Algarve Situation Report Saturday 4th December 2020
Deaths in the Algarve from Covid-19
A 92-year-old man, user of the Lar da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lagos, and a 70-year-old woman, resident in Faro, are the deaths by Covid-19 recorded this Friday, December 4th, in the Algarve.
Source of the Regional Health Authority told the South Information that both people “were hospitalized”. The 70-year-old woman even had “other associated comorbidities”.
Although the Directorate-General for Health recorded three new deaths in the Algarve yesterday, the Regional Health Authority said to our newspaper that “there are only two registered”.
This Friday, December 4th, the District Civil Protection Commission of Faro released its regional situation of Covid-19, where it reports a total of 5410 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic (plus 69).
As for those recovered, there are now over 45, out of a total of 3690. The number of active cases has increased (+22) to 1663.
In Algarve hospitals, 43 people are hospitalized, 14 of whom are in intensive care. 4 are ventilated.
In this situation, it is also advanced that a Rapid Social Security Intervention Brigade was activated to support a Residential Structure for Elderly People (ERPI) in the municipality of Olhão and a Support Structure for People with Disabilities in the municipality of Lagos.
Covid-19: Algarve with lowest hotel occupancy in the last 24 years in November
In November, the Algarve recorded the lowest occupancy per room in hotels and developments in the last 24 years, with an occupancy rate of 12.3%, more than 70% below the value registered in the same month in 2019.
According to data released today by the Association of Hotels and Enterprises of the Algarve (AHETA), since 2010, the year in which the occupation in the month of November in the Algarve was 26%, which was not so 
low.
Compared to 2019, hotel occupancy in November 2020 fell 71.7%, adds the largest regional association in the sector, one of the activities that has been most penalized by the covid-19 pandemic.
The British market was the one that most contributed to the decrease (86.9% less), followed by the German (84.6% less), Irish (56.1% less) and the domestic market (28.5% less).
Sales volume decreased by 72.5% compared to the same month of the previous year.
In accumulated values, the occupancy per bed has registered an average decrease of 56% since January and the volume of sales a decrease of 58.4%.
The data released by AHETA account for occupation in November since 1996 and until 2020.
Maximum occupancy per room was reached in 1999, with 55.8%.
Covid.19: Portimão implements “pioneering” measure to help lock transmission chains
In order to anticipate a possible increase in cases, following several outbreaks that appeared in the community in early November, the Portimão municipality says in a press release that the Permanent Municipal Subcommittee on Civil Protection for covid-19, decided to reinforce in the last weeks the nucleus of support to public health with six more senior technicians from the city council, dedicated to the areas of sport, culture and education, who join 12 more municipal technicians from other fields, already collaborating with this nucleus since March, a total of 18 elements.
In the same letter, it is mentioned that under the Municipal Emergency Plan for Civil Protection of Portimão, “a municipal command post was activated in the first few days of March, and these technicians are dependent on the operations cell, in a pioneering measure to National level”.
Installed in the Municipal Emergency and Civil Protection Centre of Portimão, and operating in the fire department, the unit of technicians of the municipality is divided between school health, in view of the high number of classes in prophylactic isolation, due to the emergence of cases isolated in the various educational establishments (public and private) in the municipality, and direct support in monitoring people under active surveillance. It is an operation considered essential to lock transmission chains that could affect various segments of the community “and cause irreversible consequences”, underlines the same source.
The functioning of this exception centre is based on the creation of a dynamic that relies on the technical coordination of a “regulating doctor”, permanently in the room, and who directs the activities, also responding to situations that exceed the skills of the technicians, ensuring differentiated support, whenever the situation justifies it, like the method used in other aspects of the emergency.
The nucleus is reinforced with more health professionals (doctors and nurses) whenever the situation requires it.
Also in the scheduling of tests, a communication / information circuit was established through the Municipal Room for Operations and Emergency Management, with the support of the Humanitarian Association of Voluntary Firefighters of Portimão, whose employees also carry out this «essential» action, underlines the authority.