Azores Situation Report Wednesday 15th December 2021 

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid -19 

Since the last Situation Report a week ago on the 8th of December there have been 161 new cases of Covid-19 registered, 9 fewer than last week, and 151 recoveries, 28 more than last week.

Admissions:

As of today, there are four inpatients, three at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital, in Ponta Delgada, and one at the Santo Espírito Hospital, in Angra do Heroísmo, none of them in intensive care.

Current situation: 

As of yesterday, the archipelago currently has 284 active positive cases, 232 in São Miguel, 40 in Terceira, four in Faial, three in Pico, two in Corvo, two in Flores and one in Santa Maria.

From 31st December 2020 until 7th December, 175,830 people were vaccinated in the Azores with the first dose (74.3 percent) and 197,309 with full vaccination (83.4 percent), under the Regional Vaccination Plan. To date, 18,244 users have received a booster of the vaccine (3rd dose).

Azores Airlines will link New York to the Azores from June 2022 

Azores Airlines will start connecting, from June 4th to October 28th, 2022, New York to the Azores, with connections on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, between Ponta Delgada and the North American city.

Departures from Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, are scheduled for the end of the day, at 18:00, with arrival in New York at 19:55 local time.

Returning flights will leave New York at 21:20 and arrive in Ponta Delgada the following day, at 06:25.

SATA has said that reservations are already available and can be made through the airline (‘online’ or at any point of sale) or through travel agencies.

 Vaccinating Children 

The Regional Government of the Azores has not yet taken a decision on the vaccination of children against covid-19, revealed today the Secretary of Health, reiterating that the priority is the completion of the booster dose.

The decision would not be taken until the process of vaccinating the most vulnerable with the booster dose has been concluded.

Information for travellers wanting to go to the Azores can find useful information for travellers who wat to go there can be found, here: –

https://destinoseguro.azores.gov.pt/?page_id=8908

 

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 8th December 2021

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid -19 

Since the last Situation Report a week ago on the 1st of December there have been 170 new cases of Covid-19 registered, 31 more than last week, and 133 recoveries, 96 fewer than last week.

Admissions: 

As of yesterday, one patient was admitted to the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, in Ponta Delgada, not in Intensive Care.

Current situation:  

The archipelago currently has 275 active positive cases, 205 in São Miguel, 44 in Terceira, 18 in Faial, three in Pico, three in Corvo and two in Graciosa.

From December 31st, 2020 until November 29th, 175,414 people were vaccinated in the Azores with the first dose (74.1 percent) and 196,258 with full vaccination (82.9 percent), under the Regional Vaccination Plan. To date, 12,734 users have received a booster of the vaccine (3rd dose).

Information about the new state of alert in the region and passenger entry requirements can be found on this link https://covid19.azores.gov.pt/

Damage to roads 

The Regional Secretariat for Public Works and Communications of the Government of the Azores has said that, due to recent very adverse weather conditions in terms of rainfall, after an exhaustive survey of services, losses of four million euros were recorded in the regional road network.

In São Miguel, these weather conditions were felt, with special incidence, on the 4th of October, in the western part of the island (municipality of Ponta Delgada), and on the 23rd of November, in the eastern part of the island. (Northeast council).

As a direct consequence, the regional road network inserted in these parts of the island suffered considerable damage that is causing constraints on car mobility.

Minimum wage in the Azores 

As of January, next year, the minimum wage in the Region will raise 42 euros to 740 euros. Over the past seven years, the minimum salary has increased by 210 euros in the Azores

The minimum wage has been increasing gradually over the past seven years. In 2015, the minimum wage in the Azores was 530 euros, rising to 556.5 euros in 2016. From 2017 onwards, the minimum wage rose to 584.85 euros, recording a further increase in 2018 to 609 euros. The minimum wage was set at 630 euros in 2019, rising again to 666.75 euros in 2020, being updated to 698.25 euros in 2021

Christmas celebrations

The Ponta Delgada City Council presented the Christmas and New Year’s Eve program which, this year, will feature the presence of the Clã on stage, at Portas da Cidade, and the traditional fireworks.

The Christmas program includes more than fifty music and itinerant entertainment events, to which are added initiatives such as Casa do Pai Natal, tourist train rides and rides in free horse drawn carriages and Puppet Theatre. Press of the municipality. There will also be a Christmas Market and the now traditional Nativity scene at the Manaias house in Jardim Padre Sena de Freitas.

On New Year’s Eve, the entertainment starts at 9:30 pm at Portas da Cidade with the regional band Abba Project, followed by a performance of the national band Clã, from 10:30 pm. And at midnight, the firework show will mark the beginning of 2022, followed by DJ Soulsky’s performance until 3:00 am.

 

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 1^st December 2021 

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid -19 

Since the last Situation Report a week ago on the 24th of November there have been 139 new cases of Covid-19 registered, 58 fewer than last week, and 229 recoveries, 122 more than last week.

Admissions: 

As of today, there are two inpatients, both in the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital, in Ponta Delgada, none in the Intensive Care Unit.

Current situation:  

The archipelago currently has 239 active positive cases, 172 in São Miguel, 29 in Terceira, 16 in São Jorge, 14 in Faial, seven in Graciosa, and one in Corvo.

From December 31st, 2020 until November 11th, 175,414 people were vaccinated in the Azores with the first dose (74.1 percent) and 196,258 with full vaccination (82.9 percent), under the Regional Vaccination Plan. To date, 12,734 users have received a booster of the vaccine (3rd dose).

Azores will require a negative test for passengers from abroad

The Regional Government of the Azores will vote tomorrow to fall in line with the National Government.  They will agree that all passengers arriving from outside the country will be required to present a negative test for Covid-19 whether they have been vaccinated or not.  Domestic flights to and from the region will not require this test.

There will be approval for a more prudent use of personal protective equipment and another requirement to use masks in closed spaces.

Fuels Rises on the way 

Significant increases in fuel prices will be felt in the Azores.

From midnight on the 1^st of December, gasoline will increase by 5.9 cents per litre.  Diesel will increase by 6.7 cents.  A litre of 95 octane gasoline will cost 1 euro and 61 cents. Road diesel will cost 1 euro and 44 cents.
Coloured diesel for agriculture will cost 96 cents a litre and fisheries diesel 77 cents a litre.

The new tariff should have already been published in the official newspaper, but it hasn’t been published yet.

 

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 24^th November 2021

 

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid -19

Since the last Situation Report a week ago on the 17th of November there have been 197 new cases of Covid-19 registered, 28 more than last week, and 107 recoveries, 6 more than last week.

Current situation:  

The archipelago currently has 334 active positive cases, 271 in São Miguel, 25 in Graciosa, 16 in Terceira, 13 in São Jorge, six in Faial and three in Pico.

From December 31st 2020 until November 11th, 175,199 people were vaccinated in the Azores with the first dose (74.0 percent) and 195,775 with full vaccination (82.7 percent), under the Regional Vaccination Plan. To date, 9,095 users have received a booster of the vaccine (3rd dose).

Admissions: 

As of today, there are six inpatients, all at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital, in Ponta Delgada, one of them in the Intensive Care Unit.

Nordeste schools closed due to bad weather

The schools in the municipality of Nordeste, on the island of São Miguel, are closed, as a precaution, due to bad weather.

14 incidents in the Region

The Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service reports that so far 14 incidents have been registered in the Region, due to bad weather, 13 in São Miguel and one in São Jorge.

Of the 13 occurrences in São Miguel, eight are in the Northeast, four in Povoação and one in Ribeira Grande. All related to flooding in houses and roads, as well as small landslides.

In Calheta de São Jorge, a family had to be relocated due to difficulties in accessing their housing.

Firefighters, municipal civil protection and members of the Regional Public Works Department are located at the locations of the occurrences.

Landslip on São Jorge

Residents of Fajã de São João, on the island of São Jorge, are expected to remain isolated for another 48 hours following Monday’s landslip, said the Civil Protection of the Azores.

“The work to clear the road that allows free access to the fajã depends on the improvement of the weather”, said the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service (SRPCBA), in a statement in which it revealed that “it is planned that the its inhabitants can be isolated for the next 48 hours”.

There are 32 people isolated in Fajã de São João because of the landslide, which happened at 07:30, and, according to the mayor of Calheta, Décio Pereira, all “are doing well”.

To “not leave that population without basic emergency support”, the Civil Protection service “requested the Operational Command of the Azores to support the Armed Forces for the commitment of an EH-101 helicopter to transport a team to the Fajã of Immediate Life Support (SIV), consisting of an emergency ambulance crew and a nurse”.

Bad weather in the Azores caused another landslide on the island of São Jorge, in Fajã dos Vimes, but on a smaller scale, “with access to this location being restricted”, according to the Civil Protection.

 

Situation Report Azores – 17th November 2021

 

From our colleague in the Azores

Covid -19

Since the last Situation Report a week ago on the 10th of November there have been 169 new cases of Covid-19 registered, 61 more than last week, and 101 recoveries, 25 fewer than last week.

Admissions: 

As of today, there are five inpatients, all at Divino Espírito Santo Hospital, in Ponta Delgada, none of whom are in the Intensive Care Unit.

 Current situation:  

The archipelago currently has 249 active positive cases, 207 in São Miguel, 17 in São Jorge, nine in Terceira, seven in Faial, five in Pico, three in Graciosa and one in Santa Maria.

From December 31st, 2020, to November 11th, 174.77 people have been vaccinated in the Azores with the first dose (73.9 percent) and 195,283 with full vaccination (82.5 percent), under the Regional Vaccination Plan. To date, 4,760 users have received a booster of the vaccine (3rd dose).

An 83-year-old woman died on the 11^th of November at the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, in São Miguel, victim of covid-19.

She was 83 years old and a resident of Ginetes, municipality of Ponta Delgada. Sha had been hospitalized since the 8th.

Earthquake

A minor earthquake measuring 2.4 on the Richter scale was registered this Monday on the island of São Miguel, Azorean Civil Protection has reported.

According to information from the Azores Seismo volcanic Surveillance and Information Centre (CIVISA), the event took place at 10:53 am, with its epicentre about four kilometres between west and northwest of Furnas, in the municipality of Povoação.

According to the information available so far, the earthquake was felt with maximum intensity III (Modified Mercalli scale) in the parish of Furnas.

Earthquakes are classified on the Richter scale according to their magnitude as micro (less than 2.0), very small (2.0-2.9), small (3.0-3.9), slight (4, 0-4.9), moderate (5.0-5.9), strong (6.0-6.9), large (7.0-7.9), important (8.0-8.9) exceptional (9.0-9.9) and extreme (greater than 10).

Mercalli’s scale ranges from I to XII (I Imperceptible; II Very Weak; III Weak; IV Moderate; V Strong; VI Fairly Strong; VII Very Strong; VIII Ruinous; IX Disastrous; X Destroying; XI Catastrophic and XII Cataclysm).

Missing Women

Two women from the Kenya athletics delegation are still missing and do not have a passport in their possession. SEF has already participated in the PSP.