Month: July 2021

 

Press Conference by the Prime Minister following Council of Ministers meeting on 29th July 2021

 

Please read in conjunction with the Government PowerPoint which Safe Communities Portugal has translated into English here:

De-Confinement-July-29 (1)

After a (decisive) meeting of the Council of Ministers on the measures that will be in place to combat the pandemic in Portugal, António Costa presented the decisions this Thursday, July 29, at a press conference, there will be an easing of restrictions.

The Government has set three dates for the next phase of opening up the economy and society in a “progressive and gradual manner”, the first beginning on 1 August. The Prime Minister announced that measures differentiated by municipality will no longer exist and all rules will now have a national dimension.

“Three factors justify [this measure]: the vaccination rate is now roughly homogeneous throughout the territory, secondly because the current Delta variant is predominant throughout the territory and, finally, we are entering a period of great inter-municipality and inter-regional mobility due to holidays. This differentiation would make little sense”, justified António Costa.

António Costa also announced that the use of the digital certificate (which proves that the citizen has been vaccinated against covid-19, has recovered from the disease or has obtained a negative test) will become “intensive”.

This tool will be mandatory:

• When accessing the interior of restaurants during the weekend and public holidays throughout the country;
• When travelling by sea or air;
• In tourist establishments or local accommodation;
• In gyms, in the case of group classes;
• In spas and thermal baths;
• In casinos and bingos;
• For cultural, sporting or corporate events with more than a thousand people (open environment) or 500 people (closed environment);
• Weddings, christenings or festivities with more than ten people;

 

According to the Government’s estimates, 85% of the population should be completely vaccinated in October. It is only after this percentage of vaccination that the country will start the third (and last) phase of this reopening.

António Costa is optimistic with the vaccination schedule defined by the task force, stating that the restrictions may be relieved sooner than expected, if the rate of the vaccinated population rises faster than expected. However, the Prime Minister warns that the pandemic still exists. And, if necessary, this deconfinement can be stopped, or frozen, as has happened before.

After much hesitation, the sector that has remained closed since the beginning of the pandemic may finally reopen. According to the Prime Minister, the expectation is that the bars and nightclubs can operate in the third phase of deconfinement, that is, sometime in October. But there will be rules. Operation will only be possible with a digital certificate or negative test.

 

Phase 1 – End of curfew (1 August)

• End of curfews for circulation on the public roads;
• Sporting events with an audience will be allowed (with rules to be defined by the DGS);
• Cultural shows will be allowed with 66% of the capacity;
• Weddings and christenings will be allowed with a capacity of 50%;
• Amusement parks may start operating again according to DGS rules, in a place authorized by the municipality;
• Telework goes from mandatory to recommended, when activities allow it.

In this phase, bars and nightclubs remain closed and popular festivals and pilgrimages are still not allowed to take place.

The prohibition of alcohol on public roads will remain in place for the coming weeks. António Costa says this restriction serves to “discourage gatherings” in the streets.

 

Phase 2 – End of mask use on public roads (early September)

• End of compulsory masking on public roads;
• Weddings and christenings 75% of full capacity;
• Cultural shows with 75% of the capacity;
• Public transport with no capacity limit;
• Public services without prior booking.

 

Phase 3 – Reopening of bars and nightclubs (October)

Here bars and discotheques will open – with the need to present a digital certificate and a negative test: “In this phase it will then be possible for bars and nightclubs to reopen”, said António Costa, who added that clients will have to present the digital certificates and tests that are already requested in restaurants.

Also at this stage restaurants will no longer have limitations on the capacity of their spaces.

“Up to now there has been no variant in which vaccines have not allowed us to control its impact and reduce its harmfulness. When we compare the current wave with the one in January, this is very clear. We should proceed and accelerate to complete the vaccination process. Until then, the greatest discipline among all of us, mask use and physical distance. Have confidence that the vaccination process will win the race to mutate the virus.

We will stop making the association of measures adopted weekly according to the evolution of the matrix, it is not justified at this stage with this rate of vaccination, but we will take into account the different warning signs”, said the Prime Minister.

The Government PowerPoint translated into English by Safe Communities Portugal is here.

De-Confinement-July-29 (1)

SOURCE: PÚBLICO.

 

 

 

Meeting of Infarmed 27th July 2021

 

The meeting took place this morning, the first since 28th May 2021, to listen to the experts concerning the pandemic.

This week, and after the meeting with the experts, the Government will define the new rules in view of the evolution of the pandemic and, above all, taking into account the progress of vaccinations.

The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Prime Minister, António Costa, the President of the Assembly of the Republic, Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, the Minister of Health, Marta Temido, and representatives of the political parties will hear the interventions of several specialists. from 10:00 am at the headquarters of the National Medicines Authority, in a meeting that had not taken place since 28 May.

This page will be updated upon the start of the meeting.

The Minister of Health opened the meeting at 10.03 hrs

André Peralta Santos, from DGS, revealed that the incidence is higher than 400 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. However, the rate of increase in the number of cases “has been decreasing”.

There is greater incidence in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto, as well as in the Algarve. In Lisbon and the Algarve, there is already “a trend of stabilization or descent”. In Porto, there are still “growth areas”, since, here, the resurgence of the pandemic occurred after it had occurred in Lisbon.

Since early June there has been an “increasing trend” in admissions, with 198 in ICU and 900 in total on 25 July. At the moment, there is an occupancy of 78% of the reference value of 255 beds. The age group with the highest occupation in the ICU is between 40 and 59 years old.

Until recently (week 26 of the pandemic), only 2% of those admitted to the ward had the complete vaccination schedule. This value rises to 5% in the case of those admitted to the ICU.

Ana Paula Rodrigues, from INSA, considered that the moment is of “high incidence”, although with “a tendency to stabilize”. “We will be close to the peak,” she said. Over 60 years, due to the vaccine, there are fewer cases, and with less severity.

There is a smaller number of hospitalizations in the age groups with greater vaccination coverage. In young adults (20 to 40 years old), there is an increase in hospitalizations.

This is followed by the intervention of epidemiologist Henrique de Barros, who will talk about what to expect in winter. The goal for the next cold season, he explains, should be to have a “better winter” than the previous one, resorting to vaccination and respect for safety rules

 

New wave – small – in winter”

The model presented in January – in which the number of covid cases would be residual in September – will escape prediction due to delays in vaccination and the appearance of the Delta variant.

According to Henrique de Barros, for every 5 degrees decrease in average temperatures, there will be a 30% increase in cases.

Taking into account all the variables, the cold and people vaccinated, “we can expect a new wave – small, with little emphasis on admissions and deaths – for the winter”.

The proposed plan revealed by Raquel Duarte is divided into four levels, the 1st being the current (50%-50% full vaccination) and the 4th implying group immunity.

There are three “fundamental” rules for any level: the ventilation of spaces, the use of the digital certificate and the “self-assessment of risk”.

The “general rules” between levels 1 and 3 include the use of telecommuting “whenever possible”, the observance of detachment and the use of a mask “in closed environments and public events” (and whenever it is not possible to ensure adequate distance ).

In catering, the plan proposes a maximum of 6 to 8 people per table inside the spaces between levels 1 to 3. Outside, the limit is 10 people per table on level 1 and 15 people on level 2. On level 3, there will no longer be limits.

As for sport and big events, if you cannot control them, they should not take place between levels 1 and 2.

Raquel Duarte proposes that the deconfinement process should take into account lethality and variation in admissions, as well as the “complete vaccination coverage rate”.

Raquel Duarte asked her to bet more and more on the ventilation of interior spaces to “prepare for Autumn/Winter”.

The specialist wants to “keep transmission indicators” (incidence and R(t)) as “core indicators”. However, he proposes to include indicators of clinical severity and impact of mortality in the risk assessment of the pandemic.

“We are in a position to update the incidence threshold to 480 cases per 100,000 inhabitants,” he said. It also recommended that you continue to wear a mask.

The specialist Andreia Leite stated that the current situation in the UK implies “the acceptance of a high number of infected people”, which could affect the normal functioning of society, such as absenteeism from work or school and, consequently, the congestion of hospitals. It may also favor the appearance of new variants.

Andreia Leite, from the National School of Public Health at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, presented the proposal to revise the risk matrix, stressing that Portugal is not yet in a position to be completely unconfined, but rather to reduce the restrictive measures needed to control the situation. .

Thus, the proposal goes through a “transition phase”, updating the matrix to “480 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days”, with a limit of 255 beds in intensive care. Indicators such as transmission rate (Rt) and incidence should remain central, he warned, and indicators of clinical severity should also be measured,

The advance of vaccination “should influence the gradualism of deconfinement”.

But for now it is necessary to maintain the essential measures, such as the use of a mask.

Andreia Leite recalled the Netherlands’ retreat from the announced disconfinement and the noted risks to the release process announced in the United Kingdom.The risks of total deconfinement, he said, would imply “the acceptance of virus circulation and a high number of cases, accepting the possibility of long covid, even with limited understanding, disruption in schools, absenteeism from work, problems with services such as public health It can also lead to problems in intensive care. As well as the emergence of new variants.”

Ausenda Machado, from the INSA, revealed that the first dose of mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) provide 37% protection for the group between 65 and 79 years of age and 35% for those aged 80 and over.

João Paulo Gomes, from INSA, stated that, currently, the Delta variant represents 98.6% of the cases registered in Portugal. The UK variant only accounts for 1% of cases. Manaus (Brazil) is “residual” (maximum of 0.4%) and South Africa has not been detected in recent weeks.

The Lambda variant “has no expression” in Portugal and will not, in principle, be “a cause for concern”. This variant is mainly present in countries like Peru or Chile.

All regions have a Delta variant prevalence above 95%. In the North region, where the variant in question took longer to become hegemonic, this is also already happening.

With complete vaccination, this protection increases, respectively, to 78% and 68%.

The Delta variant is already “dominant” in European Union countries.

The population is “increasingly immune” and “increasingly able to deal with covid-19”. However, “new combinations of mutations” are expected, something the expert considers “natural” due to the levels of vaccination.

Carla Nunes, from the National School of Public Health, revealed that younger people have lower risk perception values ​​in case they come to be infected by covid-19 (only 37%, against 60% of the older group).

“We can imagine a winter in which life can get very close to what it was before,” he said, stressing the importance of vaccinating the youngest.

“If we don’t vaccinate the children, we’re going to have a spike in cases.”

57.1% of respondents say it is “difficult or very difficult” not to socialize with family or friends. The highest value (62.1%) is between 16 and 25 years old.

The greatest resistance to the vaccine (that is, those who do not want to take the vaccine or who have not yet decided) is found in the most active age groups, between 26 and 65 years, with about 25%. The highest number of respondents who answered that they had no intention of taking it was between 46 and 54 years old (19.9%).

Among respondents who do not want to get the vaccine, 57% said they did not have enough information. 50% said they were afraid of developing side effects and 40.7% considered that vaccines were not, in their opinion, effective.

20.9% prefer to gain immunity through contagion, 14% responded that covid-19 is not a dangerous disease for themselves and 7% believe they do not need the vaccine because they have already been contaminated. Only 2.3% said they did not believe in vaccines.

This was followed by the intervention of Vice Admiral Gouveia e Melo, who began by recalling that, throughout the year, the arrival of vaccines against covid-19 did not always correspond to expectations.

According to the person in charge of the task-force, in the 50-year-old age group there are about 4% to be vaccinated and 10% in the 40-year-old.

If the DGS decides to vaccinate children between 12 and 15 years old, the process will be done in September. The vaccination of teenagers starts on the weekend of August 14th

The goal of immunizing 70% of the Portuguese population with the first dose remains for the beginning of August: around the 8th, estimates Gouveia e Melo.

“We are winning the vaccination race, but to relax this rhythm is to give oxygen to the virus”, concluded the coordinator of the task-force

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rural Fire at Tojeiro, Marmelete, Monchique

 

17th – 19th July 2021

The full coverage of the fire through periodic situation reports can be down loaded from the Major Incident page for the Fire here.

 

THE PROFILE OF A SOPHISTICATED ARSONIST, RECENTLY ARRESTED, WHO USED  CIRCUIT TIMERS CONNECTED TO LIGHT BULBS TO START RURAL FIRES

Using the time circuit caused a glow in the filament of a light bulb, burning the surrounding combustible matter – at which time the person would be a long way away.

A 38-year-old man was arrested on 19^th July 2021 by the Judiciary Police on suspicion of having started at least 16 fires, including the fires in Sertã and Proença-a-Nova on previous weekend and the huge fire that ravaged Mação, in 2017, and that consumed 33 thousand hectares, said the Judiciary.

Profile of arsonists is diversifying. A man arrested earlier this week shows that it is time to innovate in the criminal investigation of forest fires.

The Judiciary Police (PJ) begins to confront more sophisticated arsonists. One of the last, arrested this week, would carefully plan the ignition, manufacturing a device that would enable him to be far away.

At 38, the man, reserved, discreet, lived with his mother, in the parish of Várzea de Cavaleiros, in the municipality of Sertã, in the district of Castelo Branco. The father died a few years ago in a tractor accident.

Male, single, no criminal record. The correspondence with the standard arsonist seems to end there. Not unemployed. He is not unskilled worker. He does not have a low level of education.

He came across by PJ as an electrical engineer capable of creating incendiary electronic contraptions. The Ordem dos Engenheiros hastened to clarify that he is not registered with that professional organization and therefore cannot be considered an engineer. Anyway, that was his training, working in a factory in a neighbouring municipality, Oleiros.

The point is that this is the third alleged forest arsonist presented by the PJ since the fire season began. And it has nothing in common with the 70-year-old alcoholic man who, in June, used a lighter to start a fire in Sanfins de Ferreira, Paços de Ferreira. Or with the unemployed, single man, aged 57, who, in July, used a direct flame to start a fire in the municipality of Figueiró dos Vinhos.

“Let’s say he is not part of the most frequent profile, which is that of socially disintegrated people”, agrees Carlos Farinha, deputy national director of the Judiciary Police. “On the one hand, the concept of social integration is relative. On the other hand, our psychology office has found cases that escape the closed profile of a few years ago. Let’s say that the mosaic has been gaining different colours, although some of them are even provided for in the literature and do not surprise those who make the assessment.”

It’s not just the differentiated profile. It is also the method. The device associated with a timer allowed him to schedule the fire hours or days in advance (up to 14 days, if he wanted to).

At Monday’s press conference, research coordinator Fernando Ramos explained that closing the time circuit caused a glow in the filament of a light bulb, burning the surrounding combustible matter. When that happened, the man could be far away, surrounded by people, free from suspicion.

Investigators are convinced that this tall, stocky man with short grey hair knows the progression of the flames. And that he would prepare everything in such a way as to ensure that the fire would not soon be controlled by the firefighters, he had a chance to gain some dimension, to get closer to the houses, to generate distress. He would choose the place and time, taking into account the slopes, the water lines, the weather forecast – the temperatures, the direction of the winds and the degree of humidity. He would prefer busy days, such as the weekend of the Gastronomy Festival in Maranho this year and 2019.

It is suspected that, more than seeing the flames or the bustle of firefighters, he was interested in observing the distress of others. “The bibliography says that some profiles of arsonists are associated with the exercise of power”, says Carlos Farinha, without wanting to elaborate on the suspect’s alleged motives. “Seeing people in affliction, knowing you are responsible for what gave rise to that affliction, can make you feel that you have a power.”

It was not easy to get to him. “The investigation begins in 2019 with a fire in Sertã in which we detected these incendiary artefacts”, he says. That year, they found the same mill in two fires and suspected they were facing the same author. “We worked hard to direct suspicion towards that person. We did a lot of information gathering. Who had been in that area? Who had given the alert? How had the fire started and developed? Things evolved.”

In 2020, authorities again found similar artefacts in the fires that devastated 5,000 hectares in Oleiros and 14,000 in Proença-a-Nova. So they decided to revisit old cases. And, in these steps, they discovered “things that had not been found or valued in 2018 or 2017.” Little by little, they gathered elements that led them to the suspect.

In his opinion, this case shows how much innovation is needed in the criminal investigation of forest fires. Using intrusive methods, such as the collection of network assets, cell location, telephone interceptions, in short, “everything that is provided for in the law, but little was used, because fires relied heavily on direct approach, next”.

Last Sunday, at 2:30 pm, the man will have activated devices in four areas covered by scrub, eucalyptus, pine, strawberry trees and other species, close to villages. In the fire, which consumed 60 hectares in the municipalities of Sertã and Proença-a-Nova, the GNR found a mill. And the Judiciary Police issued the search warrants that he had already had time to request.

For now, with the help of GNR, the PJ has found 16 electronic devices, including the fire that, in 2017, consumed 33 thousand hectares in Mação . Admits that more have been used and have not been discovered or devoured by the flames.

The expertise indicates that the 16 artifacts “have a similar function”. But to hold the suspect responsible, who has been awaiting trial at the Castelo Branco Prison since Tuesday, “it is necessary to gather more evidence, more evidence”, warns Carlos Farinha. “This is a work that will have to be deepened with the investigation.”

Asked how many inquiries have been opened and how many people have been detained for the crime of arson since the beginning of this year, the deputy national director replied that “it is not time for balance sheets”. It is time, yes, to give some information about cases that deserve attention, like this one and others.

In his opinion, it’s time to look at the phenomenon from an integrated perspective. “We’re not going to stop the fires by trapping a few arsonists. We will contribute to stopping the fires by controlling the conduct of some arsonists, maintaining vigilance, taking into account possible recurrence situations, but the phenomenon is much more complex, it has a lot to do with negligent conduct, forestry planning, capacity to fight fires”.

Original article Publico: https://www.publico.pt/2021/07/24/sociedade/noticia/incendiario-invulgar-estudava-estado-tempo-usava-temporizador-1971551

 

 

 

Press announcement following Council of Ministers meeting 15^th July 2021

 

The Minister of State and the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, revealed this Thursday, July 15, after the meeting of the Council of Ministers, that the incidence at 14 days per hundred thousand inhabitants is 346.5 in mainland Portugal and the transmissibility index – R(t) – is now at 1.15.

Mariana Vieira da Silva highlighted that “the number of cases this week is higher than the previous week, but the value of the rate of transmission – R(t) – is lower”. “Last week we had grown by over 50 per cent compared to the previous week and this week we grew by 28 per cent compared to last week,” she said.

“As long as we have an R(t) greater than 1 we will always increase the number of cases, but the R(t) is lower today than last week,” she added.

“We still don’t know when we can reach” the peak of contagions, she said. However, the minister stressed that “the pace of growth of the pandemic is, at the moment, lower than it has ever been”. “Whether that indicates that we are approaching that peak contagions we will see in the coming days,” she added.

The minister stressed that hospital admissions and cases in intensive care are growing, but that “the situation is under control from the point of view of the National Health Service”.

The minister revealed that, at this moment, there are more than 3,200,000 Portuguese who have been fully vaccinated for more than 15 days. “This advance of vaccination is an extremely important instrument for reducing the pandemic,” she said.

The minister also revealed that the Government has approved a decree that authorises the sale of self-tests for covid-19 in supermarkets.

When questioned about an eventual lifting of the restrictions concerning bars and nightclubs, Mariana Vieira da Silva stressed that “we are not yet at a stage where this is possible”.

There are currently 30 municipalities on alert in mainland Portugal. They are:

• Águeda
• Alcoutim
• Aljustrel
• Amarante
• Anadia
• Cadaval
• Caldas da Rainha
• Castelo de Paiva
• Estarreja
• Fafe
• Felgueiras
• Guarda
• Marco de Canaveses
• Marinha Grande
• Mogadouro
• Montemor-o-Velho
• Murtosa
• Ourém
• Ovar
• Paços de Ferreira
• Penafiel
• Santa Maria da Feira
• São João da Madeira
• Serpa
• Valpaços
• Viana do Castelo
• Vila do Conde
• Vila Real
• Vila Viçosa
• Vizela

 

The number of municipalities at high risk of covid-19 transmission has increased to 43 (last week there were 27). They are:

• Alcobaça
• Alenquer
• Arouca
• Arraiolos
• Azambuja
• Barcelos
• Batalha
• Bombarral
• Braga
• Cantanhede
• Cartaxo
• Castro Marim
• Chaves
• Coimbra
• Constância
• Espinho
• Figueira da Foz
• Gondomar
• Guimarães
• Leiria
• Lousada
• Maia
• Monchique
• Montemor-o-Novo
• Óbidos
• Paredes
• Paredes de Coura
• Pedrógão Grande
• Porto de Mós
• Póvoa do Varzim
• Rio Maior
• Salvaterra de Magos
• Santarém
• Santiago do Cacém
• Tavira
• Torres Vedras
• Trancoso
• Trofa
• Valongo
• Viana do Alentejo
• Vila do Bispo
• Vila Nova de Famalicão
• Vila Real de Sto António

 

In these municipalities these restrictions apply:

• Limitation of circulation on public roads between 23h and 5h;
• Teleworking compulsory when duties allow;
• Restaurants, cafés and pastry shops until 22h30 (inside, with a maximum of 6 people per group; outside, 10 people per group);
• Cultural shows with the same opening hours as restaurants;
• – Retail trade until 21h.

 

The municipalities at very high risk are now 47:

• Albergaria-a-Velha
• Albufeira
• Alcochete
• Almada
• Amadora
• Arruda dos Vinhos
• Aveiro
• Avis
• Barreiro
• Benavente
• Cascais
• Elvas
• Faro
• Ílhavo
• Lagoa
• Lagos
• Lisboa
• Loulé
• Loures
• Lourinhã
• Mafra
• Matosinhos
• Mira
• Moita
• Montijo
• Nazaré
• Odivelas
• Oeiras
• Olhão
• Oliveira do Bairro
• Palmela
• Peniche
• Portimão
• Porto
• Santo Tirso
• São Brás de Alportel
• Seixal
• Sesimbra
• Setúbal
• Silves
• Sines
• Sintra
• Sobral de Monte Agraço
• Vagos
• Vila Franca de Xira
• Vila Nova de Gaia
• Viseu

 

In these municipalities these restrictions apply:

• Limitation of circulation on public roads between 23h and 5h;
• Teleworking compulsory when duties allow;
• Restaurants, cafés and pastry shops until 22h30 (inside, with a maximum of 4 people per group; outside, 6 people per group)
• Cultural shows until 22h30;
• Weddings and christenings with 25% of the capacity;
• Gymnasiums without group classes;
• Sporting activities of low and medium risk;
• Retail trade during the week: until 21h. Weekend and holidays: food retail until 19h and non-food retail until 15h30.

 

 

Covid-19: Majority of survey respondents satisfied with pandemic management

 

Newsroom, 12 Jul 2021 (Lusa) – Most respondents in a study released today expressed satisfaction with the measures adopted by the Government in the last year to combat the covid-19 pandemic, despite the economic and mental health consequences.

The conclusions are inferred from the preliminary results of a study promoted by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation (FFMS), with the objective of measuring the main impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on the economy, society, democratic institutions and international politics.

According to the results of the first round of surveys, carried out between March 16 and May 20, three-quarters of respondents consider themselves to be at least reasonably satisfied with the measures taken by the Government in the context of combating the pandemic.

Among the measures that deserve better evaluation, respondents point to restrictions on movement and activity in the second confinement, the use of distance learning again in February, the request for medical help to other countries, the policy of scientific advice and the plan for vaccination against covid-19, unlike the measures implemented during Christmas and New Year, considered positive by only 25% of respondents.

In line with this relative satisfaction, most respondents (60%) said they trust the executive, a number that increases to 81% when talking about the National Health Service (SNS) and to 85% regarding the President of the Republic.

The Ministry of Health, on the other hand, was considered the state agency that showed the most positive results, but the majority (72%) agree that the experts should be the ones who make the decisions about fighting SARS-CoV-2.

On the other hand, the results also reveal the negative effects of more than a year with restrictive measures, in economic, social and mental health terms.

“In terms of mental health, and although it is not yet possible with the present data to estimate a specific pattern of change, we can conclude that there was a negative impact”, the report reads.

For example, six out of 20 respondents felt alone during the past year, and compared to the pre-pandemic period, the percentage of people who felt their life was close to what they idealized rose from 71% to 22% in first confinement, rising slightly to 30% in the second.

“The data allow us to verify that social isolation significantly predicts the reported losses in this subjective well-being, with feelings of loneliness being particularly penalizing”, the document adds.

At the level of work, 38% of the interviewees accused a situation of insecurity, reporting spending equivalent to earnings, and almost 20% assume that it has been necessary to resort to savings or incurring debt to cover current expenses.

Two in ten respondents reported that they, or a member of their household, became unemployed during the pandemic and 34% said their household income had declined in the past year and a half.

These conclusions seem to make sense, when compared with another data, according to which just over half of the respondents agree that, in combating a pandemic, it is more important to prioritize public health, to the detriment of economic activity and employment, while 23% advocate the opposite.

On the other hand, the vast majority (86%) admit that limitations on public liberties were completely justified or at least justified to some extent, but 43% of respondents believe that democracy was weakened during the pandemic period.

The study also looks at the perception of the Portuguese regarding international politics and, according to the results, respondents seem to blame, in the negative in terms of the origin or management of the pandemic, China (53%) which is also highlighted, positively, in 20% of responses, as one of the countries that contributed to greater collective coordination of efforts.

Regarding supranational institutions, the majority (63%) point to the World Health Organization (WHO) as the main organization playing a positive role, but only 15% valued the role of the European Union (EU).

“One of the possible reasons for this assessment can be found in the difficulty in coordinating the national responses”, points out the report, which states that just over half of the respondents (57%) considered the option to entrust the European Commission (EC) with the process of purchasing vaccines.

Still regarding the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the economy, the sectors of commerce, industry and transport were the most affected in the second quarter of 2020, followed by agriculture in the following quarter.

On the household side, in terms of consumption, it was in catering, beauty and well-being, travel, culture, clothing and temporary accommodation that most reduced expenses, which increased, on the other hand, in the electricity, gas and water sectors, in online commerce and retail.

The second wave of the FFMS study took place in September and the final results are expected to be published in spring 2022.

Three samples of approximately 1,150 participants each were collected and the project, which has the collaboration of researchers from different universities, is coordinated by Carlos Jalali, from the University of Aveiro, who took over after the death of Nuno Monteiro, from Yale University , in May.

 

 

Council of Ministers Press Conference Thursday 8^th July 2021

 

After another Council of Ministers, this Thursday, July 8, a new balance is made on the epidemiological situation in the country. The minister Mariana Vieira da Silva says that the daily average of cases rose 54%, so there will be more municipalities entering the list of high and very high risk. “Portugal remains in the red zone of the matrix,” stresses the minister.

There is one more municipality at high risk (last week there were 26) now 27.

• Albergaria-a-Velha
• Alenquer
• Aveiro
• Azambuja
• Bombarral
• Braga
• Cartaxo
• Constância
• Ílhavo
• Lagoa
• Matosinhos
• Óbidos
• Palmela
• Portimão
• Paredes de Coura
• Rio Maior
• Salvaterra de Magos
• Santarém
• Setúbal
• Sines
• Torres Vedras
• Trancoso
• Trofa
• Viana do Alentejo
• Vila Nova de Famalicão
• Vila Nova de Gaia
• Viseu

 

There are currently 33 municipalities at very high risk (19 a week ago), i.e. with an incidence of more than 240 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Which are in the red zone?

• Albufeira
• Alcochete
• Almada
• Amadora
• Arruda dos Vinhos
• Avis
• Barreiro
• Cascais
• Faro
• Lagos
• Lisboa
• Loulé
• Loures
• Lourinhã
• Mafra
• Mira
• Moita
• Montijo
• Mourão
• Nazaré
• Odivelas
• Oeiras
• Olhão
• Porto
• Santo Tirso
• São Brás de Alportel
• Seixal
• Sesimbra
• Silves
• Sintra
• Sobral de Monte Agraço
• Vagos
• Vila Franca de Xira

The Government has decided that from this Friday onwards a negative test or the digital certificate will be required for access (in the whole continental territory):

• To tourist and local accommodation establishments;
• Access to meals inside (does not apply to meals on terraces, for example) of restaurants located in high and very high risk municipalities (with effect from 19h on Friday and until 22h30), throughout the weekend.

“This means a reinforcement of security in the access to these establishments,” explains the Minister of the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva. One of the objectives of this requirement, she explains, is “the normalisation of restaurant opening hours” and “the maximisation of security, minimising restrictions”, she says.

“Today we have a new instrument for this and with this we can generalise its use and that is the effort we are making starting this week,” she added.

“We make a weekly assessment that we share with you here about the situation of the pandemic and the measures presented here are those that at this moment, given the evolution of the numbers,” contextualises the minister before justifying “the extension of the use of the digital certificate”.

The requirement to present a negative test or digital certificate applies:

• From 19h on Friday;
• All day Saturday
• The whole of Sunday;
• From Monday until 18h59 on Friday negative tests are not required.

Restaurants (and hotels) will also be able to sell self-tests so that clients can take covid-19 tests and access the interior of restaurant and hotel spaces, explains the Minister of Economy, Pedro Siza Vieira.

Four types of tests are allowed:

• PCR test, carried out within 72 hours prior to submission;
• Antigen test with laboratory report, carried out within 48 hours prior to its submission;
• Rapid antigen test using the self-test method, carried out within the 24 hours prior to submission in the presence of a health or pharmaceutical professional who certifies its performance and result;
• Rapid self-test antigen test carried out on the spot, at the door of the establishment to be visited, under the supervision of the persons in charge of these premises.

In the case of hotels, the measure applies nationwide, requiring the following:

• A negative test or the presentation of the digital certificate at check-in;
• The guest can carry out a self-test in front of a member of the reception staff.
• In both the catering and hotel sectors, the measure does not apply to children under the age of 12 who are accompanied by an adult, nor to employees of the establishments themselves.

The minister stressed that the obligations to respect the rules will be as much for those who frequent restaurants as for those who go to hotels. For customers, fines can range from 100 to 500 euros. For owners, fines can range from 1,000 to 10,000 euros.

The ban on entering and leaving the Lisbon metropolitan area on weekends has ended, confirms Mariana Vieira da Silva. The minister explains that since the Delta variant already “exists throughout the national territory”, the measure no longer makes sense. “They had as a fundamental objective the containment of the Delta variant. On the other hand, from now on we have other ways [of fighting the contagion], namely the use of the digital certificate in the access to restaurants and hotels”, she added.

 

 

Fewer accidents and deaths on the roads in the first four months of the year compared to 2020

 

Lisbon, 08 Jul 2021 (Lusa) – In the first four months of the year, 6,515 accidents with victims and 74 fatalities were registered, 1,128 fewer and 24 fewer, respectively, than in the same period last year, according to a report released today.

According to the accident report and inspection of the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) for the first four months of the year (in a covid-19 pandemic and in a state of emergency), 6,515 accidents with victims were registered in mainland Portugal. which resulted in 74 deaths, 444 serious injuries and 7,360 light injuries.

ANSR data show an improvement in the main accident indicators, compared to the same period of 2010: there were 1,128 fewer accidents with victims (-14.8%), 24 fewer fatalities (-24.5%) less 26 serious injuries (-5.5%) and less than 1,643 minor injuries (-18.2%).

“If we compare with the average period of the previous five years (2016 to 2020), there was an improvement with: 32.6% less accidents, 42.7% less fatalities, less 22.9% of serious injuries and less 36.6% of minor injuries”, is mentioned in the report.

Most of the accidents were due to collisions (51.1% of accidents with victims), despite having been responsible for only 32.4% of fatal victims.

With regard to the type of road, the report indicates that on streets (67.0% of all accidents) fatalities decreased by 13.2%, while serious injuries increased by 14.6%. On national roads, where 16.5% of accidents occurred, there were decreases of 32.3% and 28.9%, respectively, in fatalities and serious injuries.

According to the report, 67.6% of all fatalities were drivers, 6.8% passengers and 25.7% were pedestrians.

“In terms of year-on-year variation, there was a 70.6% reduction in fatalities with a passenger profile, with a decrease of 17.4% in the case of pedestrians and 13.8 in fatal victims. % in drivers, corresponding to 12 fewer, four fewer and eight fewer fatalities than in 2020, in each case”, is referred to in the document.

In relation to the category of vehicle involved in accidents, light vehicles constituted 71.5% of the total, with a reduction of 18.3% compared to the same period of the previous year, followed by a reduction of 15.5% for heavy vehicles and 11. 2% of mopeds and motorcycles.

Between January and April, 54.1% of the number of fatalities was registered on the road network under the responsibility of six infrastructure managers: Infrastructures of Portugal (32.4%), Brisa (5.4%) and municipalities of Alcobaça, Santa Maria da Feira, Sintra and Vila Nova de Gaia (4.1% for each).

The report also mentions that 36.2 million vehicles were inspected, either in person or by means of automatic inspection, with a decrease of 5.8% compared to the same period in 2020.

“This difference was a reflection of a 0.6% reduction in inspection by the GNR and PSP together, as well as a 6.6% reduction in the SINCRO radar system managed by ANSR, a consequence of the reduction in circulation due to the mandatory confinement,” according to the report.

In these actions, 356.6 thousand infractions were detected, which represents a decrease of 21.2% compared to the same period of the previous year. The infraction rate (total number of infractions/total vehicles inspected) was 0.99%, a reduction of 16.4% compared to the 1.18% rate registered in 2020.

Regarding the typology of infractions, 55.9% of the total registered in this period was related to speeding.

According to the report, there was a decrease in some types of infractions, highlighting the reduction in transgressions for alcohol consumption above the legal limit (-44.2%) and the reduction for speeding (-30.3% ).

However, there was an increase in infractions due to the absence of mandatory periodic inspection (+75.8%), non-use of seat belts (+29.5%), use of mobile phones (+20.1%) and for not using restraint systems (+28.4%).

As for speeding, the offense rate (total number of speeding offenses/vehicles monitored by radar) decreased by 25.8%, from 0.8% between January and April to 0.6% recorded in the same period of the previous year.

With regard to driving under the influence of alcohol, between January and April, 488.0 thousand drivers underwent the test, which represents an increase of 10.4% compared to 2020, despite the rate of violation (total number of offenses for alcohol tests performed) has decreased by 49.4%, from 1.6% in the first four months of 2020 to 0.8% in the same period of 2021.

Road crime, measured in the total number of arrests, increased by 14.7% compared to the same period in 2020, reaching 7.5 thousand drivers.

More than half of the arrests (54.5%) were due to the lack of legal license to drive, with an increase of 76.9% in these cases, compared to that verified between January and April 2020.

As for the point license system, since its entry into force until the end of April 2021, 1,450 drivers had their driver’s license revoked and 263,800 drivers lost points in their driver’s license.

 

Vaccination has “huge impact” in breaking mortality

 

The coordinator of the Technical Commission on Vaccination Against Covid-19 defended today that the numbers of the pandemic in Portugal show an “immense impact” of vaccines on the health system and on mortality.

In an interview with Lusa agency, Válter Fonseca highlighted the differences in the current wave of covid-19 in Portugal: “In this wave of the pandemic (…) we are seeing an increase in incidence, the number of new cases, but we are not having, at this moment, to follow this incidence curve with a significant increase in hospitalizations and mortality”.

“This is an extraordinary impact of vaccination against covid-19. The curves [now] move away, whereas in the past there was an incidence curve, sometime later the hospitalization curve went up and, later, the curve of hospitalization mortality,” he explained.

At this moment – he continued -, “we are beginning to see a trend of separation of these curves, which tells us that, even with the most worrying variants, such as delta, in Portugal, vaccines are having a huge impact on the system of health and mortality of people”.

Válter Fonseca insisted that vaccines are effective and safe, protecting against serious illness and hospitalization (between 90% and 95%), but also decreasing transmission, albeit at different levels.

“The data we have available today, mainly from the United Kingdom, which is the country with the most history and vaccination coverage against covid-19, show that these vaccines also have an impact on the transmission of the virus, but not on the values ​​that we see for mortality and serious illness,” said the expert.

As time passes, he added, “we are beginning to know better how vaccines behave in the results of asymptomatic infection and transmission. It is always more difficult to study these last results than the first ones [mortality and hospitalization]” .

“The first ones [relating to mortality and hospitalizations] are straightforward, objective, while the others [relating to protection against asymptomatic infection and transmission] need more complex studies,” he added.

Asked about some uncertainty that still exists about the reactive protection of the delta variant, the official said: “We are analyzing the true impact of this variant on vaccine effectiveness so that we can then take the right measures for the future”.

“Which does not mean (…) that there is no total confidence in vaccines. Vaccines are effective and are doing their job. We just have to look every day at our numbers in Portugal,” he added.

Regarding the future, and asked about the hypothesis of an eventual third dose of vaccine, or about the options that the Directorate-General of Health is considering, Válter Fonseca replied: “All hypotheses are studied”.

“It is too early to be able to say what will happen in terms of additional doses. The first reason for this is that we have not yet achieved our goal: to vaccinate all adult bands with the complete scheme,” he said.

Asked about the need for a third dose of the covid-19 vaccine, the specialist replied: “To make a decision on the need for a third dose, we need data that are not yet known, namely, what is it that it happens to the duration of immunity conferred by vaccines”.

“So far, the data we have indicate that the immunity conferred by the vaccine has been maintained and has been able to face new variants, maintaining the protection of people”, said Válter Fonseca, insisting: “We have to wait some more time, keep our objective is to follow the evolution of knowledge”.

Original in Portuguese here: https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/pais/vacinacao-tem-impacto-imenso-na-quebra-da-mortalidade_n1333530

 

 

Press conference following Council of Ministers meeting 1^st July 2021

 

Minister of State and of the Presidency Mariana Vieira da Silva gave the press conference stating:

With the number of infections growing by the day, the Government again insisted that it is necessary to “avoid risky behaviour”. The call came again after the Council of Ministers meeting this Thursday, July 1. “The country is in a situation where it is necessary to maintain the rules, wear a mask, maintain rules of respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene and avoid crowds,” summarised the Minister of State and the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva.

The incidence in most of the country remains below 120 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In other words, in the “green zone” defined by the Government. However, 26 municipalities are on the alert list. Porto, again above this limit, will step back from the deconfinement.

Which municipalities have a double negative assessment?

• Alcochete
• Alenquer
• Arruda dos Vinhos
• Avis
• Braga
• Castelo de Vide
• Faro
• Grândola
• Lagoa
• Lagos
• Montijo
• Odemira
• Palmela
• Paredes de Coura
• Portimão
• Porto
• Rio Maior
• Santarém
• São Brás de Alportel
• Sardoal
• Setúbal
• Silves
• Sines
• Sousel
• Torres Vedras
• Vila Franca de Xira

 

The rules for municipalities at high risk (and with low population density) are:

• Teleworking is compulsory (if duties allow);
• Cultural shows until 22h30;
• Gyms without group classes, medium and low risk sports modalities are still allowed (high risk modalities not);
• Weddings and christenings with 25% of the capacity;
• Restaurants, cafés and pastry shops until 22h30 or until 15h30 on weekends and public holidays (inside a maximum of four people per group and outside up to six people per group);
• Retail trade may operate until 21h00 during the week and until 15h30 on weekends and holidays;
• Food retailers may operate until 19h00 during the weekend and on public holidays;
• Limitation of circulation on public roads after 23h00 on high and very high risk municipalities.

Lisbon has once again recorded an incidence of over 240 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and is yet again on the Government’s risk list. There are also 18 other municipalities on this higher risk list, with all of these areas going back on the deconfinement.

Who’s in the red zone?

• Albufeira
• Almada
• Amadora
• Barreiro
• Cascais
• Constância
• Lisboa
• Loulé
• Loures
• Mafra
• Mira
• Moita
• Odivelas
• Oeiras
• Olhão
• Seixal
• Sesimbra
• Sintra
• Sobral de Monte Agraço

Mariana Vieira da Silva recalls that the restriction of circulation on public roads only applies to municipalities that recorded, in two consecutive weeks, incidence assessments that place them on the list of high and very high risk. The Minister of State and of the Presidency also reveals that the risk matrix, which defines who moves back or forward in the de-confinement, has been assessed every week.

“What we have decided here today is based, in practice, on the same risk matrix. It is the municipalities with 240 cases [per 100,000 inhabitants] twice that we apply an additional restriction to respond to the situation we are experiencing. We continue, weekly, to evaluate the matrix that we presented in March”.

The limitation of circulation on public roads will also cover some municipalities in the Algarve region, admits Mariana Vieira da Silva. “The rules serve to guide us and anticipate reality” and even if many municipalities in the Algarve are not yet in this situation, they should be next week, unless there is a reversal of the growth trend, she warned. The minister also said that the vaccination certificate for people who have been recovered is already available and that the problem regarding the digital certificate has already been corrected, given that communication about antigen tests has been resolved in some laboratories.

The limitation of circulation on public roads after 23h00 hours in municipalities with high or very high risk will not have exceptions. In other words, not even those who already have the digital certificate will be able to circulate after 23h00.

When questioned about the constitutionality of the decision (without the declaration of a state of emergency), Vieira da Silva reaffirmed that the Government “has the conditions” to make this decision.

According to Mariana Vieira da Silva, all those over 60 years old (who were waiting for the second dose of the Astrazeneca vaccine) should be vaccinated on July 11th. The minister said that there will be a “significant acceleration in the planned schedule”.

The Council of Ministers also extended a set of social support in response to the economic effects of the pandemic, including the prohibition of cutting off water, electricity, natural gas and internet. At the press conference, Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister of Labour, also detailed the Government’s decisions, namely the extension of the extraordinary support to the progressive recovery for companies with a drop in turnover of more than 25%. According to the minister, over 400,000 people were covered by this support. Ana Mendes Godinho also said that the support could go up to 100% during the months of July and August.

The support for culture and tourism self-employed workers and managing partners was also extended and the extraordinary mechanism for the payment of the 100% covid sickness benefit was extended until September.

About the extension of social support, the Minister of Labour underlines that more than 3 million people and more than 174,000 companies have already been covered, for a total amount of 4,138 million euros. “Today we have reinforced and extended for another two months the employment support measures in the dimension of support for the progressive recovery of activity and support for self-employed workers in culture and tourism, since they reflect the sectors most affected at the moment and where there was no capacity for recovery. For July and August support for independent workers has also been extended,” she explained.

“The situation we are in does not compare with many difficult moments that the country has experienced in the last year and a half, but it is a more serious situation. An uncontrolled situation is when we are not monitoring it and taking measures to control it. We’ve all seen the country’s situation in green, yellow and now red. What’s necessary is that all of us, in our day-to-day lives, in the choices we make, with whom we are, where we go, if we wear masks, that we all comply. The important thing is the clarity to realise that Portugal is in a more difficult situation than it was, it has not stopped getting worse and we all need to take measures in this matter”, said Mariana Vieira da Silva, Minister of State and of the Presidency.

 

SOURCE: PÚBLICO