Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 28^th July 2021

 

Covid-19: Pharmacies in the Algarve able to meet the demand for rapid tests

Newsroom, July 26, 2021 (Lusa) – Pharmacies in the Algarve have been able to respond to the increased demand for rapid tests to detect covid-19 due to rules on access to tourist accommodation and restaurants in the municipalities with higher risk, said industry officials.

“There is a lot of demand, both from nationals and foreigners, but there have never been any problems with the provision of rapid tests or self-tests of antigen for detection of SARS-CoV-2”, told Lusa the owner of a pharmacy on the beach da Rocha, in Portimão.

According to António Pedro, “the race for self-tests and for antigen tests subsidized by the State”, the latter carried out in pharmacies, it was verified as soon as the restrictions imposed by the Government for access to tourist accommodation, restaurants (for the purposes of of week) and events in the municipalities at high or very high risk.

The responsible for pharmacy Palma Santos, which integrates the network of pharmacies with shared tests, said that, so far, there has been no disruption of ‘stock’, “given that a substantial supply of products was made in a timely manner, with a view to this increase in demand”.

On the other hand, he noted, “there are also many suppliers”, so there is no prospect of “a possible disruption or difficulty in acquiring the tests”.

The rapid antigen tests are 100% subsidized by the State since the 1st of July, there are currently 406 pharmacies in the country offering free tests in their establishments.

The reimbursement is limited to a maximum of four tests per month per person and does not apply to those who already have a vaccination certificate or a recovery certificate. The program also does not cover tests for children under 12 years old. 

A positive case in a kindergarten in Almodôvar requires testing 39 children and nine female employees

The detection of a positive case of Covid-19 in a child at the Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Almodôvar will lead to testing 39 others and also nine collaborators of the institution.

The announcement was made this Monday, July 26, by António Bota, Mayor, on Facebook.

The mayor explains that at the origin of the outbreak is a child who tested positive, which led the health authorities to opt for the closing of three rooms in that establishment.

The situation involves a total of 39 children and nine collaborators who will be tested today, the 27th.

The mayor clarifies that the City Council will make available the hiring of a specialized team to disinfect the entire space of the nursery, “so that there is greater confidence for those who circulate and work in these spaces”.

António Bota says that the municipal executive is working in coordination with the DGS and the institution’s management, so that the situation is quickly brought under control.

Algarve clubs may have government support to “Reactivate Sport”

Applications must be made by August 16th.

The Algarve Football Association (AFA), together with the regional board of the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ) and with the participation of the Portuguese Football Federation, recently promoted an online clarification session for the Algarve emblems under the measure «Reactivate Sport», launched by the Government through the IPDJ, with the objective of supporting the economic recovery of its affiliated clubs, affected in recent seasons by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taking into account the difficult situation in which sport finds itself, the Tutela intends to make the amounts in question available in the shortest possible time and that is the reason why the deadline for the submission of applications on the IPDJ website is the next one. August 16th.

“Since the start of the season is a particularly difficult period for all clubs, the time factor is decisive for the success of this initiative. In this way, the clubs have less than a month to guarantee an income that can make a difference in the accounts of the new season», considers the AFA.

The maximum amount to be received by each athlete (in all sports) can be up to 50 euros (non-refundable), and, in total, almost 8 million euros are available for football.

After the incentive measures promoted by the Algarve Football Association for clubs in this start of the sporting season, and the support provided by the Portuguese Football Federation, «this opportunity to help re-establish sport as a true driving force of society deserves attention of all who are involved in it and have kept it alive over the last year and a half, at a time when the practice of sports is increasingly having a decisive impact on the good training of human beings” 

Algarve Resident and Surfer Yolanda Hopkins “Very Happy” with 5^th place in surfing event at Tokyo Olympics

Algarve resident and Surfer Yolanda Hopkins said she was “very happy” today with fifth place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which she hopes can change her life, with support that will allow her to be among the best in the world.

“I’ve already received a diploma in the first Olympic Games with surfing and I’m very happy about it. I’m very competitive and I came with gold in mind, I didn’t come to do anything else. I ended up falling a little behind, but I’m very happy with my performance. I know my surf is enough to get me up there. It wasn’t this one, it will be the next one”, said the young woman from Algarve.

On Tsurigasaki beach, in Chiba, Yolanda, 23, scored 5.46 points (3.93 and 1.53) in the first heat of the quarter-finals, which were insufficient to beat South African Bianca Buitendag, which accounted for 9.5 (6 and 3.5).

“It was a little difficult in there, with the tide running out. The waves formed and broke soon. Bianca caught one that raised a bit of the wall and gave her the opportunity to do more than one manoeuvre, which was what I lacked”, he lamented, after failing to take advantage of a priority of more than 10 minutes.

At the time of farewell, thanks to all those who have supported her, even in her most basic survival needs, and the confidence that after this performance, the necessary support will appear to reach a higher level in surfing.