Algarve Situation Report, Wednesday 3^rd March.
Covid-19: Most Algarve municipalities at moderate risk, only 4 at high risk
The Directorate-General for Health (DGS) released this Monday, the incidence rates of Covid-19 cases, per 100 thousand inhabitants, referring to the Portuguese counties, in the period between 10th and 23rd February.
In the Algarve, there are no municipalities at extreme risk (over 960 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) or at very high risk (+ 480 to 960).
At high risk (+240 to 480) there are 4 municipalities, namely: Castro Marim – 465, Vila Real de Stº António – 421, Monchique – 276 and Portimão – 251.
At moderate risk, (less than 240), are found most of the municipalities in the region, (12): Faro – 221 , Olhão – 203, Albufeira – 207, Lagos – 181, Lagoa – 167, Loulé – 169, Silves – 152, São Brás de Alportel – 144, Tavira – 126, Vila do Bispo – 58, Alcoutim – 46, Aljezur – 18.
This Monday, DGS confirmed only 12 new cases in the Algarve with no death record. Portugal today registered 34 deaths and 394 new cases of infection with the new coronavirus, the lowest number of cases since September, according to the same entity.

Faro City Council launches package with four support measures.
The Faro City Council announced the launch of a set of support and specific initiatives to support the Culture sector, one of the most affected by the measures enacted to contain and mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic.
The municipality says it is “aware of its role and its responsibility in the context of the cultural and creative sector”, thus launching this set of initiatives in partnership with Teatro das Figuras.
In this sense, for 2021, the municipality of Faro prepared a package of four extraordinary measures, highlighting the support for associations, artistic creation and cultural agents. In this context, the municipality will reinforce the support planned for 2021.
During this year, a second edition of the artistic program called «Emergente – 2º Ciclo» will also take place , which consists of a program of artistic residencies whose result will be presented in 2022, at Teatro das Figuras, in the exhibition spaces of the municipality or its partners. , in public space or in initiatives organized by the City Council.
Also, with a return scheduled for 2021, after the success of the first edition, is the cycle «Bands to Figures». The initiative sets the stage, at Teatro das Figuras, for the vibrant music scene in the region.
Starting in April, this creation consists of a program of concerts held using all the technical conditions of the large auditorium, with streaming in digital platforms of Teatro das Figuras and the municipality of Faro.
Since the country was once again in a situation of confinement and the artists were prevented from making presentations to the public, the council proposed to embody a new project to support musicians in the region, namely Dj’s and artists of Portuguese popular music.
The new #FaroMúsicaNaStreet is a concert program held in different locations in the municipality, with streaming in streaming through the municipality’s digital platforms.
Applications for these projects are open and the application forms are available until 12th March on the websites of Teatro das Figuras and the municipality of Faro , where it will be possible to access additional information.
https://barlavento.sapo.pt/algarve/covid-19-faro-anuncia-iniciativas-para-apoiar-setor-da-cultura

The Municipality of Olhão marked the World Civil Protection Day, with the opening of a Temporary Emergency Accommodation.
The social response, which was inaugurated by the mayor, António Miguel Pina, has a capacity for 10 people, and according to a note from the city council, “aims to create an alternative of immediate and temporary support to people living in the municipality, who are evicted afterwards serious accident or catastrophe, such as a fire, flood, landslide, or other exceptional situation “.
In this way, families living in the municipality without back-up support will have, in one of these eventualities, a temporary accommodation solution, in addition to the services of the Social Security Institute.
According to the same source, Olhão’s Temporary Emergency Accommodation has a maximum duration of 48 hours and can be extended for an equal period, with all situations previously assessed by the Municipal Civil Protection Service, in conjunction with the Action Division. Social.

BE party meet with officials from the IEFP regional delegation on the consequences of unemployment in the Algarve.
At the request of the Bloco de Esquerda do Algarve, an online meeting took place yesterday between members of the BE and the IEFP regional delegation.
Representing the IEFP was present the Regional Delegate, Madalena Feu, and António Palma, director of the Employment and Professional Training Services. Deputy João Vasconcelos, Celeste Santos, Augusto Taveira, from the BE / Algarve Secretariat, Vítor Ruivo, Grupo Laboral and Marco Pereira represented the party.
In a statement, the Bloc said that João Vasconcelos “exposed some of the biggest concerns regarding the continuity of the economic and social crisis that has been on the region for a year, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic”.
Emphasis was given to the growing number of unemployed and job insecurity, “as well as a large number of informal workers without work and completely dependent on government support and city councils”.
The elements of the BE emphasized at the meeting the importance of being known the data, as accurate as possible, on all these situations of job loss, closing of companies, dismissals, number of companies or workers in lay-off, with a view to support measures are “much more strengthened to serve all affected workers”.
They also highlighted the existence of some discrepancy between the unemployment figures released by the IEFP and the INE, as well as workers who are not considered unemployed, in the case of available inactive workers, unemployed workers, but in vocational training and other partial work situations.
According to the same document from the Bloc, Madalena Feu made a presentation on the efforts made by the regional IEFP in monitoring and disseminating unemployment situations in the Algarve, “seeking to make available to the unemployed different types of support provided for under the IEFP, either directly with workers, either through companies “.