Algarve Situation Report 31^st October

Covid-19 Situation

The number of new cases in the Algarve reported by ARS yesterday 56. There are noe 879 active cases of whom 34 are in hospital a 3 in ICU.The number of deaths now stands at 34. There are 2723 cases confirmed to date with 1810 recovering giving a recovery rate of 66.5%

Two specific outbreaks

A total of 15 cases of infection with the new coronavirus were detected in the Portimonense under-23 football team and 14 during the Portuguese Formula One Grand Prix, the regional health authority said on Friday.The regional health delegate revealed that “two players” tested positive in the tests carried out before the match for the game in Madeira, leaving the authorities “on alert”. On the return, there was a new test, and the other cases were detected.At the usual fortnightly press conference to assess the epidemiological situation in the Algarve region, Ana Cristina Guerreiro said that the players are “in isolation”, a situation facilitated by the fact that “many live together”, with “active surveillance” being guaranteed.

As the team’s journey involved two plane flights, a communication was required to the Directorate-General for Health, which asked the air carrier to identify the other passengers to be contacted. Asked by journalists about the possible preventive isolation of the team before the flight, she replied that “football has other rules”.

Following the F1 Grand Prix in Portimão, which took place last weekend , the official revealed that “14 cases of covid-19 were identified in team members”, most of them detected in the tests carried out between 20 and 29 October and “one or the other due to symptoms” and use of health facilities in the region. Ana Cristina Guerreiro assured that in case of outbreaks as a result of this event, there is a way to know “in most of the stands”, who was there, since there is “identification by ticket”.

However, the “displacement” of some spectators on the same stand or the “replacement of people” may “make identification difficult” and “it will be up to the person to indicate the contacts”.

Having been present at last weekend’s event in Portimão, the official revealed some situations that “did not work very well” and that she would like to see changed in future events of the kind. The permission that was given to the public to “change places” is one of the points, since the “plan was with tickets with numbered seats”, so that it was possible to relate the place on the bench with the name of its holder.For Ana Cristina Guerreio, the guards were “not very firm in demanding” compliance with the use of the mask and should not have allowed the mobility of the public, in her opinion”. She also considered a possible placement of barriers to make circulation impossible, but that “do not prevent an eventual exit in case of emergency”. “Reduce the number of authorized public”, was another solution pointed out by the regional health delegate.

Quarteira: Covid-19 employee case closes Abelheira School

The Abelheira Primary School, in Quarteira, closed due to a positive case of Covid-19 in an employee who will force all her colleagues to remain in prophylactic isolation. According to a service order, dated today, 28 October, and signed by the director of the School Group Laura Ayres, this decision arises because “the school cannot function without operational assistants”. The Covid-19 employee tested positive last weekend and the local health delegate ended up determining the “prophylactic isolation of all operational assistants”.

The school will be closed “as long as this isolation period lasts. Teachers from the 1st cycle classes and educators must «implement distance learning for students, using, whenever possible, synchronous, daily activity lasting 45 minutes (1st cycle)», says the order of service. In addition, teachers must also “use the available means of contact to ensure communication with guardians and, if necessary, send documents / activities on paper”.