Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 24th February 2021
Introduction
Good morning – All eyes this week are on the meeting of the Council of Ministers to determine whether there will be any changes to the State of Emergency that will almost certainly be extended.
As mentioned, the President of the Republic yesterday and today is hearing the views of the representatives of the various political parties before sending a draft decree law extending and outlining the basic framework of the new law. This will take affect from 2nd March until 23:59 hrs 16th March 2021.
As usual, there will be various statements by the parties following their meeting as to what the President said, but as we know from experience these are not always enshrined in the final law. Yesterday, the sole deputy of the Liberal Initiative said that the President of the Republic has no intention of “changing anything” in the decree of the State of Emergency. The deputy of the Ecological Party “Os Verdes” (ENP), Mariana Silva, also echoed this after meeting with the President.
There is no doubt that the confinement in place has worked and new cases have decreased considerably. The Prime Minister is concerned, however, of the continuing pressure on the health services even though the numbers in hospital and ICU have decreased considerably since the beginning of the month.
A matter of some concern is that, according to government, movements on the streets and in public areas has increased slightly in the last week and there have been three illegal parties one with around 70 people where the police have had to take enforcement action. This is a likely sign of impatience to return to normality. There is also demands on Government to reopen some schools to return to face to face learning.
How to come out of confinement, of course, is not unique to Portugal and is a dilemma government’s face in trying to relax measures in a phased way that does not result in undoing all what has been achieved, in the case of Portugal, over the last 3-4 weeks. From listening to the views of the President and the Prime Minister we would be surprised if there is anything but cosmetic changes at this stage, especially given the delays in the first phase of the vaccination plan.
We expect therefore a cautious approach, but one which may include some form of roadmap of a phased relaxation of measures, such as the re-opening of some schools provided that certain conditions are met; for instance cases in ICU reducing to a certain level, no increase in variants or new ones etc.
This approach would clearly indicate government’s intentions, thereby giving hope to those affected such as businesses, but at the same time allowing the plan to be adjusted if needed.
Our headline today is the statement of the UN Secretary-General over the global distribution of vaccines, namely that ten countries have administered more than 75% of all vaccines against Covid-19. At the same time, more than 130 countries have not received a single dose.
Having worked in an international organisation myself, Interpol, I can empathize with this statement. It is similar in many ways to crime prevention that protection is only as good as the weakest link. Of course people wish to obtain the vaccination as soon as possible, but there are many in the world who will have to wait far longer than ourselves.
A reminder for those of you living in rural areas that according to the national budget law the deadline for fuel management and the cleaning of land is 15th March 2021. Last year due to the first confinement under the State of Emergency the deadline was extended twice – eventually being 31st May. We have been in contact with relevant Government authority concerning this matter and although there is no proposed extension at present, we would not be at all surprised if it were extended. I have written a feature for the Algarve Resident on this topic which will appear on 4th March. Full details concerning land cleaning can be found on our website here
Please have a Safe Day
Headlines
Guterres: ten countries administered 75% of vaccines and 130 did not receive a single dose.
The UN Secretary-General warns that the virus has exacerbated inequalities and has infiltrated other fields besides health. The distribution of vaccines, he says, has been unfair.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, says that “the world is facing a pandemic of human rights abuses”. Covid-19 accentuated vulnerabilities and weaknesses, but also created new problems, he says in an opinion article published on Monday in the British newspaper The Guardian: “Ten countries have administered more than 75% of all vaccines against Covid-19. At the same time, more than 130 countries have not received a single dose.
António Guterres had already criticized the distribution of vaccines, saying that it was “extremely unequal and unfair”. It was at a meeting with the UN Security Council that the Portuguese Secretary-General advised this data on the 130 countries that have not yet received a single dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
“The virus has proliferated because poverty, discrimination, the destruction of our natural environment and other human rights flaws have created enormous weaknesses in our societies. The lives of millions of families have been turned inside out – with jobs lost, overwhelming debt and huge income cuts. ” Those most affected were professionals at the forefront of combating the pandemic, people with disabilities, the elderly, women and minorities, he continued. The pandemic has also “hampered efforts to achieve world peace” and levels of extreme poverty are increasing for the first time in recent decades.
Covid-19 – Portugal is the 6th EU member state with the most complete vaccines administered.
Portugal is the 6th EU Member State with the most complete vaccines. At least 85 countries have already started the vaccination process against Covid-19. In total, more than 194 million doses have been administered. Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom continue to stand out from all other countries in the world ranking.
The most conservative models indicate that group immunity is achieved when 7 out of 10 people are vaccinated. The European goal is to reach the end of the summer with 70% of adults immunized, that is, with both doses of the vaccine given.
In Portugal, when analysed by age group, the group between 65-79 years old is at this stage of the least protected: only 2% of this population has taken a dose and 1% has the complete vaccination. These percentages are the same for people between 18 and 24 years old. In contrast, 12% (79,774 people) of the population over 80 have already taken a dose and 7% (42,991) have a complete vaccination. It is the most protected group.
The North adds more inoculated doses but the Alentejo is the region of the country that leads in population that has the complete vaccination (4%), followed by the Centre (3%), Lisbon and Vale do Tejo and Norte (both with 2%) and Algarve (1%).
Covid-19: Portugal has the lowest contagion rate in Europe
According to André Peralta Santos, from the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), on Monday afternoon, the incidence of new contagions had a “very significant decrease”. Incidence is decreasing in all age groups – it is highest above 80 years old. Portugal has the lowest transmissibility index since the beginning of the pandemic
According to Baltazar Nunes, the estimate for the transmissibility index R (t) of Covid-19 in Portugal is 0.67, between February 13th and 17th – “The lowest figure we have estimated since the beginning of the epidemic”, he said. “The value of Rt is below 1 in all regions of the continent and autonomous regions and in the last five days there has been a stabilisation of the value of Rt around 0.66 and 0.68”, he added. According to the expert, Portugal now has the lowest R (t) value in Europe. “If we continue, it is possible to continue descending at a marked speed.”
Covid-19 Situation
On Tuesday Portugal reported 63 deaths and 1,032 new cases of Covid-19, according to the daily report of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
The figures and our analysis of trends reported yesterday is as follows:
Confirmed Cases: 799.106 (+ 1032 / + 0.13 %)
Number of admitted: 3.012 (-310 /-9.33 %)
Number of ICU admitted: 597 (-30 /-4.78 %)
Deaths: 16.086 (+ 63 / + 0.39 %)
Recovered: 705.976 (+ 4567 / + 0.65 %)
Active cases: 77,044 (-3958 / – 4.4&)
So again we see very good news in all key indicators reflected in the following trends:
– Second lowest number of daily deaths since 28th December
– New cases – Second lowest number since 8th October 2020
– Recovered cases four times new cases
– Lowest number in hospital since 2nd January
– Lowest in ICU since 13th January – decreased by 27.5% since 1st February
– Number of active cases lowest since 2nd January, decreasing for 23rd consecutive day and over 100,000 less than 31st January (in 21 days)
– Those under surveillance lowest since 2nd January
Health
Vaccinations
Covid-19: Close to 250 thousand people have already received two doses of the vaccine
Nearly 250 thousand people have already received the two doses of the vaccine for Covid-19 according to data published today by the General Directorate of Health, corresponding to 3% of the population.
According to the data released today by the DGS, they have already received two doses of the vaccine 248,708, representing 3% with the complete vaccination, 46,565 more than in the previous week.
According to the same data, since the beginning of the vaccination plan against SARS-CoV-2, which started on December 27th, at least 433,475 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, having injected 96,701 people in the last week.
Covid-19: Rapid Intervention Brigades activated in homes 431 times since October.
Lisbon, February 23rd, 2021 (Lusa) – The Rapid Intervention Brigades (BIR), created to act in the event of an outbreak of Covid-19 in nursing homes, have been activated 431 times since October, the month they started operating, revealed today the latest State of Emergency report.
“As of October 1st, the BIRs started to operate, which allow responding to the needs of social responses that, due to an outbreak, have the human resources teams compromised, having already activated 431 brigades”, states the report on the situation between 16th and 30th January and delivered to the Assembly of the Republic.
The document, carried out by the State of Emergency Monitoring Structure, coordinated by the Minister of Internal Administration, Eduardo Cabrita, stresses that, in the Northern region, the Rapid Intervention Brigades remain properly established in all districts, being activated whenever necessary.
In turn, in the Centro region, BIRs were used in all districts, but there was “a great difficulty” in building these brigades due to the lack of volunteers.
“Institutions’ difficulties in strengthening human resources, namely direct action assistants and nurses, remained. To mitigate some specific needs, the Military Family Volunteers were made available”, reads the report, which explains the “strong pressure on homes and other residential structures for the elderly” that existed in the Center region between 16th and 30th January.
According to the same document, in these residential structures for the elderly in the Centro region there was a “substantial increase in cases” of Covid-19, going from 227 to 282 homes with active cases.
Hospitals have no chance of hiring doctors who trained abroad.
Although the Government allows the hiring of doctors who have trained abroad and who have not yet completed the process of recognition of training, hospitals reject this option. To “Jornal de Notícias”, several hospital units said that they are responding with internal resources and that it is not planned to hire professionals who have not yet seen their courses recognized in Portugal.
The Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central said that “there are no plans to hire foreign doctors and nurses” and the Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra said that it has “tried to respond to the challenges with internal resources”. In Porto, the response from the Centro Hospitalar de São João was similar: “At the moment, we have no professional in these conditions who has contacted us or that we can contact” and in Aveiro, “this hiring was not expected”.
There is a “need for professionals” for certain specialties, explained Alexandre Lourenço, president of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators. “However, we are obliged, and rightly, to hire certified professionals as a guarantee of quality, “he added. Of the 800 doctors who attended medical courses abroad, only 160 meet the criteria for hiring – that is, having passed a written knowledge test.
Open letter calls for the re-opening of schools
An open letter, published in the weekly Expresso , calls on government that “it is urgent, for the present and for the future of the country, to adopt measures, based on science and data, capable of protecting schools as an essential good”, asking for their reopening “quickly for face to face teaching, safely and continuously, starting with the youngest”.
The signatories argue that the nurseries and pre-school education establishments will be reopened in early March, as well as the 1st and 2nd cycles of basic education, which should gradually resume.
The Government has already signalled that it will give priority to schools when it starts the process of the relaxation of confinement, according to the Minister of Health on Monday after the Infarmed meeting, and that of the Minister of the Presidency last weekend. However, Mariana Vieira da Silva said it was still “premature to speak for this next fortnight of lack of definition and particularly in terms of schools”.
The letter however demands face-to-face classes to resume as soon as possible, recalling not only “the increase in psychological and psychiatric problems of children and young people associated with the confinement and closure of schools”, but also that “teaching distance is less effective than classroom teaching and has been a multiplier of inequalities of all kinds, not just educational, penalizing the most vulnerable “.
“The delay in the acquisition of apprenticeships may lead to the reversal of the progress made in recent decades in the reduction of social inequality and early school leaving”, they warn, also stressing that “Portugal is one of the European Union countries with less conditions for distance learning”, both because of the lack of network coverage and because of the “conditions of material deprivation in which many families with children live, suffering from energy and housing poverty”.
Unemployment
Registered unemployment enters 2021 to rise to the highest level since the start of the pandemic.
Unemployment in Portugal started to rise in 2021. In January, a month marked by the worsening of the Covid-19 pandemic and the return of the country to general confinement, 424,359 unemployed people were registered in employment centres, according to data from the Institute of Employment and Professional Training (IEFP), published this Monday.
This figure represents an increase of 5.5% compared to December (more 22,105 people) and 32.4% (more 103,801 people) in year-on-year terms, that is, in relation to January 2020.
While it is certain that registered unemployment is usual in Portugal to increase in January compared to December, due to the negative seasonal impact on the labour market, this is the highest number of registered unemployed since the beginning of the pandemic. Moreover, it is necessary to go back to May 2017 to find a higher value.
At the regional level, in January, “registered unemployment increased in all regions of the country”, indicates the IEFP. Of the year-on-year increases, the most pronounced occurred in the Algarve region (61.3% more), followed by Lisbon and the Tagus Valley (45.3% more) and Madeira (30% more).
The IEFP also indicates that, in terms of professional groups of unemployed registered in the Mainland, the most representative, in decreasing order, stand out: “Unqualified workers” (24.9%); “Personal service, protection, security and salesperson workers” (22.8%); “Administrative staff” (11.6%); “Specialists in intellectual and scientific activities” (10.2%) and “Skilled workers in industry, construction and craftsmen” (10.0%) “.
Tourism
Support line launched for Travel Agencies and Tour Operators with 100 million euros.
Turismo de Portugal, in partnership with Banco Português de Fomento, Mutual Guarantee Societies and Banks, launches a credit line to support treasury, with an endowment of 100 million euros, for Travel Agencies and Tour Operators.
This measure to support the economy aims to help in the recovery of one of the activities most affected by the effects of the pandemic of Covid-19, resulting in bank loans exclusively to finance the treasury needs of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators, in view of the obligation refunds for trips that were not made or cancelled due to the pandemic context.
With a total allocation of 100 million euros, and a term of validity until June 30th, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can apply, as well as Small Mid Cap and Mid Cap that develop activities of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators.
Credit operations benefit from an autonomous guarantee at the first request, provided by the SGM, up to 90% of the capital of each of the loans guaranteed to Micro and Small and up to 80% of the capital of each of the loans guaranteed to Medium-sized Companies, Small Mid Cap and Mid Cap.
Overseas Support – Thank you to Germany.
Diogo Serras Lopes, Secretary of State for Health, said on Tuesday that the help of German professionals who arrived in Portugal earlier this month allowed “to open an autonomous intensive care wing” with eight beds, a number that, according to Serras Lopes, is “significant”.
Yesterday morning, Diogo Serras Lopes and the Secretary of State for Human Resources and Former Combatants, Catarina Armento e Castro, welcomed the German team of military health professionals who will replace the one currently working at Hospital da Luz, in Lisbon.
The Secretary of State also said that “each bed counts” and that the German contribution was “invaluable” and allowed “to relieve the hospitals of the National Health Service” and to treat more patients.
The German clinical team of 26 health professionals arrived in Portugal earlier this month to support the Portuguese health system in the face of pressure from the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a joint statement from the ministries of health and defence of Portugal, German health professionals are replaced every 21 days, until the end of March, “if necessary”.
Confinement: Cascais lifts restrictions to sea walls, beaches and parks.
The Cascais City Council announced on Monday that it will lift restrictions on access to the sea wall (Cascais-Carcavelos), beaches and parks in the municipality as of 6 pm on Tuesday, February 23rd.
The municipality, in a statement on the official website , justifies the decision with the “decrease in the number of cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants”, thus guaranteeing the municipality a “two-level descent, abandoning the Extremely and Very High Risk level passing to be part of the group of municipalities with a high risk level ”. The health and safety authorities in the municipality gave a positive opinion to this update.
This reopening still has some rules. Only “physical activity and the training of individual outdoor sports are allowed, as well as all professional and equivalent training and competitive activities, without an audience and in compliance with the guidelines of the DGS, under the terms of the law”. The use of a mask remains mandatory, as well as social distance, still fixed at two meters. Gatherings of people are prohibited, as well as being on the beach. The municipality also asks for “the fulfilment of the directions of circulation”.
Borders
Covid-19. EU asks for explanations from Member States that have closed borders.
The European Commission sent a letter on Monday to six member states of the European Union (EU) asking for explanations about restrictions on freedom of movement, giving the countries concerned ten days to respond, the Community executive said Tuesday.
“On Monday, the Commission sent specific letters about our concerns to six Member States – Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary and Sweden – which are currently applying stricter measures than recommended, in particularly in the prohibition of entry and exit of the country “, informed the spokesman of the community executive with the portfolio of Justice, Equality and Rule of Law, Christian Wigand.
The spokesman stressed that, in the letter, the Commission highlights the “need” to ensure that “restrictions on freedom of movement” are “proportional” and not “discriminatory”, and urges countries to “align their provisions more than closely with the Council’s recommendations “, agreed between all EU Member States, and, more generally,” with EU rules regarding freedom of movement “.
The executive gives the member states ten days to respond to the letter and “the Commission is closely following the steps taken by the member states on an ongoing basis”, said the spokesman.
Asked about the steps the Commission can take if the Member States in question do not comply with the executive’s recommendations, Christian Wigand said that “the European Commission’s aim is to find solutions as soon as possible”.
“We believe that we will find solutions with the Member States in question, without having to resort to legal steps, which can be time consuming. Therefore, Member States now have ten days to respond and we start there,” he said.
The spokesman also recalled that the European Commission has always been clear on the issue of coordinating measures within the EU to combat Covid-19, stressing that “without a coordinated approach between the 27 Member States”, the EU “runs the fragmentation risk “and” disruptions in freedom of movement and distribution chains.”
International Travel
Covid-19. Airlines insist on rapid airport tests.
RENA – Association of Airlines in Portugal yesterday insisted on the implementation of rapid tests for Covid-19 at airports, also stressing that there is an urgent need for a harmonized reduction of imposed restrictions and the end of quarantines.
The appeal was left at the general meeting of RENA that elected its governing bodies for the 2021-2023 triennium, with Paulo Geisler, representative of Lufthansa, being re-elected president, unanimously, according to a statement.
“These rapid tests give passengers and the airport community the certainty that health and safety remain at the top of the priorities and convey confidence,” said Paulo Geisler, adding that he hopes that “vaccination will quickly contribute to recovery”.
“A harmonized reduction of imposed restrictions and the end of quarantines is urgently needed at a global level”, underlined the re-elected president of RENA mentioned in the statement.
The association stresses that the international aviation industry and tourism were among the sectors most affected by the pandemic at the global level, “going through the biggest crisis ever”.
In Portugal, according to RENA, there was a decrease of around 80% in the number of flights and passengers at Portuguese airports and “the situation has been aggravated by the additional restrictions implemented in recent weeks, which are even more severe than any time in 2020 “.
Enforcement
Covid-19: GNR ends party with more than 70 people in Campo Maior.
Campo Maior, Portalegre, 23rd Feb 2021 (Lusa) – GNR ended on Monday an illegal party with more than 70 people in a neighbourhood in Campo Maior (Portalegre), having identified “some” of the participants, revealed today to the Lusa agency source of that security force.
According to the commander of the GNR Territorial Detachment of GNR, João Lourenço, the GNR military became aware of the situation “through various complaints” that reported that “some noise” was heard in a neighbourhood in that Alentejo village.
“The patrol, when travelling to the site, found that there was a large crowd of people and movement on the public road. It was a party, an unauthorized event and that the participants did not respect the duty of home collection”, he said.
According to the GNR captain, reinforcements were immediately requested from other posts in that area and “an hour later” the situation was resolved.
“There were some people identified, who are known and who were able to be identified. In our action, the intention, considering that there was a high number of people, was to disperse and direct all people to their homes, but naturally some of the people were identified ”, he explained.
The Commander of the Territorial Detachment of Elvas of the GNR, who did not provide data in relation to the number of people identified, just added that it is now being “elaborated expedient regarding the administrative offenses” to be applied.
The GNR captain also added that this action at an early stage had “some resistance” on the part of the participants at the party, but later “the indications” of the Guard’s military were accepted.
Covid-19: GNR interrupts illegal party with 19 young people in Famalicão.
Vila Nova de Famalicão, Braga, February 23, 2021 (Lusa) – GNR interrupted, yesterday morning, an illegal party that gathered 19 young people in a house in Gondifelos, Vila Nova de Famalicão, in violation of the general duty of 
recollection, said a source that strength to Lusa.
Secondly, the source confirmed, the young people transformed the house “into a kind of disco”.
All participants were subject to administrative offences, amounting to 200 euros.
If they are caught again in an identical situation, they will incur a crime of disobedience.
The alert for the situation was given at 00:30, with the GNR mobilized to the location of the Famalicão and Joane posts and a team from the Detachment of Intervention.
The young people were assessed and sent to their homes, and the situation was resolved by 02:30.
Other News
DCIAP investigates case of private jet in Brazil destined for Portugal with 500 kilos of cocaine.
The Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action is investigating the case of the seizure in Brazil of a private jet destined for Tires (Cascais), which was carrying 500 kilos of cocaine, told Lusa source today from the Prosecutor’s Office.
“The existence of an inquiry is confirmed that runs under the terms of the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action” (DCIAP), the press office of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) replied to the Lusa agency, without further details alleging secrecy of justice.
Police sources today revealed to Lusa that the Portuguese Judiciary Police (PJ) and the Brazilian federal police had been alert, since the beginning of the pandemic, to the possibility of cocaine trafficking between the two countries using private jets.
According to the same source, the police had already realized that, with the decrease in regular flights between the two countries, the “modus operandi” of trafficking cocaine between Brazil and Portugal had changed with the traffickers using other means, namely the use of private jet charters.
The recent seizure of more than 500 kilograms of cocaine in the fuselage of a jet chartered to the Portuguese company OMNI Aviação e Tecnologia, based in Porto Salvo, for a flight from Salvador to Tires Aerodrome, Cascais, is one of the cases that fits these suspicions, with the two policemen collaborating and sharing information.
On the jet’s passenger list was João Loureiro, former president of Boavista, who has already been heard by the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) and whom “files were extracted” from his cell phone.