Azores Situation Report Wednesday 8th December 2021
From our colleague in the Azores
Covid -19
Since the last Situation Report a week ago on the 1st of December there have been 170 new cases of Covid-19 registered, 31 more than last week, and 133 recoveries, 96 fewer than last week.
Admissions:
As of yesterday, one patient was admitted to the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, in Ponta Delgada, not in Intensive Care.
Current situation:
The archipelago currently has 275 active positive cases, 205 in São Miguel, 44 in Terceira, 18 in Faial, three in Pico, three in Corvo and two in Graciosa.
From December 31st, 2020 until November 29th, 175,414 people were vaccinated in the Azores with the first dose (74.1 percent) and 196,258 with full vaccination (82.9 percent), under the Regional Vaccination Plan. To date, 12,734 users have received a booster of the vaccine (3rd dose).
Information about the new state of alert in the region and passenger entry requirements can be found on this link https://covid19.azores.gov.pt/
Damage to roads
The Regional Secretariat for Public Works and Communications of the Government of the Azores has said that, due to recent very adverse weather conditions in terms of rainfall, after an exhaustive survey of services, losses of four million euros were recorded in the regional road network.
In São Miguel, these weather conditions were felt, with special incidence, on the 4th of October, in the western part of the island (municipality of Ponta Delgada), and on the 23rd of November, in the eastern part of the island. (Northeast council).
As a direct consequence, the regional road network inserted in these parts of the island suffered considerable damage that is causing constraints on car mobility.
Minimum wage in the Azores
As of January, next year, the minimum wage in the Region will raise 42 euros to 740 euros. Over the past seven years, the minimum salary has increased by 210 euros in the Azores
The minimum wage has been increasing gradually over the past seven years. In 2015, the minimum wage in the Azores was 530 euros, rising to 556.5 euros in 2016. From 2017 onwards, the minimum wage rose to 584.85 euros, recording a further increase in 2018 to 609 euros. The minimum wage was set at 630 euros in 2019, rising again to 666.75 euros in 2020, being updated to 698.25 euros in 2021
Christmas celebrations
The Ponta Delgada City Council presented the Christmas and New Year’s Eve program which, this year, will feature the presence of the Clã on stage, at Portas da Cidade, and the traditional fireworks.
The Christmas program includes more than fifty music and itinerant entertainment events, to which are added initiatives such as Casa do Pai Natal, tourist train rides and rides in free horse drawn carriages and Puppet Theatre. Press of the municipality. There will also be a Christmas Market and the now traditional Nativity scene at the Manaias house in Jardim Padre Sena de Freitas.
On New Year’s Eve, the entertainment starts at 9:30 pm at Portas da Cidade with the regional band Abba Project, followed by a performance of the national band Clã, from 10:30 pm. And at midnight, the firework show will mark the beginning of 2022, followed by DJ Soulsky’s performance until 3:00 am.