Portugal Situation Report Saturday 15th May 2021
Introduction
Yesterday the highlight was that the Portuguese government announced it will lift its ban on non-essential travel from the UK on 17 May. A negative PCR test is required for entry to any part of Portugal. Fully vaccinated travellers to Madeira may also present complete NHS vaccine certificates or the small NHS wallet cards as a condition of entry instead of a negative PCR test. Travellers will be required to show a negative PCR test result for COVID-19 taken within 72 hours of departure (not required for children aged 2 or under). Your airline is likely to deny boarding if you cannot provide evidence of a negative PCR test at check-in. Check with your airline before you travel.
Before travelling to Portugal, visitors from England and Scotland should ensure they (i) have more than six months validity left on their passports and (ii) take out comprehensive travel insurance, including cover for COVID-related issues. Towards the end of their holiday in Portugal, travellers must also take a pre-departure COVID test within 72 hours before returning to England or Scotland.
Let’s just hope common sense prevails and that the visitors/guests give the hosts the respect they deserve after all the hard work and sacrifices they have done in making it possible.
The law has just been published regarding air travel restrictions for other countries, and we will update you on this during the course of the morning.
The Resolution of the Situation of Calamity, which takes effect midnight 16th/17th May has just been published and we will update you this morning on this. As far as we can see so far it only contains the changes announced by the Council of Ministers on Thursday, which we published on Facebook at the time, as well as the changes to allow visitors from the UK for non-essential reasons. This is effective until 23.59 hrs 30th May 2021.
Regarding vaccinations we are aware that some people have experienced problems concerning the self-scheduling system. This is often because they have not received an SMS message even after their requested date. We have taken this matter up with the health authority and they confirmed that they are experiencing some problems and are working to correct the situation.
Also on the question of vaccines please remember there is no choice in which one you receive although obviously the vaccine you receive will be appropriate to your age group. I mentioned this because yesterday I received a call from someone who had attended her appointment at the vaccination centre, but would not accept the vaccine being offered, requesting another one which was not available. She contacted Safe Communities asking how she could find out when her preferred vaccine would be available, on the basis she considered this less risky than what she was offered according to a US doctor. I find this unbelievable when so many are cueing for vaccines.
On the subject of beaches the Government diploma that establishes the rules regarding the access and occupation of beaches was promulgated yesterday by the President of the Republic, but has not yet been published in Diário da República. However the executive has said that in general the same rules applied in 2020 are maintained. One of the changes however announced already by government, concerns the system of traffic lights at the entrance of the beaches, related to their occupation.
According to Mariana Vieira da Silva, Minister of the Presidency, the green colour starts to indicate an occupation up to 50%, the yellow colour between 50% and 90% and the red colour above 90%. Last year, the colour green indicated low occupancy (1/3), yellow high occupancy (2/3) and red full occupancy (3/3).
We will publish when this becomes available.
So quite a bit of new legislation to contend with over the weekend to keep us busy. We will try to simplify the information where this possible. Just a reminder, however, to take care in sun as the UV is forecast at level 9, Very High, in various parts of the Mainland and Madeira. Also take care if hiking or other outdoor activities as temperatures may reach nearly 30C in some area to ensure plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and of course ensure avoid any actions which may result in rural fires.
Have a Safe and Happy weekend and enjoy the fine weather.
Headline
WHO warns: second year of the pandemic could be more deadly than the first
The World Health Organization has also called for the vaccination against the covid-19 of children and adolescents to be postponed, so that doses are donated to countries that need them most.
“Covid-19 has already caused more than 3.3 million deaths worldwide and we are on track to make the second year of this pandemic much more deadly than the first,” warned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the usual press conference, this Friday.
The Director-General of WHO highlighted countries such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, where cases of covid-19, hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise. “Saving lives through a combination of public health measures and vaccination is the only way out of the pandemic”, he stressed. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also called on countries that are considering starting to vaccinate children and adolescents against covid-19 to reconsider and instead donate the vaccines to the Covax mechanism. In this way, nations that are lagging behind in immunization campaigns could have access to these doses.
“A handful of rich countries, which have bought most of the doses, are now vaccinating low-risk groups. I understand that they want to vaccinate children and adolescents, but at this moment I ask you to reconsider and donate the vaccines instead. Covax, because in low and medium-low income countries the supply of vaccines has not been sufficient even to inoculate health professionals “. Only 0.3% of the vaccine supply is destined for low-income countries, according to the director-general of WHO, which “is not an effective strategy” to stop infections by the new coronavirus worldwide.
Covid-19
On Friday no deaths were recorded but there 450 new cases above last weeks The figures from yesterday were:
Confirmed Cases: 841.379 (+ 450 / + 0.05 %)
Number of admitted: 236 (-8 /-3.28 %)
Number of ICU admitted: 72 (+ 2 / + 2.86 %)
Deaths: 16.999 (+ 0 / + 0.00 %)
Recovered: 802.285 (+ 324 / + 0.04 %)
Active cases: 22,095 (+ 126 /+ 0.57%)
Safe Communities comparisons/trends are that there were no deaths yesterday, new daily cases were for the 16th consecutive day below 500 infections in 24 hours, a scenario that has not occurred since in August and September 2020. However there were above last weeks’ daily average. New cases were higher than recovered cases for third consecutive day and again those in hospital were the lowest for over a year since 27th March 2020 (then 191). Covid-19 Patients 6612 less compared to number in hospital 1st February 2021.And in ICU they were the lowest since 22nd September 2020. Active cases however showed an increase for the second day after two days of moderate decreases, but second lowest since 22nd September 2020
Incidence and transmission rates
The incidence of covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants continued to fall, while the R (t), or transmissibility index, increased slightly in Portugal. The incidence is now 50.3 in the national territory and 48.1 in the continent (less than half of the red line of 120) and the R (t) goes to 0.95 in the Continent and also 0.95 in the whole territory national , according to Fridays bulletin from the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
There are five municipalities in mainland Portugal with more than 240 thousand cases of Covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants in the last 14 days, according to the epidemiological bulletin of this Friday from the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
The municipalities in the “red” are Arganil, with 826 infections per 100 thousand inhabitants, Lamego (261), Castelo de Paiva 298, Montalegre (289) and Odemira (271).
In the autonomous region of the Azores, the municipality of Lajes das Flores has 410 cases of Covid per 100 thousand inhabitants, Northeast 329 and Ribeira Grande 375.
Under surveillance, between 120 and 240 cases of Covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants in the last 14 days are: Albufeira (152), Alvaiázere (152), Fafe (131), Golegã (206), Lagoa (129), Melgaço (124), Oliveira do Hospital (229), Resende (158), Torres Vedras (127), Vale de Cambra (141) and Vila Nova de Poiares (144).
In the autonomous regions there are three municipalities in the range between 120 and 240 cases: Funchal (124), Ponta do Sol (128) and Vila Franca do Campo (145).
Health
Beaches. Traffic light regime undergoes changes
There is no change about where to wear a mask on the beach; only the mandatory use of accesses, beach facilities and restaurants is maintained. Just like last year, going to the beach this summer will mean paying attention to a traffic light. The access regime, in any case, will be different, announced Mariana Vieira da Silva, at the press conference after the council of ministers.
“Up to 50% of the capacity is green, 50 to 90% is yellow and above 90% is red”, he revealed. The official also clarified that there is no change on where to use a mask on the beach; only the mandatory use of accesses, beach supports and restaurants is maintained. “There is no change regarding the places and situations where it is necessary to use a mask. As in the past year, it is not necessary to wear a mask on the beach, and it is necessary to wear a mask when accessing the beach, cafes and restaurants. These are the same rules that were in force a year ago” she said.
As for the administrative regime – a fine of up to 100 euros, which is provided for in the covid-19 rules will also be applied to beach measures.
President of the Republic – Beaches
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, promulgated this Friday the diploma that regulates access and occupation of beaches during the bathing season of this year, in the context of the pandemic of the covid-19, alerting for the practical application of the new regime sanctioning.
“Drawing attention to the issues that arise in the practical application of the new sanctioning regime, a matter in which it is important to ensure compliance with the substantial rules and, at the same time, not to create conditions that empty them, the President of the Republic”, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, promulgated the Government decree-law, reads in a note published on the website of the Presidency of the Republic.
Facemasks
The exemption from the use of a mask should only be considered when there is a good vaccination coverage against covid-19 and a reduced transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned this Friday. “Countries should take into account vaccine coverage and the local incidence rate [of the virus that causes covid-19] before deciding to withdraw these measures,” said Michael Ryan , director of the WHO emergency program , at a conference on press.
The United States announced on Thursday that it will end the mandatory use of facial masks for vaccinated people, including in some closed environments, due to the favourable evolution of the fight against the covid-19 pandemic, a change welcomed by President Joe Biden . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) revised their guidelines for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor environments.
However, the use of masks in crowded closed environments, such as buses, airplanes, hospitals or prisons, is still required.
Tourism
The Minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition, Pedro Siza Vieira, referred to the need for a common approach and actions for tourism in the countries of the European Union (EU), which should focus on the immediate recovery of demand in the sector. Pedro Siza Vieira was speaking at the opening of the High Level Forum on Sustainability and Tourism, promoted under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
In his speech, the Minister highlighted the three lines of action with regard to the future of tourism: the qualification of workers, the transition to carbon neutral and circular practices in the sector and the digital transition. Pedro Siza Vieira recalled that the tourism sector is critical for the recovery of European economies, in the face of the crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic and that, in addition to the immediate recovery of the sector, it is necessary to work for it to become more resilient.
“We must ensure that the installed capacity of this industry – whether it be companies, jobs, or the entire ecosystem – remains capable of responding quickly to the demand that we hope will be recovered in the short term,” he added. For his part, the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius, highlighted the importance of sustainable coastal and maritime tourism, as he is particularly exposed to the threats of climate change.
Tourism economy
Covid-19: Income from tourist accommodation falls by more than 80% in the 1st quarter – INE
The tourist accommodation sector recorded a drop of 83.5% in revenues to 76.6 million euros in the first quarter of the year, following the fall in the number of overnight stays, according to data released today by INE. According to data from the tourist activity in March, today released by the National Statistics Institute (INE), in the first quarter of 2021, there was a decrease of 80% in total overnight stays, resulting from a decrease of 59.3% in residents and 90.0% in non-residents.
Considering only the month of March, the tourist accommodation sector registered 283,700 guests and 636,100 overnight stays, representing falls of 59% and 66.5%, respectively (-87.1% and -87.8% in February, in the same order), he says.
Overnight stays from residents decreased by 20.2% (-74.9% in February) and non-residents fell by 86.2% (-94.5% in the previous month). “It should be noted that these year-on-year variations, in March, affect the first month of 2020 when the impact of the covid-19 pandemic has already been felt significantly”, signals the INE.
The income recorded in tourist accommodation establishments thus reached 26.4 million euros in March and 20.6 million euros in relation to accommodation, corresponding to year-on-year falls of 73.5% and 71.4%, respectively (-90 , 5% and -89.7% in February, in the same order).
In the group of tourist accommodation establishments, the average income per available room (RevPAR) stood at 7.3 euros in March, decreasing 50.2% (-79.7% in February). The average income per room occupied, in turn, reached 51 euros in March, which translated into a drop of 22.5% (-28.0% in February). In March, considering the majority of the means of accommodation (tourist accommodation establishments, camping and summer camps and youth hostels), there were 308 thousand guests and 768.4 thousand overnight stays, corresponding to variations of -58.4% and -63.7%, respectively (-86.7% and -86.1% in February, in the same order).
Armed Forces put into operation new concept of military support for civil emergencies
Proença-a-Nova, Castelo Branco, 13 May 2021 (Lusa) – The Armed Forces will put into operation the new concept of Military Support for Civil Emergency (AMEC), whose main objective is efficiency and effectiveness gains.
“The new concept of military support for civilian emergencies is a concept, from the outset, that will cover all potential interventions by the Armed Forces (FA) in support of civil protection, which frames what is the potential for FA collaboration, that is in the case that brought us here, in support of combating or monitoring rural fires, “Rear Admiral Nobre de Sousa told Lusa. The military, who was at the presentation of the Special Device for Fighting Rural Fires (DECIR 2021), at the Moitas aerodrome, in Proença-a-Nova, Castelo Branco district, said that this concept will be operationalized by a plan and will have subsidiary plans for each of the potential disasters.
“There will be a plan for firefighting, a plan for surveillance of fires, flood situations and one for earthquake situations”, he maintained. According to the Rear Admiral, until now, what happened was that the FAs, made available a set of means and capacities and then the supporting entities, employed according to their needs.
“Until now, we delivered a set of means and we said: during this time of fires they can use this set of means. From now on, the entities tell us what kind of mission we have to do. In other words, we stopped assigning means and tell us what it is to do. What we want is to tell us what it is to do and we tell you how we do it “, he underlined.
With this, Nobre de Sousa says that they intend to optimize the AF device.
“What we want are efficiency gains and, desirably, efficiency gains”, he concluded.
Over six thousand cases in Spain in last 24 hrs
Spain has registered 6,347 new cases of covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infected people to 3,604,799 so far, continuing the number of contagions to fall, according to the Spanish Ministry of Health. Health services have also reported an additional 58 deaths attributed to the pandemic since Thursday, bringing the total number of deaths to 79,339.
The accumulated incidence (contagions) continued to fall today, from 166 (Thursday) to 162 cases diagnosed per 100,000 inhabitants in the previous 14 days. The autonomous communities with the highest levels are those of the Basque Country (335), Madrid (256), Aragon (249) and Navarra (221).
In the last 24 hours, 702 people with the disease were admitted to hospitals across the country (706 on Thursday), of which 167 in Madrid, 137 in Catalonia and 133 in Andalusia. On the other hand, the number of hospitalized patients with covid-19 decreased to 7,088 (7,375), which corresponds to 5.6% of the beds, of which 1,899 patients are in intensive care units (1,931), which corresponds to 19, 2% of beds in these services. Spain enjoys, as of today, its first weekend in six months without being in a state of emergency and with most of the sanitary fences erected, which allows, among other things, to travel between the autonomous communities.