Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 23rd September 2020
Covid-19: Louletano has resumed training but there are still eight infected footballers
Louletano’s football team remains with eight players infected with Covid-19, who are due to undergo further diagnostic tests today, to see if they can resume training with the rest of the team, said the president.
“We already have some players training, there are only eight at home, who should do new tests today,” the president of Louletano Desportos Clube, António do Adro, told the Lusa agency, saying that the other players resumed training earlier in the week.
The same source added that, “as they only started training now”, the club “asked for the postponement of three games” of the Portuguese Championship “and one of the Portuguese Cup” to “be able to train for at least three weeks before starting competing” in official games.
“There is already an agreement between the clubs, all that remains to be decided is the date” on which the games will be played after this postponement, added António do Adro, in a reference to the games of the second and third rounds of the championship with Lagos and Olhanense, respectively, and of the Portuguese Cup with Ferreiras, which should take place between the 4th and 18th of October.
The official stressed that the first match against Moncarapachense has already been rescheduled for November 15th and, with this solution, the Algarve team should only start the competition in the third or fourth week of October.
Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim outline common strategy to prevent the spread of Covid-19
Following the epidemiological evolution of Covid-19 in the municipalities of Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim, and in order to minimize the chances of contagion, the two municipalities decided to implement, by mutual agreement, a set of more restrictive measures of 
isolation and protection of the population.
In a note sent to the media, the Municipality of Vila Real de St António states that the two municipalities decided to apply some measures in order to minimize the likelihood of contagion.
There are 7 measures, which go through the suspension of all sporting, cultural and social events held in municipal facilities and in public spaces involving crowds of people, and the ban on the use of all municipal sports equipment for the practice of sports, including training and competition games, with the use of municipal sports equipment only being permitted by groupings of schools, under the terms of their contingency plans, for physical education classes, with the group itself being responsible for determining the performance of classes.
Another measure has to do with the recommendation to use an individual protection mask in all situations of contact with other people, including on the street.
The alert for the prohibition of private parties, under the terms already foreseen by the General Directorate of Health (DGS), and reinforcement of the inspection, as well as the request for the collaboration of the police forces “for a rigorous implementation” of the national and municipal regulations related to the combating the pandemic, are other measures that are in place until the 15th of October, which were announced today by the two Municipalities.
Secretary of State Jorge Botelho is the new regional coordinator to combat Covid-19
The Algarvian Jorge Botelho, Secretary of State for Decentralization and Local Administration, is the new regional coordinator of the fight against Covid-19, succeeding José Apolinário, who left the government last week.
Botelho will already participate, this morning, in the meeting of the District Civil Protection Commission, which will take place via VTC.
Jorge Botelho was mayor of Tavira and president of the Intermunicipal Community of Algarve (AMAL), until he was appointed to the current government functions by Prime Minister António Costa.
Interestingly, José Apolinário, who preceded him in regional coordination, left the Secretariat of State for Fisheries to run for president of the Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) of the Algarve, in the first indirect elections for this position, which result from the recent legislation which was largely conceived by Secretary of State Jorge Botelho.
Algarve Saturday 19th September
Covid-19 Statistics
A total of 971 people have recovered from Covid-19 in the Algarve, according to data from the Regional Health Authority released recently by the District Civil Protection Commission. This means that, since yesterday, there were 13 more patients recovered in the Algarve region.
Even so, taking into account that, in the last week (from 11 to 18 September) there were 122 new cases of Covid-19 in the Algarve, this means that the percentage of people recovered in relation to the total accumulated cases decreased from 76.37% to 73.12%.
On the other hand, the Regional Health Authority announces that, in the last 24 hours, 27 new infections were confirmed, bringing the total accumulated since the beginning of the pandemic to 1328.
There are currently 336 active cases in the region, that is, an increase of 21.1% over last Friday. Over the past week, there was also one more death, on Monday, that of an 80-year-old Italian, residing in the municipality of Loulé, who had been hospitalized in critical condition for intensive weeks at the Hospital Intensive Care for many weeks. from Faro .
At the moment, according to the data revealed today, there are 7 persons in hospital, one of them in the ICU. There was a significant increase in the number of people who are under active surveillance, that is, who are at home, awaiting test results or the end of quarantines: there are now 789, compared to 580 a week ago.
https://www.sulinformacao.pt/2020/09/971-pessoas-ja-recuperaram-da-covid-19-no-algarve/
Albufeira – Mayor announces measures at start of school year.
The Salão Nobre dos Paços do Concelho hosted yesterday morning a meeting between all the bodies involved in the different dynamics of the start of the school year in Albufeira.
Health Delegate, National Republican Guard, Civil Protection, Presidents of Parish Councils, Directors of School Groups and Municipal Health and Education services responded affirmatively to the Mayor’s invitation to, jointly with ABC – Algarve Biomedical Center, to present the “Adaptation Strategy of the Educational Community” to minimize the possibility of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.
In a statement, the municipality took stock of what has been preparing for the beginning of the school year, which is “one of the most difficult and controversial moments of any political management” and this year “we have added difficulties”, José Carlos Roll said at the opening of the meeting.
The mayor continued: “it is necessary, more than ever, and given the pandemic context, to minimize all risks. It would be utopian to say that the problems do not exist or to imagine that there will not be occasional cases of Covid-19 in schools, but there is an urgent need for the whole community to know that concerted work is being done, networking with security and security and health authorities, together with the schools and the Municipality, in order to transmit confidence to the parents of the students and to the professionals involved, as the moment is one of uncertainty and perplexity”.
Alcoutim – Testing for teachers, and school employees and students upon request
The Alcoutim City Council is making available today, to all teachers and employees of schools in the municipality, the possibility of carrying out Covid-19 screening tests. Serological tests and molecular tests (RT-PCR) are being carried out in the Schools of Alcoutim and Martim Longo by ABC-Algarve Biomedical Center.
“For a good start to the school year, we decided to test teachers and staff and tests for students will be available if requested and authorized by parents. The interest in testing teachers and staff is based on the concern to do everything in our power to minimize the risk of contagion and guarantee the best conditions at the start of the school year”, says the Mayor, Osvaldo Gonçalves, in a note from the municipality.
Algarve Wednesday 16th September
Italian resident in Loulé is the new fatal victim of Covid-19 in the Algarve
An 80-year-old Italian, resident in the municipality of Loulé, is the latest fatal victim of Covid-19 in the Algarve, confirmed a source from the Regional Health Authority.
The man was “in a critical situation for some time, hospitalized in intensive care,” said the same source. He died yesterday at the hospital in Faro.
This is, according to data from the Regional Health Authority, the 21st death in the Algarve region, due to Covid-19, since the beginning of the pandemic.
This new death in the Algarve was revealed today by the daily epidemiological bulletin of the Directorate-General for Health. This entity accounts for 2 fewer deaths than the Regional Authority just because of the victims’ residence.
This Tuesday, according to DGS data, there are 15 new cases since Monday bringing the cumulative total of cases to 1259.
Algarve Covid-19 Transmission rate lowest in the country
The Algarve has one of the lowest transmission rates (Rt) of covid-19 in all regions on the continent, despite the increase in new cases in recent days, said today the president of the Regional Health Administration (ARS).
At the fortnightly press conference of the District Civil Protection, in Loulé, Paulo Morgado said that the Rt in the Algarve region is 1.07, which means that each infected person gets, on average, 1.07.
“The Rt of the Algarve is one of the lowest in all regions of the country”, he stressed, noting that the situation “is relatively controlled” in the region, despite the daily increase in new cases.
The regional health delegate of Faro, Ana Cristina Guerreiro, also considered that the situation in the Algarve “is comfortable, given the circumstances”, namely, the fact that there was a lot of mobility during the summer holidays.
According to the official, mobility, activities and family reunions – especially with emigrants or people from other regions – are the factors that have most contributed to the increase in the number of cases.
Currently, the biggest active outbreak in the Algarve is related to the senior football team of Louletano Desportos Clube, detected at the end of August and which caused a total of 47 cases, among members of the club and family.
Regarding a balance of the number of cases detected during the summer in the Algarve, Ana Cristina Guerreiro said that a “more in-depth technical analysis” is foreseen, but, however, in an “initial assessment”, the situation “went as smoothly as possible”.
Albufeira maintains commercial establishments closing hours during contingency situations
The opening hours of commercial establishments in Albufeira will not change, with the country entering into a contingency situation, as decided by the mayor of Albufeira.
José Carlos Rolo issued an order this Monday stating that in the municipality of Albufeira the schedules that were already in force will be maintained, despite the change from the alert situation to the contingency situation, a level with tighter preventive measures.
The Resolution of the Council of Ministers of last Thursday attributed to the presidents of the Chamber the responsibility to define the closing time of the commercial establishments, in the time window between 20h00 and 23h00.
“We are not going to change anything and I just call on everyone to have the flexibility and the good will to, in this extraordinary and difficult context, adapt and, as far as possible, do and do their best. Albufeira, I am convinced, will not stop and will go down in history regarding this terrible moment. But we are all going to be victorious”, considered the mayor of Albufeira.
“It is important to think about the community and give a vote of confidence to anyone who has thought of these measures, in order to prevent the spread of the pandemic,” he added.
Regarding the opening of establishments, and in line with the diploma approved by the Government, the establishments in Albufeira have to open after 10 am, “except the hairdressing salons, barbers, beauty institutes, restaurants and the like, cafeterias, tea houses and the like, driving schools and technical vehicle inspection centres, as well as gyms and gyms”.
As for the closing time, it remains at 11 pm, “except for those who have their own specifications considered in that Resolution”.
The Albufeira Chamber also stressed “that establishments that have never closed can continue to maintain the hours prior to this legal measure, that is, they are not covered by paragraph 1 of Article 10 of the aforementioned Resolution of the Council of Ministers”.
Monchique educational community tested Covid-19 serological tests
Teachers, employees, but also drivers, security guards and workers from other services related to education and sport in the municipality of Monchique underwent serological tests on Covid-19, before the beginning of another school year.
This initiative was carried out in close collaboration with the ABC – Algarve Biomedical Center and the Monchique Schools Group, and was the first of other initiatives of this nature that the Câmara de Monchique intends to carry out aimed at other groups as well.
“The realization of these serological tests to our workers, to all teaching and non-teaching staff who, due to the nature of their functions, will be in the first line of action and contact with students, will allow not only to obtain very interesting data about the real immune status of this population, as it will also be essential, in terms of human resources, so that we can refine initiatives and procedures to be adopted in the current scenario of worsening of the epidemic situation in our country, despite the fact that the municipality does not register any positive case at this moment”, said Rui André, Mayor of Monchique.
Algarve Saturday 12th of September
Covid-19 Situation update reported 11th September
The District Civil Protection Commission of Faro gave notice of the current epidemiological situation in the Algarve, based on data provided by the Regional Health Delegate, which points to 265 active cases in the region.
So far, 1206 infected people have been registered, 16 more in the last 24 hours with 921 recovered (cumulative), equivalent to 76.37%.
6 people are hospitalized, 2 in the Intensive Care Units. The same source reports 20 deaths in the region. Under active surveillance there are 580 people and 107 (cumulative) were discharged.
In relation to the bulletin of last Friday, September 4th, 21 less active cases and 58 new cases from Covid are confirmed.19. Another 78 people are recovered.
There is 1 more person hospitalized (6), and 1 less in intensive care (2). The number of deaths rose to 20 (+1), under active surveillance there are 45 more people.
One more patient was discharged from hospital.
The same source draws attention to the fact that since August 5, 166 follow-up visits have been made, through health, social security and civil protection technicians, in all municipalities in the Algarve region, with the aim of supporting Institutions in the implementation of appropriate measures, in a preventive and pedagogical nature, in order to reduce the risk of infection by COVID-19.
The following observations were made: Albufeira (11), Alcoutim (6), Aljezur (1), Castro Marim (3), Faro (18), Lagos (14), Lagoa (7), Loulé (27), Monchique (2), Olhão (7), Portimão (26), São Brás de Alportel (8), Silves (5), Tavira (19), Vila do Bispo (6) and Vila Real de Santo António (6).
ANA says number of passengers did not justify summer queuing system at Faro airport
The chairman of the Board of Directors of ANA Aeroportos, José Luís Arnaut, told Lusa yesterday that the summer queuing circuit at Faro airport has not opened because the number of passengers has fallen below the required amount.
Reacting to statements by the Minister of Internal Affairs, who criticized the lack of opening of the summer area at Faro airport, a situation that could increase the queues, José Luís Arnaut explained that, according to the concession contract, to increase circulation space is necessary to have 2,100 passengers per hour, but the maximum recorded in August was 1,029.
“The summer circuit is scheduled to start when there are 2,100 passengers per hour. Unfortunately, on the peak days in August, the maximum we had was 1,029 and, if in February, on the winter circuit, we had 140,000 passengers. and [the airport] functioned, naturally that in August, with 120 thousand, it can also work, if the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) has employees in the ‘boxes’ and these are not empty “, underlined the person in charge of ANA.
José Luís Arnaut stressed that it was “with some astonishment and even some institutional indignation” that he heard the Minister of Internal Administration, Eduardo Cabrita, having blamed ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal for the lines at Faro airport today, accusing him of “repeatedly” violated public service obligations “and” harmed the country “.
British nationals returning from the Algarve
Dozens of British tourists in the Algarve are anticipating their return to the United Kingdom today, to avoid fulfilling their quarantine on their return home, after the British Government announced the closure of the air corridor with mainland Portugal.
Several British citizens contacted by Lusa at Faro airport were unhappy with the British Government’s decision, but due to work commitments they were forced to expedite, some of them, their return to England by several days.
“I do not agree with my country’s decision to place Portugal [with the exception of the Azores and Madeira] in the air risk corridors, not evaluating the regions, as is the case in the Algarve, a region where I feel safe”, Carly Spencer told Lusa .
The surgeon, resident in the north of England, said that the measure “forced her to bring forward the return flight home by six days, which cost about 500 euros, to avoid quarantine on arrival in the United Kingdom”. “The vacation ends next week and I cannot, for professional reasons, subject myself to a two-week quarantine,” he said. Carly Spencer added that the situation in Portugal “may raise concerns in large cities like Lisbon and Porto, but the Algarve should be an exception for the British Government”.
Cultural facilities in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) earn the “Clean & Safe” seal of Turismo de Portugal.
The cultural facilities in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António (Municipal Library, Cultural Centre António Aleixo and Municipal Historic Archive) obtained the “Clean & Safe” accreditation, attributed by Turismo de Portugal, thus guaranteeing their safety in the face of the COVID- 19.
To receive this seal, the spaces implemented a contingency plan that, according to the recommendations of the Directorate-General for Health, ensures social distance and the necessary hygiene to avoid risks of contamination with SARS-CoV-2 (new coronavirus).
In order to be able to affix the “Clean & Safe” seal, municipal cultural facilities also had to comply with the set of provisions contained in the “Declaration of Commitment”, provided by the Regional Tourism Authority of the Algarve, guaranteeing safe procedures for its operation.
The accreditation is valid until April 30, 2021 and can be posted either in physical facilities, or in the channels and platforms for dissemination and sale.
Algarve report Wednesday 9th September
Covid.19: Algarve without fairs until the end of the year
The decision of the municipalities in the Algarve was taken at the AMAL Intermunicipal Council Meeting. The mayors consider that the conditions are not met to allow annual fairs to be held.
In a statement, AMAL said that in the context of the current pandemic, the Municipalities of the Algarve decided, at the Council meeting that took place on the 5th, “not to hold the Fairs that take place, once a year, in different counties in the region “. The decision will be maintained at least until the end of this year, until further evaluation, read in the same note.
Despite the fairs being held outdoors, AMAL explains that they “would have to obey a set of guidelines from the General Directorate of Health (DGS), which mayors affirm that there are no conditions to be met, since they imply a great deal of concentration of people “.
Thus, the same source reports that the holding of, for example, the Feira de Santa Iria, in Faro, the Feira de São Miguel, in Olhão, the Feira da Praia, in Vila Real de Santo António, the Feira de São Francisco, in Tavira, from Feira de São Martinho, in Portimão, or from Feira Franca, in Lagos.
In addition to this assessment, AMAL reinforces that, according to what has already been announced by the Government, the entire country will, as of September 15, enter a State of Contingency.
Open call to recruit 42 doctors at the Centro Universitario Universitário do Algarve
The Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) reported today that it has 42 vacancies for hiring doctors, in various specialties, 
within the scope of the national competition published on September 4 in Diário da República with the aim of strengthening the National Health Service. Health (SNS) with over 950 medical professionals.
For CHUA, this contest launched by the Government, through the Ministry of Health, “will allow the creation of conditions to provide the Algarve hospital units with more specialist doctors, thus solving, if the vacancies are fully filled, some of the main constraints felt over the years “.
The dispatch with the distribution of the contingent of the 950 vacancies of the 1st season competition of the newly specialists in the hospital (911) and public health (39) areas was published last Friday in Diário da República.
The contest has a period of 5 days, counting from the date of publication in the Diário da República. For more information, see Notice No. 13200-E / 2020, of September 4, 2020.
Algarve Report Saturday September 5th
Covid 19
In the Algarve there are 1148 total confirmed cases to date including 286 currently active. On these there were 11 confirmed cases in the last 24 hrs.
Of the total to date 843 have recovered or 73.4%. The number of people in hospital is five and in ICU is three.
British and Portuguese help hotels achieve 60.5% occupancy in August
Algarve hotels had an average occupancy / room of 60.5% in August, a low figure when compared to previous years, but high in relation to the other months of 2020.
According to the Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve (AHETA), this month’s results had the positive influence of the British market, which increased demand by 3.5pp compared to July, «following the opening of the air corridor in 20 August between the United Kingdom and the Algarve ».
The increase in demand from the national market, which rose by 6.4%, in relation to the same month of 2019, also helped to achieve this occupancy rate. The Portuguese represented 67.7% of the total overnight stays.
Even so, despite the national “aid”, the occupancy rate of 60.5% was 35% below the value registered last year.
Despite the recovery in relation to July, the British market was the one that fell the most compared to last year (-18.4pp), followed by the Irish (-4.2%), French (-2.8pp) and the German (- 2.6%).
Sales volume also decreased 36.4%, compared to August last year.
In accumulated values, the bed occupancy registered an average decrease of -58.1% since January and the sales volume decreased by -56.8%.
José Apolinário is elected as PS for the CCDR of the Algarve.
José Apolinário and António Ceia da Silva are the candidates chosen by the PS for the presidency of the Coordination and Regional Development Commissions (CCDR) of the Algarve and Alentejo, respectively. And if, in the Algarve, there are no obstacles to the election of the current Secretary of State for Fisheries, in Alentejo the name of the acting president of the Regional Tourism Authority of the Algarve and Ribatejo is disputed, even within the PS.
According to the newspaper Público today, José Apolinário will be the socialist candidate in the first indirect elections for the presidency of the Algarve CCDR, which will take place in October. Bearing in mind that the electoral college is composed of mayors from the region, the vast majority of the PS, the election should be only pro-forma.
José Apolinário, who has already been a deputy and mayor of Faro, has been the regional coordinator of the fight against Covid-19 in the Algarve since April 8, first in the state of emergency, then in the state of Calamidade and now in the alert. A function that, in addition to his previous and current experience, as Secretary of State for Fisheries, has given him an in-depth knowledge of the Algarve situation.
Algarve
Situation report Wednesday September 2nd 2020
GNR operation against wild camping
A total of 200 infractions, of which 164 resulting from wild camping, as well as motorhome and illegal parking in non-permitted locations, and 36 for non-compliance with the traffic sign regulation, were detected by GNR, during an operation that took place from 26 to 31 August, in the municipalities of Aljezur and Vila do Bispo, especially in the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina.
The action, undertaken by the Territorial Detachment of Portimão, within the scope of the “Summer Safe 2020” operation, included the reinforcement of the Lagos Traffic Substation, the Portimão Coastal Control Substation, and the support of the Regional Directorate for Nature Conservation and Algarve Forests (ICNF) and the Lagos Maritime Police.
The objective was to monitor and combat “illegal caravanning and wild camping”, added the GNR, in a press release sent to newsrooms.
“Camping and wild caravanning is an identified problem that constitutes a factor in the destruction of habitats, some of which are protected, in addition to representing an illegal occupation, which results in a degradation of the places used, by uncontrolled deposition of waste, which are spread over the unduly occupied place ”, concludes the GNR.
Theft of carobs Loulé.
A 30-year-old man was identified this Monday, August 31, for theft of agricultural products in Loulé.
GNR said in a statement that it seized 870 kilograms of carobs, during a road inspection action, with the Guard military approached a vehicle that carried the transport of several bags of locust beans.
In the inspection operation, the driver stated that he was authorized to pick up the carobs that he was transporting, from several lands. However the GNR verified that the carobs had been stolen, “having been possible to identify the legitimate owner of part of the carob transported by the suspect”.
The individual was identified and constituted the defendant, the carob, valued at 683 euros, were apprehended and the facts forwarded to the Loulé Judicial Court.
GNR has been carrying out awareness and inspection actions since June 1, within the scope of the “Campo Seguro 2020” operation, with the objective of preventing theft crimes, near agricultural properties. Since at this time of the year, the focus in the Algarve region is on carob, due to the commercial value it represents and the ease in both picking and selling, Guarda increased policing in order to deter and repress the practice of theft of carob.
Câmara de Lagoa to create a Municipal Police
The Câmara de Lagoa started the process to create a Municipal Police and expects to have it completed in 2021, after approval by the Municipal Assembly, by the end of the year, the municipality announced today.
The municipality approved “unanimously”, in the last Chamber session, on August 25, a proposal that foresees to start the elaboration of a regulation on the functioning of the Municipal Police, which will later be subject to the vote in the Municipal Assembly, and considered that this it is “the first step” of a process that “should be completed during the next year of 2021”.
“Drawing up a regulation for the operation of the ‘Municipal Police of the municipality of Lagoa’ is the first step on a path that should lead to the creation of this specialized police service. The decision to start the process was taken unanimously at the last public meeting of the Câmara de Lagoa ”, the municipality welcomed in a statement.
The same source justified the decision to move towards the creation of a Municipal Police with the “need to adapt resources to the challenges and responsibilities of the municipality of Lagoa in the areas of inspection”.
The “protection of the environment, commercial establishments, occupation of public space, traffic and parking, advertising, monitoring of sporting and cultural events, without forgetting the pedagogical aspect, in a logic of proximity to the citizen”, are areas of supervision that will pass to the tutelage of the Municipal Police, according to the proposal of the municipal executive chaired by Luís Encarnação.
Covid-19 Situation Report Saturday 29th August 2020
The Algarve has, since Thursday until yesterday, 10 new cases of Covid-19, according to the regional health delegate, in a press conference. The number of recovered people has also increased (three more) and the epidemiological situation in the region “remains stabilized“.
According to Algarve Health authority statistics, there were a total of 245 active Covid-19 cases in the Algarve with eight in hospital and none in ICU. To date there have been 1045 cases of whom 790 have recovered e.g. a recovery rate of 74.9%. Of those contracting the disease 19 have died according to regional figures.
There are now 264 active cases. These data mean that the situation in the Algarve is “stabilized, despite the number of visitors present in the region, which should be around one and a half million”, considered Ana Cristina Guerreiro. Proof of this is that “we do not have a large active outbreak”. “We have some outbreaks, between 13 and 15, basically of family or work transmission. We also have imported cases or of Portuguese who were on vacation, basically in Spain, or of foreigners who get sick here in the region”, explained Ana Cristina Guerreiro.
Of the active cases, of which only 40 are imported cases – referring to Portuguese who arrived from abroad or tourists.
“[These are] Portuguese who were on vacation in Spain or foreigners of various nationalities who fall ill in our region”, she exemplified, adding that imported cases represent 17% of active cases in the region.
According to Ana Cristina Guerreiro, many of the tourists who arrive in the Algarve come from areas that are considered affected areas. Questioned by journalists about their countries of origin, the official said they were of “dispersed nationalities”.
The president of the District Civil Protection Commission, António Miguel Pina, took the opportunity to devalue the number of imported cases, taking into account that the population in the Algarve triples during the summer months.
Covid-19: More than 30 athletes and members of the Louletano football team infected
A total of 33 athletes and members of the senior football team at Louletano Desportos Clube tested positive for covid-19, a source from the Algarve Regional Health Administration (ARS) told Lusa today.
According to the same source, the first case was diagnosed on Wednesday and during Thursday “the team was studied”, and it was decided that “everyone should be tested” today.
All professionals were “placed in isolation”, as well as “all direct contacts, both positive and negative”, he added,
Louletano Desportos Clube’s senior football team is playing in the Senior Portuguese Championship.
Algarve Summer Situation
At a time when summer is coming to an end, José Apolinário, Secretary of State coordinating the implementation of the Declaration of the Situation of Alert in the Algarve, made a point of hghlighting the “great commitment of beach entrepreneurs and concessionaires”.
“Two months ago, we often discussed the conditions of access to the beaches, with huge doubts. We can say, at the end of August, that there was a great involvement, commitment and spirit of articulation between everyone and that shows a safe and open region to the world”, he considered. For what is yet to come – September and October – Apolinário expects “a long summer”.
“We are committed, over the next two months, from September to October, to make it a long summer with great events, such as golf Masters, Formula 1 and Moto GP”, he said. Regarding the response of the National Health Service, Josélia Gonçalves, member of the ARS Algarve Board of Directors, said that the current scenario “gives confidence”.
“We continue to strengthen the response capacity. Today we are going to sign 17 more nursing contracts, for example, to reinforce primary health care and this reinforcement has been a constant in recent months. Right now, we have five areas dedicated to Covid and we have the capacity to create five more », he explained.
Algarve arrivals
The opening of the travel corridor with the United Kingdom is already having a positive effect on the Algarve’s economy, with the increase in new reserves and the reactivation of those that had been cancelled, especially for September and October. At Faro airport, the increase in passengers is already noticeable, with British tourists telling Lusa that they were waiting for the lifting of the quarantine requirement imposed by the British government to be able to travel to Portugal.
“We had nothing prepared. As soon as they said we could go on vacation, we booked the plane trip and then looked for a hotel”, said James Meakin, just arrived from London.
Other passengers on the flight from the British capital reveal that it was only after lifting the quarantine requirement on their return to the country that they decided to travel, with a tourist considering that “it would be disrespectful for people from the other country to travel against travel advice”. Also just arrived on a “completely full” flight, Soraya Halabi highlighted the “orderly and respectful” way in which “all passengers wore a mask”, on a trip where “families with children” predominated.
Amanda Reverten, on the other hand, revealed that her “first time in Portugal” happens after having cancelled her vacation in “Spain, then in France and Croatia” due to the imposition of the British government, on a trip that was “scheduled a few hours later” from the announcement of the removal of the country from the ‘black list’ ”.