Algarve Situation Report Thursday 16th September 2021
Bad weather: Luís Gomes criticizes delays in IPMA information
Luís Gomes says that the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPM) provides data more than an hour late, making it impossible to take timely decisions in favour of the population.
Luís Gomes, former mayor of Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA), and professor at the University of Algarve (UAlg) and current candidate for that municipality, criticizes the delay in making available data from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) .
At a time when the country is under the effect of a depression, satellite images show delays of approximately 90 minutes, which makes it impossible for the competent bodies to prepare in time.
“Authorities need the best and timely information. When there is such a huge delay as the one we are now witnessing, we may be condemning the population to suffer consequences that no one wants. Today, the IPMA provides radar data with about 90 minutes of delay, which means that when this data reaches the civil protection agents, it will be too late», defends Luís Gomes.
In a period in which meteorological uncertainty is increasingly a concern and climate change is a reality that Man will have to get used to until the best decisions can take effect, Luís Gomes recalls that there are mechanisms that can help society to be better prepared.
“Technology is increasingly advanced and meteorology is no exception. In fact, we are able to predict how the weather will be in the next 30 days. We need the same to happen when conditions are more adverse, and we know, today, that they will be more and more frequent and more intense. In winter, above all, decision makers need the best information and they need this information to be instantaneous, otherwise they will make decisions based on outdated information», warns Luís Gomes.
This Tuesday, Luís Gomes sent a communication to the president of IPMA where he expressed his concerns and asked for measures to be taken to allow the timely availability of information, so that civil protection agents, both at local and national level, can make the best decisions to protect the population.
Some 73% of Algarve population have completed Covid-19 Vaccination.
73% of the Algarve population already has complete vaccination, but the region continues to be the most backward in the process, according to the report released this Tuesday, 7 September.
The Algarve still has 80% of the population with at least one inoculation.
Compared to the last report, this is an increase of 3% in full vaccination and 1% in first doses.
In the last seven days, 19,010 vaccines were administered in the Algarve.
Nationally, 8,836,915 citizens have already been vaccinated with at least one dose, which corresponds to 85% of the population, while 8,273,795 already have full vaccination (80%).
Local authorities: PS candidate promises more troops and new fire station in Faro
The PS candidate for the Faro Chamber promised today that if he is elected he will reinforce the number of firefighters, “manifestly insufficient” to meet the needs, and the construction of a new barracks.
“We have increased in numbers of thousands of the population of Faro and we have reduced the number of rescue workers to the population, which makes no sense nowadays, because we are exposed to more risks”, he told Lusa João Marques, after a visit to Faro’s Firefighters Sapadores barracks.
According to the socialist candidate, who also met with the commander of the corporation, there are currently 45 troops, a number that he considered “manifestly insufficient” and which requires the carrying out of “reduced shifts”, which could jeopardize the response to the population.
“The ‘call center’ service is being carried out by firefighters and should be carried out by civil, technical and specifically trained personnel. It doesn’t make sense to have rescue workers clinging to a central”, he exemplified, defending that the ideal number will be between 70 and 80 effective and that the recent contest for 16 new firefighters does not solve the problem.
After having been the socialist councillor with the responsibility for Civil Protection between 2005 and 2009, in the term led by José Apolinário, the now head of the PS list stressed that there has been “divestment” in the area since then, in the terms of the coalition led by Rogério Cod (PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM).
“Over the past 12 years, what I saw here as a major investment was a single firefighting vehicle. Neither in technical nor in operational resources. In 12 years it practically stopped, it could even be said that there was a disinvestment”, he said.