Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 20th October 2021
Introduction
Good morning – Infarmed, the Portuguese Medicines Authority, warned yesterday of the existence of two illegal websites for the sale of medicines aimed at the public in Portugal, highlighting the risks to health as it was not possible to ensure their safety, quality and authenticity. We published these on our Facebook page yesterday.
If people wish to purchase medicines over the internet, they should do so through authorized means. In Portugal, only pharmacies and non-prescription drug sales outlets authorized by INFARMED, IP can sell drugs to the public via the internet.
This is particularly so buying medicines on social media, the contents of products which cannot be verified and could be fake.
Turning to earthquakes, which we have reported upon several recently. A reminder of the A Terra Treme earthquake awareness exercise which will take place on Friday 5th November 2021. In 2019 over three quarters of a million took part comprising schools, businesses and individuals.
Portugal is a high risk county as far as earth quakes are concerned and although the vast majority are seldom felt, there have in the past been major earthquakes resulting in substantial loss of life. Knowing what action to take during and after a major earthquake could help the risk of serious injury or worse to you and your family. The exercise only takes one minute and involves the actions of DROP, COVER, HOLD. Simply visit the A Terra Treme website and register, so the civil protection are aware of the level of awareness and participation. https://www.aterratreme.pt/
As far as the La Palma volcano is concerned, there is much focus on the plight of three dogs trapped in a compound surrounded by a lava flow. Drones have been used to feed them and the Spanish authorities have given permission for a company to use its cargo drones to attempt a rescue – according to the company this would be a worldwide first.
Animals have often become victims in various catastrophes, such as rural fires, and more recently more attention has been given to this issue. Certainly in the case of the Castro Marim fire the GNR help rescue dogs from a pound. We are aware of cases in earlier fires where people have died trying to rescue their animals and the emergency forces are now more attuned to this issue.
A reminder that although the critical fire period has finished, the fire risk remains high, particularly in the Algarve. The Civil Protection have extended the availability of deployment under Level lll of the operational plan, which was due to expire on 15th October, until the end of this month. This decision is based on weather forecasts showing that the fire risk is higher than usual for this period. So please take care.
We again remind people to take every care to avoid accidentally causing a fire remembering that 98% of fires have a human cause. Yesterday I covered this topic and actions to take in the event of rural fires, in my presentation at the Estoi International Rotary lunch and I would like to thank the President Shirley Dunne and their members for the invitation and for the excellent questions that were raised.
Lastly Safe Communities Algarve will be at the Mediterranean Garden Fair at the Estoi Horse Fair site this coming Saturday and Sunday 23rd and 24th October. We are looking forward to this event as it is a good opportunity to meet people face to face and answer questions and provide advice. We will be focusing on fire wise gardens and the general land cleaning and protection of properties during rural fires. We welcome you to our stand.
With that please have a safe day
Headlines
Covid-19: vaccinating children under 12 may take “a while”
The regional director for Europe at the World Health Organization (WHO) admitted today, in Lisbon, that the decision to vaccinate children under 12 years of age against covid-19 could still take “a while”.
On an official visit to Portugal, Hans P. Klüge, himself a physician, recalled that “there are some clinical trials in progress”, but “the evidence is still not robust enough”.
Speaking to Lusa, at the end of a visit to a vaccination centre in the capital, he stressed: “We are monitoring very closely. We have to wait, for now. Not waiting passively, but monitoring the evidence that emerges every day. Therefore, we will have to wait a while.”
At this stage, said the official, “the first priority is to be able to increase the vaccination coverage of the adult population throughout the European region”.
“Secondly, give a third dose to older people with reduced immunities,” those most vulnerable to the virus, he continued.
“Third, [immunize] teenagers, ages 12 and over, because it’s very important to keep schools open,” he continued.
Covid 19 Tuesday 19th Portugal
Confirmed Cases: 1.080.929 (+832)
Number of admitted: 299 (-13)
Number of ICU admitted: 60 (-2)
Deaths: 18.106 (+6)
Recovered: 1.032.802 (+1010)
Active cases: 30,021 (-184)
Health
COVID 19 Vaccine booster dose and Flu vaccine co-administration from 18th October – DGS Standard Number 002/2021 Update 1th October 2021
Vaccination against COVID-19 and the Flu vaccine will be possible at the same time from October 18th. People aged 65 and over. The call will be via SMS, phone call, letter and other mechanisms that health centers have to reach users and invite them to go to the vaccination.
Available data analysed by the Technical Commission on Vaccination against COVID-19 (CTVC), which include the results of the World Health Organization expert group meeting on vaccination, show that there is an acceptable safety profile after taking both vaccines.
Vaccines must be administered at different anatomical sites, except in exceptional cases.
Users must be informed about possible adverse reactions and may opt for administration on different days. For this, they must inform the health professionals on the day of the vaccination and schedule a new date for the second vaccine to be administered.
Effects of covid-19 less noted in Portugal compared to other countries, according to a study
Lisbon, Oct 19, 2021 (Lusa) – The effects of the pandemic caused by covid-19 are less noticed by the Portuguese, compared to the average of the 30 countries analysed in the ‘Healthy & Sustainable Living’ report, released today.
According to the results of the survey, which in Portugal covered about a thousand participants, 38% of people say they feel very affected by the pandemic, when the global average is 51%, and 40% of Portuguese say they are moderately affected by the effects of the new coronavirus.
“The impact of the pandemic is considerably smaller in Portugal”, highlights the study.
In general, the Portuguese feel less affected by all the problems, compared to the world average.
In addition to covid-19, climate change and air pollution are the most cited problems as people surveyed feel personally most affected, as is the case globally.
Discrimination against ethnic, racial or religious minorities is a problem little felt in Portugal, according to the same study, as is the lack of access to health care.
After the pandemic, compared to the period before the new coronavirus, the Portuguese say they intend to pay more attention to health (57%), reduce the environmental impact (51%), spend more time in contact with nature (50%) and save money (50%).
Shopping in stores (06%), eating meat (07%) or updating your wardrobe (08%) are at the tail of the priorities mentioned.
The ‘Healthy & Sustainable Living’ report, which is published annually, includes for the first time data from Portugal, the result of a partnership between the consultant Natural Business Intelligence and the multinational GlobeScan.
In the country, the consultation of approximately one thousand participants, from different generations, with different incomes and residing in cities, towns and villages, was carried out ‘online’ in June and July 2021.
The study intends to contribute “to the understanding of the perceptions, behaviors and decision factors in the acquisition of products and services by the citizens”, information that the promoters of the report consider to be “relevant for companies and institutions”.
INSA leads European study to assess the impact of the pandemic on children’s nutritional status
Lisbon, Oct 19, 2021 (Lusa) – The Doctor Ricardo Jorge National Health Institute (INSA) will lead a European study to assess the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the nutritional status and lifestyle of school-age children, announced today the institution.
The initiative aims to understand and understand the impact of the pandemic on daily routines, well-being, eating habits and behaviours, physical activity, socioeconomic variables and perception of the nutritional status of school-age children (6 to 10 years old) on the European continent.
The announcement was made at the first “Conference of the World Health Organization Collaborative Centre on Child Nutrition and Obesity”, which is taking place at INSA, in Lisbon, after the presentation of the results of the 5th round of the COSI Portugal study, which points out a reduction of 8.2 percentage points in the prevalence of overweight in children aged six to eight years in Portugal between 2008 and 2019.
“We made a point of presenting a series of results that we have in this report, since they coincide with two years of the impact of covid”, but we still need to know its “impact on children’s nutritional status”, INSA researcher Ana Rito told Lusa agency, which will take over the scientific leadership of the European team responsible for the study, coordinated by the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases.
For Ana Rito, it is important to continue to monitor children’s nutritional status after two years of pandemic.
“We, INSA, have always been at the forefront in this fight against this pandemic that calls everyone, in fact, and we want to be equally at the forefront in this scientific study of the impact of covid-19 on childhood obesity,” said the researcher.
The study will be implemented by a group of 30 countries in the COSI/WHO Europe network during this school year (2021/2022), with the aim of collecting valid and comparable data on the impact of the pandemic, with a view to the possible identification of groups of vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic, allowing to inform and sustain future interventions and public health policies, says the INSA.
Other news
IGAI opens inquiry into PSP performance at the end of the football game in Montijo
The General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI) yesterday opened an inquiry into the PSP’s performance at the end of a football game on Sunday, in Montijo, in which it shot firearms into the air.
IGAI opens inquiry into PSP performance at the end of the football game in Montijo
In a response sent to Lusa agency, the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) states that the IGAI invoked the investigation process opened on Sunday by the PSP to investigate whether firearms fired into the air, due to a disorder that occurred at the end of a football game, in Montijo (setubal district), complied with internal legislation and regulations.
The MAI explains that the IGAI can invoke investigation processes, which is one of its competences.
In a statement released on Sunday, the PSP reported that “a disciplinary inquiry was opened to find out if the firearms resources complied with the applicable legislation and internal regulations”.
The disorder occurred in the Liberdade field, in Montijo, after the end of the game between Olímpico do Montijo and Vitória do Setúbal’s B team, in a match for the sixth round of the 1st District Division of the Setúbal Football Association, which ended tied (0-0).
According to the Public Security Police (PSP), the situation involved “aggression between several citizens who participated in the sporting event, including supporters of the two teams, who invaded the field”.
“The police officers deployed to the site, to ensure the security of the sporting event, immediately intervened to end the ongoing contempt and aggressions,” said the security force.
During the police intervention, indicated the PSP, “three police officers fired warning shots into the air”, having been “possible to put an end to disorder and aggression and restore public order in the sports venue”.