the highest in  the Algarve 

Hotel occupancy in November in the Algarve tripled compared to 2020

Hotel occupancy in November in the Algarve more than tripled compared to 2020, according to data released yesterday by AHETA.

The Association of Hotels and Touristic Enterprises of the Algarve (AHETA) announced the figures for November, today, Monday, December 6th.

Compared to the same month of 2019, the overall average/room occupancy rate was 41.3 percent (-5.8 percent). However, compared to 2020, the average occupancy rose by 225 percent. The domestic market increased by 6.8 percent and the external market decreased by -13.3 percent compared to November 2019.

In accumulated terms, since the beginning of 2021, room occupancy has recorded an average decrease of 47.1 percent and sales volume a decrease of -40.1 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

By geographical area, compared to November 2019, the biggest declines were seen in Monte Gordo/ Vila Real de Santo António (-57.4 percent), Albufeira (-23.0 percent), and Carvoeiro/ Armação de Pêra (-16.3).

Sales volume, however, increased 1.3 percent compared to November 2019, and grew 248 percent compared to the same month in 2020. Sales made through online platforms do not include the payment of the respective commissions, which influences the year-on-year increase in sales volume and, therefore, the prices charged.

In November 2021, 28.5 percent of sales were made through traditional tour operators, compared to 43.7 percent in 2019. Averages are not reflected equally in all establishments, with discrepancies depending on the categories and geographical areas.