Portugal Situation Report Saturday 6^th February 2021

Introduction

Good morning – We start today with some positive Covid-19 statistics reported yesterday namely: since Thursday there were nearly five more recoveries than new cases; deaths, although higher than Thursday, were second lowest since 21st January; hospitalisations decreased again but not as much as the previous day and the number of active cases and those under surveillance were the lowest since 20th January. However, the number of patients in ICUs increased by 41 bringing the total to 904, a new maximum. So there are some signs of optimism, but the pressure of ICUs is of continuing concern.

The demand on the health services is considerable, so it was welcome news yesterday that an additional 2,300 beds are in now in place in the support centres as announced by the Minister of Internal Administration.

Another piece of positive news was the announcement of a mechanism being put in place for seeking the assistance of volunteers to support the SNS. We promoted this on our Facebook page on Wednesday reaching nearly 30 thousand people with many responses stating that they had done this, or were considering doing so. This in my view brings out all the best in voluntarism among the community. If you wish to do so please check the details through the link here

Some further good news is that that 15,000 firefighters and 20,000 members of the security forces will begin to be vaccinated against Covid-19 next week. This will be mainly those involved in front line operational duties who have regular contact with the public.

On the subject of vaccines, the Prime Minister’s message to the public yesterday was to, “wait serenely for your turn to be vaccinated”. The guarantee, on the other hand, is that everyone will be contacted to receive the vaccine against Covid-19.

“You don’t have to rush to the emergency room, go to the health centre or make phone calls,” said António Costa. “People will receive a message saying the time and place of the vaccination. They simply have to wait and they will be called in turn. Those who do not have a cell phone will receive a call or a letter,” he said.

It is important to understand that Portugal is dependent on the production of vaccines by the industry and that it is vital that this industry is able to increase production capacity. António Costa stressed that the pharmaceutical companies have already committed to fulfil this objective. The Prime Minister said that “we will only return to normal when we are all vaccinated or when at least 70% of people are vaccinated “.

So the message here is to be patient. I find it somewhat ironical just a few weeks ago that people were complaining that the vaccine development period had been rushed, but now that that they cannot obtain the vaccine soon enough! We all have to be patient and await our turn. There is little point comparing the roll out in one country with another, as the only difference as to when we receive the vaccine may be just a few weeks.

There have, over the last few days, been a number of reports of allegations against certain Mayors and other officials that they have been vaccinated where their position and medical condition does not allow for this under Phase One of the vaccination roll out plan. It is best to avoid speculation concerning this, other than to say that this is a serious matter and it is reported that the prosecution services are looking into this. We welcome the message therefore from the new coordinator, Vice Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, of the vaccination plan against Covid-19 in Portugal who guaranteed on Wednesday, that he will tighten the rules and control the process.

It is pleasing to see that the effects of the current State of Emergency law, coupled with an increase in enforcement by the security forces, is clearly making a difference in terms of reduction in transmission. Clearly the closure of schools and the consequential reduction in movements has been a significant contributory factor. As such it is almost certain, without being speculative, that the current measures in force will be carried forward (as is almost certain) for a further period of 15 days with effect from 15^th February.

Please have a Safe Day

Headlines

Austria’s support to fight the pandemic in Portugal

At the end of last week, following contacts at the highest level between Heads of Government, the Ministry of Health held bilateral contact, within the framework of European cooperation, with the Minister of Health of the Republic of Austria, with a view to supporting the combat the pandemic in Portugal.

In this context, the Austrian Government has provided capacity for the treatment of 10 intensive care patients in different hospitals in the country.

This option, of support that may be fundamental at a time when Portugal still faces high pressure on hospitals, was referred for consideration by the Monitoring Committee for the National Response in Intensive Care Medicine for Covid-19.

The Portuguese Government stresses that “they are important gestures of European solidarity, but symbolic in the battle of the pandemic. There were several offers, with all hypotheses being considered in order to continue to provide health care to the Portuguese”.

Covid-19

On Friday Portugal counts another 258 deaths and 6,916 new cases of Covid-19, according to the daily balance of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).

Taking into account the number of new cases, deaths and recoveries there are now 156,758 active cases 4,684 less than on Thursday.

The DGS epidemiological bulletin indicates there are 6,412 people in hospital 84 less than the previous day, and 904 in intensive care (a new maximum since the beginning of the pandemic), 41 more than yesterday.

Health authorities have 198,263 contacts under surveillance, 6,073 fewer than yesterday.

The bulletin also reveals that 11,342 more patients have recovered bring the total to 585,276.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Portugal has recorded 13,740 deaths and 755,774 cases of infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus,

Health

Covid-19. Third week of January had the most deaths since the start of the pandemic

More than 75 percent of deaths in Portugal between January 11th and 24th were from people over 75 years old, according to the INE in the bulletin on mortality

The third week of January this year was the one that registered the most deaths in Portugal since the beginning of the pandemic, released this Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), which recorded 4898 deaths in that period.

More than 75 percent of deaths in Portugal between January 11th and 24th were from people over 75 years old, according to the INE in the bulletin on mortality, which states that 24.3% of the 4530 deaths in the second week and 34, 6% of the 4,898 in the third week of January (18 to 24) were attributed to Covid-19.

The greatest excess of mortality was found among people aged 90 and over, with an increase of 87.9% in relation to the average for the same period calculated based on the last five years.

In the third week there was an excess of mortality (compared to the average for the same period in the last five years) of 70.9%, while in the second week it was 60.9%. Of this increase in the number of deaths in relation to the average, 64.4% in the second week and 83.3% in the third week were attributed to Covid-19.

In this period of the second and third weeks of January, 63.1% of the 9,428 people who died were admitted to hospitals. Three regions concentrated 82.6% of the total deaths: North (27.8%), Centre (27.2%) and Metropolitan Area of Lisbon (27.6%).

The highest number of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants occurred in Alentejo (140.5), Centro (115.7), Lisbon Metropolitan Area (90.9%) and Algarve (90.3).

The Effect of the Restrictions on Covid-19

Since the start of Covid-19 in Portugal, the Ricardo Jorge National Institute (INSA) has measured the R(t) in Portugal and recorded its evolution in all national regions.

From December 25th, the pace accelerated dramatically.

On January 7th, the government imposed new restrictions, which worsened three times: on January 13th, 18th and 21st, the date on which practically total new confinement was determined, including the closing of schools.

What effect did the measures have on the speed of transmission of the disease?

The measures of January 7th (which included the curfew across the national territory and extending to the high-risk municipalities the ban on driving on public roads after 1 pm) had an immediate effect to contain the damage felt since Christmas.

But new rules imposed on January 13th – which established the general duty of home collection, closing restaurants, closing culture or mandatory teleworking – and those of January 18th (banning circulation between municipalities, closing public spaces that are conducive to agglomerations) did not have the desired effect.

Only the closure of schools on January 21st and the closure of practically all non-essential activity, accompanied by an increase in fines for those who do not comply with the containment rules, had immediate consequences on the pace of transmission of Covid-19.

The effects of late December 2020 and early 2021, however, continue to be felt. On January 28th, there was a peak in daily cases, with a new maximum of 303 deaths, repeated on January 31st.

But since then, the indicators of new cases and deaths have been improving, probably as a result of the new confinement.

Covid-19: Santa Maria Hospital has 60 patients admitted to intensive care

The Hospital de Santa Maria, in Lisbon, has 395 patients with Covid-19, of whom 60 are hospitalized in intensive care, the President of the Board of Directors of the hospital said to Lusa agency today.

“The remaining patients [335] are hospitalized in the infirmary and in the emergency room, waiting to go up to the floors”, Daniel Ferro told Lusa.

The chairman of the Board of Directors of the Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, which is part of the Santa Maria Hospital, said that the average number of patients hospitalized daily in that unit is 25 and, “more and more, of lower age groups”.

“The notion that we have in this second phase is that people in the lower age groups have been affected and, in general, the severity is also greater”, he stressed.

Asked by Lusa about the possible lack of beds and means, the administrator pointed to the “enormous pressure” that Santa Maria is subjected to, with the daily arrival of many patients, stressing that the hospital unit “is at the limit”.

“We are currently the hospital that has the most patients. We have received patients from other hospitals who sometimes suspend the reception of patients in an emergency. All of this makes the pressure great and that, as the needs exist, we are opening wards and that is what we have been doing and that is what we will do at this time”, he assured.

Despite this “limit” situation, Daniel Ferro appealed to the tranquillity of the Portuguese and guaranteed that “until now, no one has stopped being treated and receiving the care he needs”, given the “quality and professionalism of health professionals”.

Outbreak at Casa do Artista with 42 infected: half are users

The number infected in the outbreak of Covid-19 at Casa do Artista, in Lisbon, is 42 people, half of whom are users and, of these, ten are hospitalized, a source from the Regional Health Administration (ARS) told Lusa this Friday. Lisbon and Tagus Valley.

According to the same source, among the residents of Casa do Artista there are “21 active cases, eleven of which are in the institution, duly separated from the negative ones, and 10 are hospitalized”. In addition, there are 21 active cases among employees, who are “fulfilling isolation in their homes”.

According to the same source, since the beginning of the outbreak, during the month of January, six deaths have been registered at Casa do Artista.

To Lusa, ARS Lisboa e Vale do Tejo stressed that, “as usual, the local health authority, in conjunction with the direction of Casa do Artista, determined the Public Health measures appropriate to the situation according to DGS guidelines [Directorate-General for Health], such as the evaluation and activation of the contingency plan, testing, confinement of positive cases and separation of positive and negative”

Covid-19. Security forces and firefighters start vaccination next week

The Minister of Internal Administration, Eduardo Cabrita, said this Friday that 15,000 firefighters and 20,000 members of the security forces will begin to be vaccinated against the Covid-19 next week.

“Next week, the vaccination of essential functions of the State will begin, it would highlight the firefighters, about 15 thousand and about 20 thousand elements of the security forces [PSP and GNR]”, said Eduardo Cabrita.

The minister spoke to journalists in Castelo Branco, where he travelled to preside over the signing ceremony of the protocol between the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) and MOVIJOVEM – Youth Mobility, for the operation of five Rear Support Structures (EAR) in youth hostels.

The Minister of Home Affairs explained that not all elements of the security forces will now receive the vaccine against Covid-19.

“It is not all staff. They are those who, primarily, are assigned to operational activities, from the surveillance of people in prophylactic isolation, to the guarantee of respect for the rules of the state of emergency or the disinfections that have been made by GNR”, he concluded.

Support centres provide 2300 beds

The national network of reserve support centres has been reinforced with five more centres in youth hostels and currently integrates about 2,300 beds distributed throughout the country.

“What we do today is yet another example of the timely response that aims to support those who must respond [to the pandemic], health and social security. These centres, since November, have allowed us to create a network that today is present in all districts of the country “, said, this Friday, the Minister of Internal Administration, in Castelo Branco, where he chaired the signing ceremony of the protocol between the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) and Movijovem – Youth Mobility, for the operation of five Rear Support Structures (EAR) in youth hostels.

“These centres have a national capacity to accommodate 2,300 people and are designed to receive Covid patients who no longer require hospitalization,” he explained.

The minister also underlined that the EARs allow beds to be released in hospitals, receiving people who are not yet in a position to go to their homes or homes.

“There are 212 people installed in these centres, that is, about 10% of the installed capacity. This is an action that has involved these three areas, civil protection, social action and health. There is also a great connection to the local authorities”, he stressed.

During the signing ceremony of the protocols, the Secretary of State for Youth and regional coordinator of the fight against the pandemic in the centre of the country, João Paulo Rebelo, explained that there are 401 beds in Rear Support Structures in this region

Vaccination: By SMS, phone call or letter, your turn will come. It is the guarantee of António Costa to the Portuguese

The message is to “wait serenely for your turn to be vaccinated”. The guarantee, on the other hand, is that everyone will be contacted to receive the vaccine against Covid-19.

“You don’t have to rush to the emergency room, go to the health centre or make phone calls,” said António Costa. “People will receive a message saying the time and place of the vaccination. They simply have to wait and they will be called in turn. Those who do not have a cell phone will receive a call or a letter,” he said.

The Prime Minister was speaking to journalists after a visit to the private hospital CUF Tejo, where he was accompanied by the Minister of Health, Marta Temido.

Stressing that Portugal is “dependent on the production [of vaccines] by the industry” and that “it is important that this industry is able to increase production capacity”, the prime minister recalled that “we will only return to normal when we are all vaccinated or when at least 70% of people are vaccinated “.

“This is the fight we are doing,” he reiterated.

Covid-19. Ten deputies and 24 officials have been infected since March 2020

Since 10th December, the Assembly of the Republic has carried out 1029 tests on deputies, parliamentary employees, collaborators and party advisers.

At the moment when vaccination against Covid-19 will start, the Assembly of the Republic registered ten cases of infection of deputies and 24 of parliamentary employees since March last year, according to the general secretary. Last week, ten deputies were in isolation, but the number varies over time – in the previous week there were only two. As for the number of tests, 1,029 have been carried out since the beginning of December, of which only nine were positive.

People from all areas of Parliament’s operation are covered: deputies (258 tests were carried out, which means that some of the 230 have already repeated); parliamentary officials (362 tests); members of parliamentary groups (227, as advisers and lawyers); security forces (PSP and GNR who serve in the palace, 35); employees of companies that provide services there, such as the bar, cleaning and maintenance (139); and also journalists (8). Under the prerogative of the State of Emergency, which determines that companies and other entities can demand tests from employees and those who frequent the space, the target names for testing are warned in the previous days.

The idea is to reach people from all organic units and from all spaces and services, specifies João Amaral, director of the communication office, including those that the Assembly has in other buildings in the immediate vicinity and where parliamentary divisions or entities like UTAO operate. Despite the nine positive tests (only two were officials), services have not yet closed in Parliament.

Costa praises the mobilization of the private and social health sectors to fight the epidemic

“For the pandemic to be eradicated, it must be eradicated in the European Union and on a global scale, which is a huge effort”, underlined the prime minister.

The Prime Minister also underlined that to speed up the vaccination process, the industry has to increase the vaccine production capacity. António Costa stressed that the pharmaceutical companies have already committed to fulfil this objective.

For the head of government, it is essential to vaccinate the majority of the population in order to return to normality: “We will only return to normality in our lives when we are all vaccinated or, at least, 70% of the population, reaching group immunity”.

“It is essential that each one waits serenely for his or her turn to be vaccinated”, he recalled with the indication that the call for the vaccine will arrive via SMS or letter.

The Prime Minister also said today that one thing is the turmoil of political debate and another is reality, praising the joint work of the National Health Service and the private and social sectors in combating Covid-19.

“I want to leave a word of thanks here, because one thing is the turmoil of political debate and another thing is reality. Since March we have been in contact, we have worked together, and the National Health Service (SNS) and private hospitals and of the social sector, or of the Armed Forces, have been mobilized whenever necessary to respond to this pandemic situation “, maintained the leader of the executive.

Covid-19: Government will not give point tolerance (official day off) on Tuesday of Carnival

The Government will not give an official day of for workers on Carnival Tuesday, the 16th, because the country is in general confinement due to the Covid-19, without public festivities, Lusa source told the agency executive officer.

“Point tolerance (official day off) aims to allow people to participate in festivities and celebrations that this year will not exist in view of the country’s current context,” said the same government source.

Next week, the State of Emergency in Portugal should be renewed for another 15 days, extending until March 1st, and everything indicates that the general duty of retention and the closure of a wide range of activities to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

On the other hand, according to the Government, on the 16th, distance learning should be underway in a period that is usually of academic interruption.

Since António Costa is prime minister, this will be the first time that there will be no point tolerance on Tuesday of Carnival.

The current general confinement in Portugal has been in place since the 15th and the State of Emergency since November 9th.

Covid-19: More than half of schools reported cases of infection

More than half of the country’s public schools have registered at least one case of infection by Covid-19, according to data from the Ministry of Education released today by Fenprof, which refer to situations in almost three thousand educational establishments.

Since the beginning of the school year, “2,933 public schools on the continent, which do not include higher education”, have reported cases of infection among its population, according to information from the Ministry of Education handed over to Fenprof following a sentence handed down by the Administrative Court of Círculo of Lisbon.

The data arrived at Fenprof after the federation appealed to the court, which forced the tutelage to give this information.

The National Federation of Teachers points out that there are 5,568 educational establishments on the continent, “which means that there have been cases of infection in more than half of them”.

Despite the identification of educational establishments, there is no information on how many cases were registered in each school, despite having been requested by the federation.

Without these data, it is not possible to quantify how many outbreaks there were, but Fenprof concludes that the figures released today indicate that the number “outbreaks was well above just a few dozen, as was repeated by the Directorate-General for Health”.