Year: 2020

Prime Minister António Costa, Ministers of State and Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, National Defence João Gomes Cravinho, Internal Administration, Eduardo Cabrita and Health, Marta Temido, met with the specialists in charge of the vaccination plan against Covid-19, in Lisbon.

The Minister of Health, in a statement stated that on December 3 “there will be the first public presentation of the baseline scenario of the vaccination plan against Covid-19”, adding that “the national amount could reach 200 million euros and exceed 22 million doses’.

Marta Temido said that the working group “presented the four essential plans that will be made public tomorrow (3^rd December): which vaccines are available and, depending on their quantities, which are the target groups for vaccination, where will the vaccine be administered, where electronic registration will be made, as well as aspects related to logistics, security, and communication aspects ”.

The Minister underlined that everyone should “have the perception that the vaccination process will be long, over several months, so we will have to ensure that we keep the rules until we can guarantee the administration of the vaccines, which we estimate may be made available to beginning of 2021 ».

Marta Temido underlined that “there are still many uncertainties in this process”, highlighting four.

The first is that “the results of the last phase of clinical trials prior to the authorization of introducing medicines are not yet known, so the efficacy of vaccines is not yet assessed by the European Medicines Agency”, although dates are already set for two vaccines.

The second is that “there are uncertainties with published clinical trials that mostly cover people between 18 and 55 years old”.

The third is that “the duration of immunity from vaccination is not yet fully known”.

And the fourth, “that the available data do not recommend the vaccination of children and pregnant women”.

The Minister recalled that “Portugal has been following the process conducted by the European Union for the development, production and distribution of vaccines” since June, having participated in the monitoring committee, and that “in August the Council of Ministers authorized the first expenditure on the acquisition of vaccines in the context of joint European purchases, in the initial amount of 20 million euros”.

Officially, the 1st of December is a public holiday in the country, to commemorate the restoration of Portuguese independence.

Between the late 16th century until the mid-17th century, Portugal was under the Iberian Union with Spain. This led to Portugal being ruled by three generations of Spanish Kings, which are known in our history as the “Filipes” as all three Kings (Philip II, Philip III, Philip IV) who ruled Portugal, had the same first name. What set the stage for Spanish rule was a dynastical crisis brought on by the actions of the young Portuguese King, Sebastian I. At the tender age of 3, Sebastian became King of Portugal, inheriting a vast colonial empire from his grandfather, King John III.

At age of 21 king Sebastian made the fateful decision of invading Morocco on crusade a campaign that would end in a crushing defeat in the battle of Alcacér-Quibir. No one knows what became of Sebastian. He disappeared in battle, giving rise to legends over centuries that we would return on a misty day to save his Kingdom.

Read more here

The three main claimants to the throne were Catarina de Bragança, Don António Prior do Crato, and Philip II of Spain (a relative of Sebastião), an ambitious King who sought to add Portugal to his vast empire.

Philip II came to rule Portugal, through an astute combination of diplomacy and sheer brute force. The “Philippine era” would be initially positive for Portugal. However, during the first half of the 17th century the Spanish empire entered a period of decline. The Dutch and the English seized various Spanish and Portuguese colonial possessions and the Spanish Empire was struggling with the Dutch Revolt and the Thirty Years’ War. Discontent was brewing in Portugal.

The Portuguese nobility stood to lose considerable power and influence, so a group of nobles known as the Forty Conspirators organized a coup against the Spanish forces with the end goal of placing John, the 8th Duke of Braganza, on the Portuguese throne. The coup was carried out on the 1st of December 1640. The Forty Conspirators killed the Secretary of State, Miguel de Vasconcelos, and imprisoned Margaret of Savoy, cousin to the King himself and ruler of Portugal in his name. John of Braganza would be acclaimed by the people of Lisbon on the same day, and would subsequently reign as King John IV.

The timing of the execution was specifically chosen to coincide with Spanish campaigns in the Thirty Years’ War and efforts to quell a revolt in Catalonia, thus allowing the new King time to consolidate his rule and mount a defence before the Spanish could act against Portugal. The ensuing conflict would last 28 years, and would be marked by various border skirmishes and raids. However, there were five major battles during the War of Restoration, namely: the Battle of Montijo (1644), the Battle of Lines of Elvas (1659), the Battle of Ameixial (1663), Battle of Castelo Rodrigo (1664), and the last major engagement was the Battle of Montes Claros (1665).

All of these battles are commemorated in the Obelisk at the centre of Lisbon’s Restauradores Square. Portugal also relied on diplomatic and military aid from England, who wanted to undermine Spanish hegemony in continental Europe, and when an alliance with France was secured, the Spanish would be forced to sign the Treaty of Lisbon in February 1668, recognizing the house of Braganza as the Royal dynasty of Portugal and putting an end to a conflict between two neighbours.

The Minister of Internal Affairs today considered that greater control at the internal borders of the Schengen area, during the first months of the pandemic, was not effective in containing the new coronavirus.

“At the level of internal borders, Portugal considers that the increase in border controls was not effective in stopping the virus, still creating problems for the internal market”, said Eduardo Cabrita.

This assessment was made by the Portuguese government official during the 1st Schengen Forum, which today brought together by videoconferences ministers of the European Union (EU) Internal Administration, members of the European Parliament and members of the European Commission.

During his speech, Eduardo Cabrita considered that the response of the member states to the current health crisis should be coordinated and rejected unilateral measures against movement in the Schengen Area, defending instead the adoption of common criteria, in coordination with the ministries. Health and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

“What we have seen happening all over Europe, with the imposition of quarantine on European citizens or with unilateral obligations to present PCR [diagnostic tests to covid-19] for entry into some countries, is not an effective way to fight against the disease, ”he said.

Speaking to Lusa, after the meeting, the minister explained that this is one of the factors that threatens to jeopardize the Schengen Area, which he classified as “one of the EU’s greatest achievements”, accompanied by other issues such as the prevention of terrorism and the management of irregular migratory flows at the external borders.

On this point, in his intervention at the forum, the minister considered that the controls there are “one of the main objectives to keep the Schengen Area functioning”.

“That is why it makes us happy that, during the Portuguese Presidency of the EU, we can start to see the European Border and Coast Guard working with more skills. And in our Presidency, we will give due importance to this new achievement of European policies”, he stressed.

Also for the management of external borders, the government defended common criteria, which must still be reinforced, in this case in the entry of citizens of third countries, through land, air and maritime borders.

Eduardo Cabrita assured that the country is committed to the development of the new Asylum and Migration Pact, adding, however, that migration cannot be seen only as a problem of border control.

“We must take a broader approach, including the external dimension of necessary cooperation with Europe’s neighbouring countries in promoting their development and preventing trafficking in human beings, but also in preventing transit between these neighbouring countries destined for Europe ”, he explained during the meeting.

The Schengen Forum will be repeated next year, in April, already during the Portuguese Presidency of the EU, to prepare the legislative proposals that the European Commission intends to present by May, namely the revision of the Schengen Area regulation and the common visa regulation.

At the next meeting, new assessments will also be made on the functioning of internal borders and on the progress of the common external border control process, Eduardo Cabrita told Lusa.

During the meeting, Eduardo Cabrita also underlined the importance of regular discussions on the functioning and strengthening of the Schengen Area, which he classified as “the crown jewel of European integration” also pointing to the strengthening of common values ​​in this context as one of the objectives of the Presidency Portuguese.

 

 

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimates that, if Portugal maintains the restrictions currently adopted, it will register in December “very low levels” of new cases of covid-19, followed by fewer hospital admissions and deaths.

“In the most recent projections, we estimated that 22 of the 31 Member States [of the European Union and the European Economic Area] will have a reduction in the number of confirmed cases and, subsequently, in hospital admissions and deaths, to very low levels”, indicates the ECDC in written reply sent to the Lusa agency.

Portugal is one of those countries, but this only if “they maintain the response measures in force on November 18, 2020 and until the end of the forecast period, which is December 25, 2020”, adds the European agency, alluding to the report released this week.

At a time when the epidemiological situation regarding the covid-19 disease continues to worsen in Portugal, with new daily maximum hospitalizations and intensive care, the country is in a state of emergency, with restrictions on circulation on the public road during the weekends and weekends and commuting between municipalities on holidays, more limited hours for shops and restaurants and mandatory use of masks on the street and in the workplace.

If these measures continue to be adopted in Portugal, ECDC foresees, in the report released this week with short-term projections on the evolution of the epidemiological situation in the European Union (EU), that after a peak of infections in mid-November, it will register a sharp slowdown in December, which is expected to culminate in less than 2,000 daily cases in January.

In the case of daily numbers of deaths, hospitalizations and entries into intensive care, the peak is expected to be reached in December, according to this European agency, which expects a slowdown in January.

“Given the response measures currently in place, we anticipate that more than half of the EU Member States and the European Economic Area will see a reduction of more than 50% in the daily number of confirmed cases, and a subsequent reduction in associated hospital demand and deaths, ”says the ECDC in the report.

At the same time, “more than two-thirds of member states are expected to experience some decrease in the daily rate of confirmed cases as a consequence of current policies,” he adds.

The European public health agency admits, however, that these projections “continue to be a great challenge, since they are very dependent on the policies enacted by the Member States”.

In the case of the estimates released this week, “they were made shortly after the implementation of new measures, including orders and recommendations for staying at home”, so “there is little data observed on their impact and wide ranges of uncertainty”, safeguards the ECDC .

Another scenario considered by the ECDC in this report was if “the behavior returned to that of April 1, 2020, when the most stringent measures were in force across Europe”, with the agency verified that, in this scenario, “all countries would attend a decline in the incidence of covid-19 ”.

Based in Sweden, ECDC’s mission is to help European countries respond to disease outbreaks.

The covid-19 pandemic has already claimed more than 1.4 million deaths in more than 60 million infection cases worldwide.

In Portugal, the barriers of 4,000 deaths and 280,000 confirmed cases of infection have already been overcome.

The disease is transmitted by a new coronavirus detected in late December 2019 in Wuhan, a city in central China.

The regions of Madeira, Lisbon and Algarve won, in the categories best island destination, best ‘city break’ and best beach destination, the World Travel Awards 2020, according to a statement from the Ministry of Economy.

“Madeira continues to be the best island destination in the world, in the 2020 edition of the World Travel Awards, which also distinguished Lisbon as the best ‘city break’ destination in the world and the Algarve, as the best beach destination in the world”, reads up on the same note.

“Overcoming all constraints, we preserve the reputation and notoriety of our destinations,” said Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques, cited in the statement.

According to the minister, these awards are a sign that Portugal has shown the world that it is “a safe country, ready for everyone to receive, when it is possible”.

The World Travel Awards, considered the ‘Oscars’ of tourism, are “attributed annually, since 1993, by professionals of the sector on a worldwide scale, distinguishing the work developed in the tourism industry in order to stimulate the competitiveness and quality of tourism”, the government recalled.

In addition to these regions, Portugal won prizes in several other categories, as revealed by the tutelage:

-‘World’s Leading Luxury Leisure Resort ‘2020 (best luxury resort) – Conrad Algarve

-‘World’s Leading Tourism Development Project ‘2020 (best development project) – Dark Sky Alqueva, Portugal and Spain

-‘World’s Leading Golf & Villa Resort ‘2020 (best golf resort) – Dunas Douradas Beach Club, Portugal

-‘World’s Leading Wine Region Hotel ‘2020 (best hotel with a wine theme) – L’AND Vineyards, Portugal

-World’s Leading Adventure Tourist Attraction 2020 (best adventure tourism attraction) – Passadiços do Paiva (Arouca UNESCO Global Geopark), Portugal

-‘World’s Leading Classic Hotel ‘(best classic hotel) 2020 – Olissippo Lapa Palace Hotel, Portugal

-‘World’s Leading Conservation Company ‘2020 (best preservation company) – Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua, Portugal

-‘World’s Leading Airline to Africa ‘2020 (best airline for Africa) – TAP Air Portugal

-‘World’s Leading Airline to South America ‘2020 (best airline in Latin America) – TAP Air Portugal

-‘World’s Leading Inflight Magazine ‘2020 (best in-flight magazine) – Up Magazine (TAP Air Portugal)

-‘World’s Leading City Break Destination ‘2020 (best city for’ city break ‘) – Lisbon, Portugal

-‘World’s Leading Beach Destination ‘2020 (best beach destination) – The Algarve, Portugal

-‘World’s Leading Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant ‘2020 (best luxury restaurant) – Vila Joya Hotel Restaurant @ Vila Joya, Portugal

-‘World’s Leading Island Destination ‘2020 (best island destination) – Madeira Islands

This task-force has a six-month mandate, renewable depending on the progress of operationalization of vaccination against covid-19.

The task-force created by the Government to coordinate the entire vaccination plan against covid-19, from the vaccination strategy to the logistical operation of storage, distribution and administration of vaccines, has one month to define the entire process.

According to the dispatch published this Thursday in Diário da República, signed by the ministers of National Defence, Internal Administration and Health, this task force has a six-month mandate, renewable depending on the progress of operationalization of vaccination against covid-19 .

The task force has a coordination nucleus, led by former Secretary of State Francisco Ramos, which includes elements from the Directorate-General for Health, Infarmed and the ministries of National Defence and Home Affairs and has the technical support of different structures.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS), the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, IP (INÇA), the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health Health (SPMS) and the Hospital Common Use Service (SUCH) are the technical support entities.

The task force’s coordination unit is responsible for delivering within 30 days all the documents necessary to fully define the vaccination plan against covid-19, both from the point of view of logistics (storage and distribution of the different vaccines), as well as the strategy vaccination (identification of priority target groups, administration and clinical follow-up of results and adverse reactions).

It should also define a communication plan with the population about vaccination against covid-19, “with a view to making information available, in an objective, clear and transparent manner about the process”, the order states.

It also has to articulate with the responsible bodies in the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and the Azores all aspects necessary for the realization of the vaccination plan against covid-19 in those regions.

“The task force can promote the hearing of relevant bodies, such as professional public associations and, whenever it deems necessary, request the support of other experts or other institutions for the development of the work to be carried out”, adds the dispatch.

The members who participate in the ‘task force’ do not receive any remuneration for the exercise of their functions.

Last week, the prime minister revealed that Portugal was prepared to buy around 16 million doses of three vaccines against covid-19 and added that Brussels is preparing to combat disinformation campaigns in relation to vaccination.

 

 

The Secretary of State for Internal Administration, Patrícia Gaspar, stressed the importance of “social networks” as an essential tool for building a more robust and more resilient civil protection system.

In the closing session of the conference “Bravos Heroes – For a sustainable forest. The role of digital”, promoted by the Global Media Group and transmitted online by Diário de Notícias, Jornal de Notícias and TSF, the Secretary of State recalled that, in the last 20 years ago, the whole paradigm of forest protection against fires has changed and that new digital tools are today instruments that, if used well, can contribute to improving the entire system.

Civil Protection intervention in these new times, stressed Patrícia Gaspar, must cover the various dimensions: prevention, awareness, information to the public, but also the response and preparation of communities.

«Where prevention ends and where combat begins are very fine lines. What is information, what are self-protection messages? Everything is mixed and the lines are not always easy to draw. The ordinary citizen, in this particular matter, has an absolutely fundamental role to play. And without that dimension, we will never be able to achieve the goals that are designed for the next decade and the next 20 years, “said Patrícia Gaspar, stressing that it is necessary to resize Civil Protection services, nature protection services and all forces that, directly or indirectly, share responsibilities in this matter.

“This is something that you cannot do as quickly as we would all like to. But this is, for me, one of the great challenges: to be able to transform our public service to rise to this challenge, to have technicians, to have people who can explore and work on this dimension, who can use all the information that is available so that can create a higher level of knowledge and sharing”, she said.

Patrícia Gaspar also stressed that the technological leap of the last decades has been a decisive contribution in supporting the operational decision. “In the great fires of 2003, the National Command of Operations of the National Authority for Civil Protection – at the time the National Fire and Civil Protection Service – received, every two hours, information, in Excel, that arrived by fax, of the 18 District Commands”, recalled the Secretary of State.

“What we have today are screens, digital and minute information. And if that information is no longer available by the minute, panic is created. We made a huge generational leap in a very short time, which will require a great challenge of adaptation on our part, a continuous capacity to work on these issues, aware of the less sympathetic dimension of these tools – and trying to deconstruct the less we have good” she concluded.

 

#EuSobrevivi To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Government, through the Secretary of State for Citizenship and Equality, Rosa Monteiro, launches the #EuSobrevivi campaign, which reinforces surveillance against domestic violence and warns against challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Pact against Violence, presented at 3 pm through a webinar, is also launched. The Pact aims to support a number of organizations associated with it in promoting internal practices to prevent and combat domestic violence, based, for example, on the Good Practice Guide : Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence in Entities Employers.

The #EuSobrevivi campaign is based on messages written by victims during the first wave of the pandemic to the SMS 3060 line, conveying useful information about existing support services. The campaign video takes place in a professional context, warning of the importance of people who, in their day-to-day life, have contact with potential victims of domestic violence to mobilize themselves to support them.

The National Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence (RNAVVD) currently covers 95% of the national territory, including specialized care and reception responses. And the network registered 25 thousand calls in the first wave of the pandemic. In this second wave, the national network has registered, since September, 12,500 calls.

The campaign has the collaboration of AMCV – Women Against Violence Association, Women Without Borders Association, Ser Mulher Association, APAV – Portuguese Victim Support Association, APF – Family Planning Association, Plano I Association, Portuguese Women Association Jurists, Coolabora, Hearts with Crown, FEM – Feminists in Movement, IAC – Child Support Institute, Democratic Women’s Movement, Portuguese Platform for Women’s Rights, UMAR – Alternative Women’s Union and Response and Breaking Silence Association, and it will be published in various national, regional and local media outlets, movie theaters, means of transport, gas stations, hypermarkets and the ATM network.

The Pact Against Violence is the result of collaboration between the Government and a network that already has 20 organizations, such as Sonae, Mercadona, Lidl, Vodafone, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and BP Portugal.

In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, these organizations promptly responded to the appeal by the Secretary of State for Citizenship and Equality, namely by supporting the dissemination of alert and information campaigns on services and support lines, in the creation of the SMS 3060 line, and in the donation of essential goods, computers and personal protection equipment to the structures of the national network.

Violence against women and domestic violence is a public crime and a collective responsibility. This means it can be reported by anyone not just the victim.

Call 800 202 148 or send an SMS to 3060