Algarve Situation Report Saturday 26^th June 2021

 

Covid-19: Algarve is the region of the country with the highest transmissibility index – INSA

The Algarve region has the highest transmission index (Rt) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the country, with 1.3, while in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo it dropped to 1.11, according to data released today by the INSA.

At the national level, from the last June 14th to Sunday, there was a reduction of the Rt from 1.20 to 1.1, which was also registered in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region, where it went from 1.26 to 1.11, advances the weekly report of the epidemic curve of the National Institute of Health Doctor Ricardo Jorge (INSA),

For the INSA researchers, this result suggests “a slowdown in the increase in the number of new cases in this period of time, that is, the number of new cases keeps growing, but more slowly”.

On the other hand, in the Algarve region there is “a sharp increase” in the transmissibility index, having gone from 1.07 on May 27, 2021 to 1.4 on June 14 (0.33 in 19 days).

“From this date onwards, the Rt decreased to 1.3 to June 19, although it still remains at high values”, stresses the INSA

According to the researchers, the mean value of Rt for the days 16-20 June was 1.14, and its true value could be between 1.13 and 1.15 with a confidence of 95%.

The following R(t) values ​​were also estimated for the regions: 1.03 in the North region, 1.12 in the Center region, 1.17 in the LVT region, 1.08 in the Alentejo region, 1.34 in the Algarve region, 0.98 in the autonomous region of the Azores and 1.17 in the autonomous region of Madeira.

“All regions have an average rate of transmissibility (five days) above 1, with the exception of the Autonomous Region of the Azores”, the researchers say.

Portugal has an accumulated notification rate of 14 days between 120 and 239.9 per 100,000 inhabitants and a R(t) higher than 1, that is, a high notification rate with a growing trend, they add.

 

Covid.19: Owners of restaurants and other establishments in Albufeira are considering closing this weekend

Owners of restaurants and other establishments in Albufeira are considering closing this weekend, citing lack of profitability with the restriction of hours imposed to contain the covid-19 pandemic, sector businessmen told Lusa.

Albufeira is one of the three municipalities in the country with a very high risk level of incidence of covid-19, which means that, according to the measures announced on Thursday by the Government, this weekend non-essential trade and catering must close at 15:30.

“During the weekend, most establishments will remain closed, because it is not justified. Most of the people are on the beach, they leave the beach after a while, and they won’t be having lunch in a hurry on a terrace, it’s not feasible”, says Sérgio Brito, from the Albufeira Commercial Association.

Albufeira lives almost exclusively from tourism, concentrating half of the region’s hotel supply (approximately 50,000 beds), but the sector has never recovered since the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020, which is causing bankruptcies and redundancies, according to Sérgio Brito.

To Lusa, the businessman reports that some restaurants “are closing and laying off people”, a situation that has been going on since last year and that brings with it the prospect of “a tragedy, at an economic and social level”, putting Albufeira with seven thousand unemployed, when before they were no more than 500.

“Most of the companies started working very recently, about a month ago, and they hired people, created ‘stocks’ of food, made investments and now we are faced with this incomprehensible situation”, he laments.

Carlo Mealha, owner of several restaurants and nightlife establishments in Albufeira, also decided that he will not open the spaces this weekend, which would only “increase the loss”, since the probability of have customers.

“For us it doesn’t pay off at all. This is a decision that has been taken since yesterday [Thursday], from the moment we heard the news. There is no point in such a heavy restriction at the hourly level”, he says.

 

Covid-19: New Measures Have Huge Impact on Restaurants and Hotels

The Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Similar Services of Portugal (AHRESP) said today that the latest measures announced by the government in the context of decontamination have “a huge impact” on catering and tourist accommodation and defended “universal, preferably non-refundable” support.

On Thursday, the Council of Ministers decided, among other measures, that the hours of restaurants and similar and of commerce will be reduced in Lisbon and Albufeira, having to close at 3:30 pm on weekends, joining the rules that already in force in Sesimbra, under the measures to combat the covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, AHRESP – Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Similar of Portugal said today that the measures that were announced by the government «have a huge impact on catering and similar companies and tourist accommodation».

In this context, the association defended «simple and universal support, preferably in the form of non-repayable funds», referring that «current support is almost non-existent and the moratoriums only last until the end of the year».

«It is time to maintain but also to recover and improve support», insists AHRESP, which adds that it will soon present a set of measures that go in that direction.

The decision taken by the Council of Ministers to withdraw from the lack of confinement also implies, in the case of those three municipalities, Lisbon, Albufeira and Sesimbra, that supermarkets and other food retail outlets close at 7 pm on weekends.

During the week, restaurants, cafes and patisseries can be open until 22:30, with capacity rules determining a maximum of four people per group inside and six people per group on the terraces.

 

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 23^rd June 2021

 

Algarve administered 28,590 Covid-19 vaccines in one week.

The Algarve administered, in a week, 28,590 vaccines against Covid-19, according to data from the bulletin of this Tuesday, June 22, of the General Directorate of Health (DGS).

Compared to last week, 7% more of the Algarve received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while another 3% finished the process. So far, 42% of the population in the region has already been inoculated with a dose and 27% has completed vaccination.

These numbers mean that 69% of people in the Algarve have already received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

In total, 298,448 vaccines have been given in the Algarve (+28,590 in one week).

In Alentejo, 52% of people took a dose (+2%), while 34% (+4%) of Alentejo people have already finished the process.

Algarve is “at full strength to welcome the summer”, according to RTA.

Associação believes in the strength of the Algarve, at a time when some municipalities in the region are facing new restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Algarve Tourism Region (RTA), issued a note highlighting the arrival «of the high summer season in the Algarve at a crucial moment in the resumption of tourist activity», finding «the destination’s Sun and Sea offer in full force».

According to this Association, “not only was the region elected as the Best Beach Destination in the World at the World Travel Awards, the Oscars of world tourism, as well as its beaches, accumulate quality awards that reinforce the reasons for a visit. All in all, that’s 244 extra reasons to choose the Algarve beaches on vacation”.

RTA recalls that “Tavira, with four beaches, and Faro and Vila do Bispo, with three, are among the municipalities with the most ZERO Pollution Beaches in Portugal, a distinction awarded by the environmentalist association ZERO to beaches where no microbiological contamination was detected in the analyses of the bathing waters during the last three bathing seasons. In all, this year the region offers 14 ZERO Pollution Beaches”.

More good news is that the Algarve “is the national region with the highest annual increase in Beaches with Gold Quality, an award given by the environmentalist association Quercus to distinguish the quality of bathing water on Portuguese beaches. A total of 93 beaches in the destination have Golden Quality, and the municipality of Albufeira is the one that shines the most in the whole country, with 20 awarded beaches».

Albufeira is also the leading national municipality in Blue Flags, with a total of 26 awards hoisted on 25 beaches and in the local marina. In 2021, the European Blue Flag Association awarded the Algarve 91 Blue Flags, a symbol of environmental quality that will be flown on 87 beaches and four marinas in the region.

RTA recalls that “last year, the Algarve also offered visitors 45 Accessible Beaches, which unfurl the white flag of the Accessible Beach Program – Praia para Todos to mark bathing areas accessible to people with reduced mobility”.

Finally, concludes the Tourist Association of the region, in November 2020 “the Algarve was distinguished, for the first time, as Best Beach Destination in the World, in the Grand Final of the World Travel Awards, gathering the preference of the main leaders of the tourism and trips from all over the world”.

 

Algarve Situation Report Saturday 19th June 2021

 

Third of all cases in the Algarve are foreigners

A third of covid-19 cases in the Algarve are foreigners, mostly tourists, said today the regional Health delegate, asking that the formula for calculating the incidence rate be revised.

Since June 1st, there have been a total of 456 positive cases in the region, of whom 34% were people of other nationalities, with a higher incidence in the British (46%), French (10%) and Brazilians (9%), revealed Ana Cristina Guerreiro at a press conference.

According to the official, there are municipalities where cases involving foreigners, whether residents or tourists, represent more than 50% of the total, with Albufeira in first place (65%), Aljezur (57%) and Tavira (54%).

The number of covid-19 cases in the Algarve has tripled in the last week, from an average of 26 cases per day, until the beginning of this week, to 84, in the last three days, putting the incidence rate of the disease at 117 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

For the regional Health delegate, the calculation of the number of cases on the resident population “is a mistake”, since the usual population “is much smaller than what we have at the moment or we will have in July and August”.

Ana Cristina Guerreiro revealed that she had already given the “alert” to “all higher structures”, suggesting that the solution could be to “calculate the incidence “with the estimated population present at that time” in the municipality.

“This number of cases, which is in the numerator of foreign nationalities and national passer-by, which we also have, is not in the denominator and, therefore, it is a wrong calculation”, he said, noting that the number of infected tourists is counted, without having in count its total value.

The Health delegate thus joins the mayors of the region, who are demanding a change in the calculation formula, namely the mayors of Loulé and Albufeira, who today asked for a count of tourists so that the calculation is proportional to the real number. of people who are in the counties.

Asked by journalists about the recent increase in the number of cases, the official admitted that the opening of the region to tourists, on May 17, may justify the increase that appeared on June 15, stressing, however, that it may also be related to “with a more contagious variant”.

Ana Cristina Guerreiro informed that the report of the National Institute of Health Doctor Ricardo Jorge indicated “three cases of the delta variant three weeks ago” in the Algarve, with no more records, but that “100 samples were sent a few days ago for evaluation”, still without results.

Covid.19: Mayor of Loulé and businessmen call for urgent revision of the formula for calculating new positives

The Municipality of Loulé this afternoon invited the media to a press conference on the decision of the Council of Ministers to include the Municipality of Loulé in the list of municipalities that will not advance to the next phase of deconfinement, as it presents an incidence rate, more than 120 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days.

Held next to the Aquashow Hotel at Semino in Quarteira, the press conference that brought together the Mayor of Loulé, Presidents of Parish Councils and businessmen of the municipality, conveyed to the Government and health authorities that the adopted formula for case accounting positive of Covid.19, is not being applied correctly, because it is not adapted to the reality experienced in municipalities with strong tourist dynamics.

Although the prime minister defended that the detected cases of national tourists should be registered in the county of official residence, Vítor Aleixo told journalists that this is not happening and in that sense, he demands that the national cases detected in the county and therefore in the region, are actually attributed to the county where the people reside and not where they are detected, as in the cases counted to foreign visitors who are in hotels, they should count as the county’s population.

The mayor explained that what is happening, penalizes municipalities with more tourism, as is the case of Loulé, where the resident population is around 70,000 inhabitants, but in the peak season of tourism, the population triples and with it, also triples the number of positive cases.

With this calculation formula, the official even says that the Algarve will not be able to rise during the summer, because the number of tourists will increase in the coming weeks and the ratio is being poorly calculated, affecting other municipalities in the region. In this context, he called for an urgent review of this calculation.

COVID-19: Albufeira feels wronged and discriminated against by the government

José Carlos Rolo, Mayor of Albufeira, demands a review of the criteria for calculating the COVID-19 incidence.

Following the government’s recent decision, Council of Ministers Resolution 76-A/2021, of 17 June, «it is with deep sadness that Albufeira considers itself discriminated against by the criteria of a government that once again does not consider the current reality of region, especially in a municipality that depends so much on tourism».

The municipal executive considers that the calculation per 100,000 inhabitants «is totally unfair for the municipality of Albufeira, taking into account that the number of residents that is used by the government is not adequate and should not be applied, as tourists are not considered as a population but a gift: if a positive case occurs, it is, contradictorily, included in the counts».

“This artificially inflates a ratio that is so important for deciding our immediate future. This fact was addressed by me in one of the face-to-face conversations I had with the secretary of State for Tourism Rita Marques, as well as with the president of the Algarve Tourism Region João Fernandes and other regional authorities, in order to resolve the situation that is very damaging our region», writes José Carlos Rolo in a  statement sent to the newsrooms.

At the moment, «about twice as many residents may be in the municipality of Albufeira, who should be included in the DGS criteria. Therefore, the figures mentioned, at this moment, show that the county has a much higher number of residents/tourists than the number considered for the purpose of calculating the COVID-19 incidence».

 

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 16^th June 2021

 

Faro won’t have gathering of motorcycles for the second year in a row.

The famous gathering in Faro, which this year celebrated 40 years of existence, will not take place, as happened last year, due to Covid-19.

Speaking to Algarve Prime, José Amaro, President of the Moto Clube de Faro, confirmed that “there will not be conditions to receive the usual thousands of motorcyclists who, in mid-July, travel to Faro from various parts of Europe and the world”.

Over the next few days, Moto Clube de Faro will announce the cancellation of the gathering by video, as happened in 2020. José Amaro explained that the two biggest obstacles to holding the event are the camps and concerts, so not even the vaccination certificate was used to reverse this decision, due to the impossibility of controlling the entrances and exits of people during the 3 or 4 days of the event.

The decision to cancel was reviewed week by week, but given the worsening situation, and with the question of the British Government, “the holding of the event is completely ruled out”, noted the official. Discarded is also the possibility of carrying out the usual motorbike parade through the streets of Faro.

José Amaro regrets the situation, since the event took place for 38 years without interruptions and now “we are forced to stop. Last year we said it would be 2021 and now we’re going to see if it will be next year. “

Authorities promote sustainable motorhomes in the Algarve Region.

This Monday, June 14, a protocol was signed with a view to promoting responsible ‘motorhomeism’ in the Algarve Region, which provides for the integration of the Algarve Motorhome Service Areas (ASA) into the national Outdoor Routes platform. The agreement also provides for the preparation of a Responsible Motorhome Guide, which gathers all relevant information for motorhome drivers and promotes the best sustainability practices, and a Motorhomeism Dictionary, aimed at defining and standardizing the fundamental concepts of the framework of the activity and the best associated practices.

Together with the Algarve Tourism Region, the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission, the Algarve Intermunicipal Community and the Camping and Mountaineering Federation of Portugal, Turismo de Portugal is committed to identifying new parking and overnight spaces of motorhomes that allow, in accordance with the imperatives of environmental sustainability, a better geographic diversification of such spaces and the growth of the offer network in the territory to welcome motorhome drivers.

Motorhomeism is a segment of the tourist market that is growing rapidly in Portugal and in Europe, closely associated with the growing appreciation by tourists of experiences of proximity to the natural and cultural values ​​of the destinations visited. The growth of this modality of itinerant tourism brings with it obvious advantages, contributing positively to the dynamisation of local economies and to the reduction of seasonality, but it poses real challenges that need to be addressed, highlighted the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques.

In this sense, the Government is developing a program aimed, on the one hand, to respond to the growing demand, through the creation of a sufficient and qualified infrastructure supply network, and, on the other, to the need to combat illegal and unsustainable practices of the activity.

The strategy of resumption of tourist activity conveys a message of confidence to tourists, regarding the fulfilment of demanding health safety requirements and guaranteeing the control of risks resulting from an excessive and disorderly influx and concentration of motorhomes in the usually most sought after areas of the country by this tourist segment, as is the case of the Algarve.

The protocol now established foresees a set of cooperation and articulation actions that make it possible to overcome the constraints related to the modality of motor caravanning in the Algarve, promoting its practice in an increasingly sustainable way towards territories, the environment and tourists.