Health professionals are the crown jewel of the National Health Service (SNS)», affirmed the Secretary of State for Health, António Sales, at the daily conference on Covid-19 that took place in Lisbon.

In the opening statement, António Sales left “a word of thanks to everyone, without exception” who are at the forefront of combating the pandemic, including pharmacists and nurses.

«I want to greet vehemently through the president of the order of pharmacists – Ana Paula Martins – for her tireless work» and the president of the order of nurses – Ana Rita Cavaco – this “important professional class and whose work is equally determinant”, he said.

The Secretary of State also said that the work of “identifying, testing, isolating, protecting and treating” will continue and that “we cannot lower our arms”. «We count on everyone in this fight, which takes place from each one’s home. So we count on everyone, we count on that for each one ”, he added.

Referring to the “most vulnerable populations” as “one of the Government’s concerns”, António Sales stated that “several responses are already on the ground in partnership with civil society associations, municipalities, IPSS” and thanked “the effort of the social sector of proximity solutions’.

As for the prisoners – one of the populations at risk – the Secretary of State highlighted the fact that the containment measures of the prisons managed to keep the virus out of jail, with a positive case of one prisoner and two employees to date », all of them now in isolation.

Senior homes and homes must also “continue to reinforce their contingency plans”, implementing and improving them, since “lethality among the elderly is much higher”.

António Sales said that, this evening, a plane with 100 tons of personal protective equipment will arrive in Porto, namely «3.5 million surgical masks, about 300 thousand caps, 100 thousand gowns, among other equipment so necessary for professionals fighting this epidemic ».

This material, according to the Secretary of State, will be distributed throughout the country according to the needs »and that« is fundamental to protect health professionals ».

The replacement of this type of equipment is also being permanently carried out “to ensure that care is provided safely”.