Situation Report Azores – 17th August 2022 – From our colleague in the Azores
Covid-19
In the seven days from Friday 5th August until Thursday 11th August there were 457 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 2,041 tests performed. 447people have recovered, and no new deaths have been recorded with the total still at 117 There are 453 active cases, 10 more than the previous week.
There are 10 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 12th August with Covid, no patients are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.
118675 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 49% of the population.
Authorities search for missing diver off Faial
The National Maritime Authority is carrying out searches to try to locate a diver who disappeared off Faial, in the Azores, it was announced this Monday.
In a statement, the National Maritime Authority said that the alert of the disappearance of the 16-year-old of French nationality, was given at 15:30 local time (16:30 in Lisbon) “through a representative of a maritime-tourist activities company. “
According to the Maritime Authority, it was reported that “one of the scuba divers had disappeared while allegedly practicing the activity of Free-diving”, and “elements of the local command of the Maritime Police of Horta and the Station were immediately activated to the location. Lifeguard to carry out searches”.
The young man is “disappeared at sea, about ten nautical miles [approximately 18 kilometres] southwest of the extreme west of the island of Faial, in the Azores”, the statement reads.
In the search operations, coordinated by the Captain of the Port and the local Command of the Maritime Police of Horta, a vessel from the Maritime Police and a vessel from the Lifeguard Station are involved, as well as the maritime-tourist vessel where the diver was following.
The commitment of a Portuguese Air Force aircraft to participate in the searches is also foreseen, the note indicates.
Body of man found on the coast of Povoação
On the morning of this Thursday, the body of a man was found on the coast, about 700 meters east of the coast of Povoação, on the island of São Miguel, the causes that may have been at the origin of this unknown. occurrence, indicates a statement from the National Maritime Authority.
Above-normal tropical cyclone season forecast
In the Atlantic basin, between 14 and 20 tropical cyclones are forecast by the end of November, of which six to 10 could become hurricanes. Higher water temperature could expose the Azores to storms, but only when cyclones form will it be possible to make predictions.
Preventive arrest for detainee at Ponta Delgada airport with 27,000 doses of drugs
A man was held in pre-trial detention after being arrested on Wednesday at the airport in Ponta Delgada on suspicion of drug trafficking, in an operation that resulted in the seizure of more than 27,000 doses.