Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 9th February 2022
Introduction
Good morning – Yesterday was Safer Internet Day, the same day that Vodafone announced that it had been subject to a major Cyberattack, which caused major disruption to customers throughout the country. The CEO of Vodafone “Mário Vaz, described it as a “terrorist and criminal act to the network”, with the “objective of making the network unavailable”. The company admits that the attack was serious and deliberate, but there are no indications that the hackers accessed customer data.
For a leading communication company such as this, with millions of customers, this had a major impact in disrupting various forms of communications, including, telephone, SMS and email services. Attacking a telecommunications operator at this level can be very serious for any country. Fortunately at the time there were no major emergencies, such as a major fire for example, where timely communication to the public is essential.
It was further announced that this had also affected some banking operations with a report that the SIBS ATM network was affected, although this was restored some hours later.
It also affected INEM and other essential services. As a consequence INEM implement its contingency plans to ensure essential services, through the use of the SIRESP network in the provision of assistance by fire brigades. Later the ANEPC made a statement confirming that operational communications are in full operation and that firefighters’ associations have the SIRESP communications network and/or the Firefighters’ Operational Network.
The National Unit to Combat Cybercrime and Technological Crime (UNC3T) of the Judicial Police is investigating the cyberattack on Vodafone. SIS, intelligence services, as well as the National Cybersecurity Centre are also monitoring the case.
So far, the attack has not been claimed by any group of computer hackers.
This attack is the latest in succession of attacks that have taken place over the last weeks including the hacking of Expresso and SIC, more recently the alleged attack on the Portuguese Government website and TAP’s Twitter account. In the case of Expresso and SIC there sites were down for a number of days before temporary sites were established.
Clearly the latest attack raises a number of important issues, such as the diversity of the role of Vodafone and in the event of a cyberattack, or a technical malfunction, its vulnerability and the potential impact this can have on communications throughout the country, affecting the general public, businesses, essential services and banking.
As with any attack on this scale there will be a review of the incident itself, adequacy of contingency planning and whether there are any lessons to be learned as far as risk mitigation, damage limitation and recovery of services.
This is certainly a wake-up call. If you are operating a business to regularly review security of your services for instance, do you have a backup in case your site is either hacked into or goes down for whatever reason? This is worth thinking about, what are the financial implications if this happened to you, and do you have the information available to recreate your site should it not be backed up? Something to check with your hosting company.
Safer Internet Day was therefore somewhat overshadowed by the above event – which is a pity, as it is important that youngsters are fully aware of how to use the internet safely. There is plenty of material available and we encourage parents to help guide their children, particularly the dangers of cyberbullying and sextortion for instance. This is a very good site in many languages. https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/policy/insafe-inhope
According to experts, Portugal is about to take another important step on the path to normality, without a pandemic. “We are working on a proposal to lift restrictions”, says Raquel Duarte, coordinator of the group of experts that has been advising the Government on the strategy against the virus. For the pulmonologist, “we have a favourable situation and it is time to change the paradigm, with caution”. A new meeting of experts at Infarmed is expected in the coming days. We wait and see.
Lastly it was my pleasure to meet the visiting British Consular Regional Director for Southern Europe, Fleur Wilson, who was in Portimão on Monday visiting the team at the Vice Consulate and others. We had a very interesting meeting in which I briefed her on the work of Safe Communities Portugal, our partnerships with various government entities, work we have undertaken and projects planned for the future. British Consul in Portugal, Simona Demuro, and Vice Consul in Portimão, Clive Jewell were also present.
Please have a Safe Day.
Headlines
President of the Republic in answer to journalist question replies that he will swear in the new government on 23rd February
The President of the Republic said this Tuesday that he will swear in the new Government on February 23 and that until then he will not talk about the political situation resulting from the legislative, which the PS won with an absolute majority.
Asked by journalists, on the balcony of Palácio de Belém, in Lisbon, about his role in this political situation, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa replied: “They will not hear me until the 23rd, when I will give the inauguration speech of the new Government “.
We await the formal announcement
COVID-19 DGS Situation Tuesday 8th February 2022
Confirmed: 2,967,747 (+30757)
Admitted: 2.419 (-141)
Admitted to ICU: 171 (-7)
Deaths: 20,302 (+44)
Recovered: 2,343.448 (+38863)
Active cases 599,997 (-8,150)
TRENDS
For four days, active cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been falling.
After the decreases recorded on Saturday and Sunday (minus 4972 and 9011, respectively) and on Monday (minus 20,663), this Tuesday’s report reveals that existed 8,150 less active cases of covid19.
Admissions decreased in the last 24 hours, 141 people left the inpatient services.
This Tuesday there are also seven fewer patients in intensive care units, there are now 171.
Health
Covid-19: More than 55,000 people received a booster dose on Monday
Lisbon, Feb 8, 2022 (Lusa) – More than 55,000 people received the booster vaccine against covid-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of vaccinated with this dose to around 5.3 million, the Directorate- General Health (DGS) announced yesterday.
According to the DGS daily bulletin, the dose to reinforce immunization against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has already been administered to 616,043 elderly people aged 80 and over, who represent 93% of this age group, as well as 923,778 between 70 and 70 years old. 79 years (96%).
According to data released today, 1,124,506 people between 60 and 69 years old (89%), 1,093,274 between 50 and 59 years old (77%), 873,054 between 40 and 49 years old (59%), 453,765 between 30 and 39 years old (38%) and 305,360 between 18 and 29 years old (24%) have also taken the booster dose.
With the primary vaccination completed, there are now 80,073 children between the ages of five and 11 and 327,707 have already received the first dose, indicates the DGS.
In total, 8,864,750 people have already completed the primary vaccination in Portugal since the immunization plan against covid-19 started, on December 27, 2020, and 2,581,030 have already taken the seasonal flu vaccine.
Outbreak of Bird Flu at a farm in Torres Vedras
An outbreak of bird flu was detected in a turkey and chicken farm in A-dos-Cunhados, a parish in the municipality of Torres Vedras, this municipality in the district of Lisbon said in a statement.
“The risk to human health is limited to people who work on the farm where the cases were identified, due to the continuity of contact with a high number of sick animals”, clarifies the municipality.
In the note, it is also mentioned that “the risk of transposition of the virus to humans is low, but it can happen when there is continued exposure and associated with the handling of animals or waste produced”.
In this sense, it is added, “exposed and at risk people are already under surveillance”.
Taking into account the transmission of the disease between birds and its high mortality, the Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary Medicine (DGAV) determined that poultry and captive birds — including domestic ones — should remain confined to their respective housing, “so to prevent their contact with wild birds”.
DGAV also defined a protection zone and a surveillance zone, with measures aimed at establishments located there.
Covid-19: Extended vaccines accepted by the Portuguese authorities
Until now, Infarmed has only validated vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency for the use of the digital certificate: Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, AstraZeneca and India’s Covovax
The Portuguese authorities started to accept, for the purpose of issuing a covid-19 certificate, the Chinese vaccines from Sinopharm (Vero Cell) and Sinovac (Coronavac), as well as from the Indian multinational Bharat Biotech International (Covaxin).
According to a joint circular from Infarmed and the Directorate General for Health (DGS), authorized in third countries, sublicensed by the same holder of the Marketing Authorization, will also be accepted for the issuance of a covid-19 certificate, including in this group vaccines from producers Verity Pharmaceuticals (Canada), Fiocruz (Brazil) and R-Pharm (Russia).
Until now, Infarmed has only validated vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the use of the digital certificate: Moderna, Pfizer, Janssen, AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria – under the name AZD1222) and Indian Covovax.
“The completion of primary vaccination schedules initiated in other countries and/or the administration of booster doses after completion of primary vaccination schedules carried out in other countries, as well as the transcription of the corresponding vaccination acts should follow the recommendations of the DGS”, reads the statement.
The circular also recalls that, currently, several vaccines against covid-19 are used with different regulatory frameworks, “which means that citizens vaccinated with vaccines and vaccination schedules different from those recommended in Portugal can reach the national territory”.
Since Monday, a negative test is no longer required to enter Portugal, simply presenting the Covid-19 digital certificate from the European Union or other recognized proof of vaccination.
Fines for failing to fill in a passenger location form
Failure to comply with the obligation to present and verify the passenger location form with destination or stopover in mainland Portugal constitutes an administrative offense for airlines and passengers, the Government said today.
In a joint statement, the ministries of Economy and Digital Transition, Internal Administration, Health and Infrastructure and Housing state that the passenger location form (PLF) must be completed by all passengers on flights to or from mainland Portugal, including passengers on flights from the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira.
According to the Government, the PLF must be filled in electronically after ‘check-in’ and before boarding time.
“The non-compliance with the obligations to present and verify the completion of the PLF constitutes an administrative offence, sanctioned with a fine that can vary between 20,000 and 40,000 euros, when practiced by the airlines or the entities responsible for the management of the respective airports or between 300 and 40,000 euros. 800 euros, when practiced by passengers”, says the statement.
The executive also emphasizes that the completion and presentation of the PLF by all passengers allows the health authorities, “with full respect for the personal data protection regime, to carry out the tracing of contacts regarding confirmed cases of covid-19, and from this way to interrupt, early, possible chains of transmission”.
More than 3,200 passengers and 41 companies fined at air borders
All passengers who arrived in Portugal by air, between December 1st and February 6th, were required to present a negative test for covid-19 or a recovery certificate on disembarkation within the scope of measures to combat the pandemic.
In a final balance sent to the Lusa agency, the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) indicates that, between December 1st and February 6th, PSP and SEF inspected 2,191,138 passengers and 20,583 flights, which resulted in 3,273 offences.
According to the MAI, 41 airlines were fined for having transported passengers without a negative test for covid-19 or a recovery certificate.
Airlines carrying passengers without a negative test were subject to a fine of between 20,000 and 40,000 euros per passenger and travelers were also subject to an administrative offence, between 300 and 800 euros, for not presenting a test on arrival.
The MAI also states that the 3,273 infractions include eight foreigners who were refused entry into the country because they did not present a test on arrival, since it is only allowed to carry out the test at the airport to citizens of Portuguese nationality, foreigners residing in Portugal and diplomatic personnel.
MAI data also show that 3,337 diagnostic tests were carried out at airports for passengers who entered the country without this document.
At land borders, also between December 1st and February 6th, citizens of countries outside the European Union and EU countries considered to be at red or dark red risk required a negative test or a recovery certificate.
The GNR and the Foreigners and Borders Service carried out 22,528 random surveillance operations at land borders to ensure tests for covid-19, according to the MAI.
Within the scope of these operations, 135,307 inspections were carried out on light and goods vehicles, motorcycles, trains, buses, which gave rise to 42 administrative offense notices for lack of a test or recovery certificate.