Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 26th August 2020
There are five new cases of Covid-19 in the Algarve, the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) has just revealed in its epidemiological bulletin this Tuesday, August 25th.
In accumulated terms since the beginning of the pandemic, there are now 1039 total cases in the Algarve region.
In Alentejo, where there were no new cases yesterday, there are now 11 more infected with the new coronavirus, bringing the cumulative total to 898.
An illegal party on beach at Monte Gordo broken up
An illegal party with about 40 people on a beach support in Monte Gordo, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, forced, on Friday, the Maritime Police to disperse the participants.
The authorities received a complaint that led the Maritime Police to send two agents to the scene.
According to the National Maritime Authority (AMN), the authorities identified the person responsible for the party, “having made the respective report of news” and ended the event.
Covid.19: Testing capacity in the Algarve will exceed 400% – Government
Portugal will have a broad and reinforced diagnostic network to detect the possible reappearance of covid-19 and other viruses, in order to respond in a “swift and integrated” way to new outbreaks, the government said yesterday.
According to the Secretary of State for Health, António Lacerda Sales, who announced the plan at a press conference in Lisbon, the investment is 8.4 million euros.
“Portugal is today one of the countries that tests most per hundred thousand inhabitants in Europe”, said the minister during the usual press conference to update the information related to covid-19.
The objective of expanding laboratory capacity is to double the testing capacity to about 22,000 tests per day, he said, referring that currently 10,000 tests are carried out per day at the National Health Service (SNS).
“In Alentejo and the Algarve, for example, the forecast is for an increase in testing capacity of more than 400%”, he stressed.
Monchique’s example to guarantee animal welfare is «very plural»
The minister threw the dogs pastries, gave the alpacas carrots to eat, and visited the cat houses installed in old washing machines. In between, he also attended the dog vaccination campaign in Alferce, met the volunteers who take care of the abandoned animals, as well as the new works by sculptor and ceramists Sylvain Bongard, in Largo dos Chorões, and also discovered the ongoing projects (or planned) promoted by the Câmara de Monchique to guarantee the welfare of pets in this municipality.
In the end, João Pedro Matos Fernandes, Minister of Environment and Climate Action, made a “very positive assessment” of his visit, saying “From the part that touches me, I learned a lot”.
It was just after 10 am, when João Pedro Matos Fernandes, accompanied by Rui André, Mayor of Monchique, went to see the vaccination of dogs, taking place in the warehouse of the Junta de Freguesia de Alferce.
Ana Silva, the municipal veterinarian, explained that this was the “first action taken this year outside Monchique”. “Here, the Junta de Freguesia guaranteed us all the conditions, such as a bathroom, alcohol-gel, and space for people to wait”.
Outside, in the shade of the trees, many dogs with their owners waited for their turn, not always with much patience. “Some of these are guard dogs, they are not used to seeing a lot of people”, explained a man who tried to keep a huge dog calm and quiet.
Up to that time, 40 animals had already been treated, who received the rabies vaccine, chip (if they didn’t already have it) and deworming.
“Thank you for your passion, for your work on behalf of animals and the community”, said Minister Matos Fernandes, to the municipal veterinarian and to the young veterinary nurse Zélia Carrilho, who attended and to everyone.