Algarve Situation Report Saturday 16th January 2021

Covid-19
In the Algarve there are more than 328 confirmed cases since Tuesday bringing the total of 11,710 since the start of the pandemic. There are 10 more deaths, the highest daily total, bringing the total to 111.

New Covid-19 strain detected in Tavira and Faro
The new strain of Covid-19, originating in the South of England, and which has a greater transmissibility, was detected in the municipalities of Faro and Tavira.
The South Information found that the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge detected the new variant of Covid-19 in three samples collected in the municipality of Faro and one in the municipality of Tavira.
Two of the samples from the municipality of Faro were collected on the 21st of December and another on the 22nd.

The testing in the municipality of Tavira took place on December 20, according to the data consulted by our newspaper.
Last Friday, at the press conference to update the epidemiological situation in the Algarve , Ana Cristina Guerreiro, regional health delegate, revealed that, in view of the «rapid and large» increase in cases in the municipality of Tavira, the authorities suspected the presence of the new strain of the virus in the municipality, adding that samples had been sent to INSA.

To clarify doubts, samples from the municipality of Tavira followed to INSA and confirmation has now arrived, after that institute released, last Tuesday, a new update on the genetic analysis of the new coronavirus. In addition to Tavira, the new strain is also present in Faro.
Paulo Morgado, president of ARS Algarve, contacted by Sul Informação , stressed that the emergence of the new strain in the Algarve “was something that was expected, given that it has a greater ease of propagation” and that there is in the region “an Airport and a very large English community”.
https://www.sulinformacao.pt/2021/01/nova-estirpe-da-covid-19-detetada-em-tavira-e-faro/

In general confinement Albufeira municipality extends free take-away service

Following the new general confinement, in effect since midnight this Friday, and the general duty to remain at home, except for authorized trips, the municipality of Albufeira decided to extend support to the take-away service, under the Program “Present Municipality – Vale Restauração”. The service will operate daily, starting tomorrow (Saturday), January 16, and may accompany any renewals of the State of Emergency.
In a note issued to the media, the municipality speaks of a “very simple” process that can be used by all people, regardless of the area of ​​the municipality where they are located.
The first thing to do is consult the list of participating establishments at: https://www.cm-albufeira.pt/content/vale-restauracao , choose the restaurant or similar, check if the service is available, call and make yours order. You must leave your name, contact and postal address, agreeing the payment method. Then, the establishment from which the meal was ordered, should contact Albucoop on 289 58 32 30, which will designate the nearest transport to arrange delivery. Upon delivery, there will be no payment. The service will operate in compliance with the government’s opening hours. The service operates using the “Bolsa de Quilómetros” recently filed with Albucoop – Cooperativa de Rádio Táxis de Albufeira and is valid for all orders at participating establishments, during all days during the mandatory confinement period.

Lagoa among the safest tourist destinations in Europe

European Best Destinations, an organization based in Brussels, which aims to promote culture and tourism in Europe, recently launched the list of the safest European destinations to visit in pandemic times, taking into account respect for current health conditions and restrictions. Lagoa is one of the four Portuguese destinations that punctuate the list of thirteen suggestions in Europe.

In a statement, the municipality points out that among the criteria on which European Best Destinations was based to choose the destinations announced, is the number of active cases of Covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants, the number of deaths, the sanitary measures adopted, the recommendations from local authorities to tourists in hotels, local accommodations, shops and restaurants, and average health standards.
In addition to Lagoa, Alentejo, the Azores and Madeira are the other Portuguese destinations considered among the safest in Europe. The list also includes Monte-Carlo, in Monaco; Martinique, in the Lesser Antilles; Tahiti, French Polynesia; Asos, Corfu, Kokkari, Meteora, Ikaria and Cavtat, in Greece, said the municipality.

In the text published by European Best Destinations, which justifies the inclusion of Lagoa in the group of safer tourist destinations, it can be read: “Lagoa implemented measures from an early start to protect the local population and reduce the spread of Covid-19. Bringing together some of the most beautiful jewels in the Algarve such as the beaches of Cova Redonda or Praia Nova and its famous chapel, Praia da Marinha, the villages of Carvoeiro, Ferragudo, Porches (…) Lagoa is probably one of the most beautiful and safe destinations”

Covid.19: JSD Loulé proposes measures to support companies and families in the municipality

The Social Democratic Youth of Loulé considers that in this time of pandemic, local commerce and entrepreneurs “have been left behind despite being the backbone and the engine of the local economy”.
In a statement, JSD Loulé confirms that it has sent today, to the Mayor of Loulé and to the Mayor of the Municipal Assembly, a proposal with measures to support companies and families.
The creation of a fund to support local companies; the exemption from payment of sanitation fees for waste water and urban waste in water billing for families and companies and the exemption from paying parking meters in areas surrounding traditional / local commerce, are measures contained in the proposal issued, as made known.

Algarve Situation Report – Wednesday 13th January 2020

Covid.19: Vaccination has reached homes in the Algarve
https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Covid-vaccine-in-Azores.jpgYesterday began the vaccination plan against Covid-19 in the Residential Structures for the Elderly (ERPI) and in the Units of the Integrated Continuing Care Network (UCCI) in the Algarve.

According to the Regional Health Administration of the Algarve (ARS), the vaccination of ERPI users and professionals and RNCCI units in the municipalities of Tavira and Albufeira is already planned, considering that they are two of the municipalities with the highest incidence of Covid-19 in the region, but can be extended to other municipalities throughout the week.

The first to be vaccinated, this morning (Tuesday), were the users and professionals of the Quinta da Palmeira Centre Home in Albufeira and the Media Duration and Rehabilitation Unit of the Tavira Integrated Continuous Care Network. In the afternoon, users and professionals of the Loulé Convalescence Unit and of the Long Term and Maintenance Unit of Vila Real de Santo António have also been vaccinated, notes the ARS.

Within the scope of the National Vaccination Plan against Covid-19, in this first phase, in accordance with the priorities defined by the DGS and the respective delivery of vaccines to the country, in addition to health professionals, the vaccination of users and professionals of all the ERPI and the RNCCI units in the region, by health teams from the three Health Centre Groups of the Algarve that will travel to these structures during the months of January and February.

Loulé Chamber intensifies measures to combat Covid with reinforced tests

The Municipality of Loulé informed that it is reinforcing measures to combat the pandemic, at a time when, similarly to what happens throughout the national territory, the municipality registers an increase in the number of cases of Covid-19, now appearing in the high risk counties map.

In a statement, the municipality states that it “closely follows” the evolution of the situation, either through the Office of Crisis Management Covid-19, which continues to meet four times a week, or by the Municipal Civil Protection Commission which, every Thursday, analyses and decides new measures to mitigate the impact of the disease in Loulé.

The municipality says it has promoted weekly screening of Covid-19, by sampling 11 residential structures for the elderly with less than 50 users, in a partnership with the IPSS and the Algarve Biomedical Centre (ABC). In the three Louletan institutions with more than 50 users, the screenings are carried out by the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, in partnership with ABC.

This Tuesday, nearly 400 tests were carried out in the municipality of Loulé on several fronts, namely at the Lar da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Loulé, in the village of Cortelha, with the school community and in response to other identified needs.

https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/AMAL-Intermunicipal-Council-Meeting-300x145-1.jpgPresident of AMAL says “new confinement price to pay for the irresponsibility” of families at Christmas

Portugal’s new confinement due to be announced on Wednesday is the “price to pay for the irresponsibility” of families at Christmas, said the president of the Algarve municipalities association (AMAL).

“It’s best we all prepare for a situation of general confinement. It is inevitable and will be the price to pay as a community for some people’s irresponsible behaviour,” António Pina said at the latest press conference about the state of the pandemic in the Algarve.

“It is up to each one of us to be responsible,” he said, adding that there’s “no point in asking the police, the government or anyone else to control the conscience and individual responsibility of each citizen”.

Meantime, regional health delegate Ana Cristina Guerreiro confirmed that most of the new Covid-19 cases have been linked to family gatherings during the festive period.

Said Guerreiro, the aim now is to keep the infected isolated and under surveillance, and to identify those with whom they have come into contact.

According to the health delegate, the virus has spread widely across the region, with only the smaller boroughs being spared thus far.

Portimão activates field hospital

The City Council of Portimão informs that, due to the worsening of the pandemic situation originated by Covid-19, this Sunday, January 10th, the field hospital installed since last April at the Portimão Arena was activated by the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA). that has been on standby throughout this period.

https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Portimao-hospital.jpgThe Portimão Campaign Hospital integrates, since the end of last year, phase 4 of the contingency plan established by CHUA, which is triggered when the reference hospital runs out of its inpatient capacity, requiring the use of external infrastructures.

The unit has 100 beds, 22 of which are articulated, together having three wards with single rooms (30 beds) and eight with multiple rooms (64 beds), in addition to a critically ill unit (six beds). It also has areas of clinical decision, medical support and sectorial meetings, as well as spaces for psychosocial support and provisioning, among other assets, not forgetting the areas of support and effort management of professionals who, from today on, are permanently, 24 hours a day, in this structure of response and reinforcement to the national health service (SNS).

This field hospital is duly equipped with medical equipment for monitoring, diagnosing and treating critically ill patients, representing an investment of 200 thousand euros by the City Council of Portimão.

Its benefits are not limited to the treatment of Covid-19, as it will also allow the Municipal Civil Protection to respond to other serious accident or catastrophe situations, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, large fires or other scenarios that cause a high number of victims.

Algarve Situation Report – Saturday 9th January 2021

Covid.19: Mayor of Olhão updates data that place the municipality at “very high risk“

Although the municipality has officially entered high risk – following the review of the Council of Ministers announced yesterday, the fact is that on the same day, the Mayor of Olhão, warned that the situation is higher.
In a Facebook post, the mayor explains that the high-risk statement refers to Wednesday’s figures, “where the Olhão index was 436.9, below the 480 index (number of new cases per 100 thousand inhabitants)”. However, according to António Pina, that index was exceeded yesterday, as a result of the 41 new cases registered” rising to the 513.5 index “, corresponding to the very high level of risk.

With 221 active cases, the mayor speaks of a situation that leads to the progressive worsening of restrictions, “due to the lack of common sense of some, in the exercise of the freedoms allowed until now”.

The official even says that “common sense is not inspected, nor decreed, in a free and democratic state”, criticising the “continuous indifference of a minority, to the calls and awareness, for a more responsible attitude and the fulfilment of measures for individual and collective”, he concludes.

Covid: 19: New restrictions lead to the cancellation of the 51st edition of the Grand Prix of the Kings

The municipality of Faro informs in a statement that, in light of the new restrictions announced this Thursday by the Council of Ministers, the organisation decided to cancel the 51st edition of the Grand Prix of the Kings, which was to take place on Saturday, January 9th, on the athletics track in Faro.

Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the organisation had prepared a special edition of this emblematic event of national athletics, entirely on track, limited to athletes affiliated with the Athletics Association of the Algarve instead of the traditional model that usually brings together federated and social athletes from all ages in the downtown streets.

However, in view of the measures announced yesterday by the Government that impose restrictions on movement between municipalities and starting at 1 pm during the weekend in most municipalities in the region, the organising entities (Municipality of Faro and Associação de Atletismo do Algarve, with support from Fagar) understood that the conditions were not met for the event, “even in a more restrained than usual format and with a Contingency Plan for the Algarve Athletics Association approved previously by the health authorities”, read in the same document.

Tavira

Tavira City Council has already asked the competent authorities to extend the classes on a non-face-to-face basis for another week

As a result of this review, the municipality of Tavira is at “extremely high” risk, in view of the number of new cases registered in the last few days, with 417 patients in isolation and an accumulated, [until yesterday] of 471 positive in the last 14 days per 100,000 inhabitants.

In view of this delicate scenario, the Tavira City Council has already asked the competent authorities to extend the classes on a non-face-to-face basis for another week. The measure that took effect last Monday, was enacted by the Regional Health Authority.

In the update of the county’s epidemiological situation this Thursday, 44 more cases were confirmed and the death of a male Tavira, aged 81, who was diagnosed with Covid-19.

Algarve Situation Report – Wednesday 6th January 2021

CHUA is receiving patients from Lisbon and Alentejo

Given the disrupted situation in many hospital units, the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) is receiving Covid patients from other areas of the country.

In a statement issued CHUA states that, at this stage, it has a reserve of “significant” capacity with regard to hospitalization and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) assigned to Covid-19.

According to the Board of Directors of CHUA, an increase in demand has been registered in the last few days, “which, thanks to the timely implementation of the contingency plan”, has allowed to receive users from hospitals in the areas of Central Lisbon and Alentejo.

Currently, CHUA is in phase 2 of the contingency plan for the response to covid-19, and the plan has the capacity to expand to phase 4. The Algarve First knows that in terms of infirmary the occupation in the CHUA round 65% and in the UCI the 53%.

On the first day of vaccination at the Faro and Portimão units, Horácio Guerreiro, CHUA’s clinical director, told our newspaper that the hospital centre has been working intensely on this pandemic issue, as it has always maintained its response capacity, “although the regional reality is relatively favourable, thanks to the cooperation of the population, local authorities and public health authorities that have allowed the infection to be controlled. As for the hospital, I can say that we have a very large reserve for the assistance of Covid cases, without prejudice to other needs”.

The clinically responsible person ensured that CHUA has the capacity to respond to any need arises, “except if it is an absolutely uncontrolled and catastrophic situation, but I can say that we are very far from exhausting our capabilities”, he assured.

Vilamoura International College Christmas Campaign raised a ton and a half of food

The Christmas Campaign of the International College of Vilamoura (CIV) managed to collect a ton and a half of food.

In addition to food, distributed by the Quarteira Social Refectory, Existir Association and Algarve Network for Families in Need, the community also collected clothes, shoes for children, women and men, books and toys, which were donated to the Quarteira Social Refectory, an institution which serves 160 cooked meals daily and provides hygiene services to individual people (baths, clothes and shoes) with social and financial problems.

This institution also supports 60 families each month with a basket of basic foods, similar to the Existir Association, which provides support to 20 families in the municipality of Loulé (in the areas of food, clothing, public baths and furniture) and who, with food received, according to its director Paulo Graça, allowed “to reinforce support to his community in a crisis and pandemic situation”.

Gunilla Zandin, a volunteer at Algarve Families in Need, reinforced the importance of this social support, distributed mainly by families in the municipalities of Loulé and Faro, but also by family nuclei in Albufeira, Carvoeiro, Lagoa and Lagos. In total, 200 families are supported.

Through the sale of raffles, whose draw will take place next Wednesday, January 6th, the CIV community maintained its support for the Big Hand Project, through which it sponsors five Mozambican children.

Mayor of Tavira suspends 2nd and 3rd cycle classes over concerns regarding increases in municipality

The increase in cases of Covid-19 in Tavira led the Regional Health Authority to suspend the 2nd and 3rd cycle classes and secondary education in the municipality, the Mayor of the city, Ana Paula Martins, confirmed to Lusa.

Speaking to Lusa, the mayor said she was “very concerned” about the “sudden” increase in cases registered in the municipality in the last week, which led the authorities to determine the suspension of classroom classes for the 2nd and 3rd cycles and secondary education of all school groups in the municipality.

In the statement in which it informed the municipality about the suspension of classes in these teaching cycles, which applies for a period of seven days starting today, the Algarve Regional Health Authority justified the measure with “the existence of 262 confirmed active cases of Covid-19, with a 14-day incidence rate greater than 960 cases / 100,000 inhabitants”.

This number of contagions leaves Tavira among the “extremely high risk” counties and the situation will be reassessed on January 10, added that official in the statement released by the municipality of Tavira on social networks.

“What I can say is that I see this increase with great concern, mainly because we are witnessing a virus – at least in comparison with what had happened here in the municipality – much more contagious, with a greater degree of contagion, and then also, this growth ”, said Ana Paula Martins to Lusa.

Algarve Situation Report – Wednesday 6th January 2021

CHUA is receiving patients from Lisbon and Alentejo

Given the disrupted situation in many hospital units, the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) is receiving Covid patients from other areas of the country.

In a statement issued CHUA states that, at this stage, it has a reserve of “significant” capacity with regard to hospitalization and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) assigned to Covid-19.

According to the Board of Directors of CHUA, an increase in demand has been registered in the last few days, “which, thanks to the timely implementation of the contingency plan”, has allowed to receive users from hospitals in the areas of Central Lisbon and Alentejo.

Currently, CHUA is in phase 2 of the contingency plan for the response to covid-19, and the plan has the capacity to expand to phase 4. The Algarve First knows that in terms of infirmary the occupation in the CHUA round 65% and in the UCI the 53%.

On the first day of vaccination at the Faro and Portimão units, Horácio Guerreiro, CHUA’s clinical director, told our newspaper that the hospital centre has been working intensely on this pandemic issue, as it has always maintained its response capacity, “although the regional reality is relatively favourable, thanks to the cooperation of the population, local authorities and public health authorities that have allowed the infection to be controlled. As for the hospital, I can say that we have a very large reserve for the assistance of Covid cases, without prejudice to other needs”.

The clinically responsible person ensured that CHUA has the capacity to respond to any need arises, “except if it is an absolutely uncontrolled and catastrophic situation, but I can say that we are very far from exhausting our capabilities”, he assured.

Vilamoura International College Christmas Campaign raised a ton and a half of food

The Christmas Campaign of the International College of Vilamoura (CIV) managed to collect a ton and a half of food.

In addition to food, distributed by the Quarteira Social Refectory, Existir Association and Algarve Network for Families in Need, the community also collected clothes, shoes for children, women and men, books and toys, which were donated to the Quarteira Social Refectory, an institution which serves 160 cooked meals daily and provides hygiene services to individual people (baths, clothes and shoes) with social and financial problems.

This institution also supports 60 families each month with a basket of basic foods, similar to the Existir Association, which provides support to 20 families in the municipality of Loulé (in the areas of food, clothing, public baths and furniture) and who, with food received, according to its director Paulo Graça, allowed “to reinforce support to his community in a crisis and pandemic situation”.

Gunilla Zandin, a volunteer at Algarve Families in Need, reinforced the importance of this social support, distributed mainly by families in the municipalities of Loulé and Faro, but also by family nuclei in Albufeira, Carvoeiro, Lagoa and Lagos. In total, 200 families are supported.

Through the sale of raffles, whose draw will take place next Wednesday, January 6th, the CIV community maintained its support for the Big Hand Project, through which it sponsors five Mozambican children.

Mayor of Tavira suspends 2nd and 3rd cycle classes over concerns regarding increases in municipality

The increase in cases of Covid-19 in Tavira led the Regional Health Authority to suspend the 2nd and 3rd cycle classes and secondary education in the municipality, the Mayor of the city, Ana Paula Martins, confirmed to Lusa.

Speaking to Lusa, the mayor said she was “very concerned” about the “sudden” increase in cases registered in the municipality in the last week, which led the authorities to determine the suspension of classroom classes for the 2nd and 3rd cycles and secondary education of all school groups in the municipality.

In the statement in which it informed the municipality about the suspension of classes in these teaching cycles, which applies for a period of seven days starting today, the Algarve Regional Health Authority justified the measure with “the existence of 262 confirmed active cases of Covid-19, with a 14-day incidence rate greater than 960 cases / 100,000 inhabitants”.

This number of contagions leaves Tavira among the “extremely high risk” counties and the situation will be reassessed on January 10, added that official in the statement released by the municipality of Tavira on social networks.

“What I can say is that I see this increase with great concern, mainly because we are witnessing a virus – at least in comparison with what had happened here in the municipality – much more contagious, with a greater degree of contagion, and then also, this growth ”, said Ana Paula Martins to Lusa.

 

Algarve Situation Report – Saturday 2nd January 2021

Covid-19 Data from ARS Algarve

  • These are the statistics as at 23:59 hrs 31st December
  • New cases last 24 hrs – 197
  • Confirmed to date – 7695
  • Hospitalised – 54 – In ICU 11 (7 ventilated)
  • At home: 1372
  • Recovered last 24 hrs -76
  • Recovered to date: 6245 (81.1%)
  • Deaths to date – 78
  • No under Contact active surveillance – 2372

More details by council area

Portimão registers the highest number of daily cases in the last 14 days

The highest daily value of the last 14 days, was recorded on the last day of 2020.

According to the municipality on its Facebook page, 19 new cases were registered on Thursday, 7 of which occurred in the same household.

The bulletin of the local health authority also confirms 101 active cases and 6 recovered. At the moment, the municipality is at a moderate risk level, with 11 cases of re-entering the level of high risk of contagion.

The municipality calls for compliance with the restrictions set until the 4th of January, namely the circulation on the public road after 13:00 (until the 3rd).

The news on this last day of the year is not encouraging for the municipality of Lagos.

According to DGS data, 24 cases in Lagos were confirmed yesterday, bringing the cumulative total of the last 14 days to 91 cases, with the municipality having “high risk” values.

On the Facebook page, the municipality warns that the situation is “urgent”, because if the growth trend continues, “it is possible that we may even enter very high risk levels”, in the next reassessment by the Council of Ministers, he stresses.

The municipality speaks of a situation that can bring “very serious consequences”, not only in terms of public health, but also for the lives of families and the local economy, appealing both to residents and visitors, who adopt it especially during this New Year period though preventive behaviour to avoid the increase of new cases.

At the moment the municipality has 92 active cases and 7 more recovered.

Algarve Situation Report – Wednesday 30th December 2020

Portimão says goodbye to 2020 with music at the door

On December 31st, Portimão will say goodbye to the old year and welcome 2021 without the usual cultural animation and traditional fireworks, however the municipality has prepared an alternative for pandemic times: “New Year’s Eve at Home – Music at the Door”.

In a press release, the city announced that, to mark the New Year and respecting the rules and constraints enacted by the Government, and the recommendations of the Directorate-General for Health, two large trucks will be circulating, between 3 pm and 9 pm, around Portimão, to the sound of the live concerts starring César Matoso, Filipa Sousa, Gabriel de Rose and Filipe Konx, with DJ Ari Girão and Virgul as headliners.

The same publication advances that, despite the pandemic times, Portimão will not fail to welcome the arrival of 2021.

It should be noted that, although Portimão is still classified as high risk, it is about to return to the list of municipalities at moderate risk, therefore, the municipality warns that “the contribution of citizens is fundamental, based on understanding and responsibility”.

In this sense, the trucks’ itinerary will not be disclosed, “so that everyone has the good sense to comply with the rules and stay at home, having fun at the window with the music that will pass at the door”, stressed the same source.

Covid-19: Operational Program of the Algarve released until October, 19.7 million to minimize the effects of the pandemic

The Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Algarve) published the second edition of the Covid-19 Algarve Bulletin, with the latest information on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in the region and on public policy measures adopted with funds from European funds allocated to the Algarve Operational Program, in support of companies and institutions in the Algarve.

In a statement, the CCDR explains that the elaboration of the second edition of the bulletin coincides with a period in which Portugal is in a state of emergency, whose measures implemented by Portugal and most countries to contain the spread of the pandemic, «caused a strong contraction of the demand and supply, both domestically and globally, with significant consequences for employment and the economy”.

In recent months, following the country’s trend, the Algarve presented milder negative year-on-year rates of change than in the initial period of the pandemic, in most of the indicators followed. Despite this, the region continues, in many cases, to record falls above the national average, translating into a more marked economic and social impact in the Algarve. According to the same document issued today to the media, September and / or October showed slightly more severe breaks than in previous months.

In this context, until October 31, the Operational Program of the Algarve mobilized 19.7 million euros for the adoption of measures aimed at minimizing the effects generated by the pandemic, with 17 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and 2.4 million from the European Social Fund (ESF).

To date, nine notices have been launched and 214 operations have been approved in the three notices already completed, resulting in a total of 7.26 million euros of eligible investment, corresponding to 4.7 million European funds, adding up to all support provided in terms of unemployment benefits, social inclusion income food support.

 

Algarve Situation Report – Monday 28th December

Covid-19: Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) to start vaccination on Tuesday

The Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) will start vaccination against covid-19 on Tuesday, the president of the centre’s board of directors, which includes hospitals in Faro, Portimão and Lagos, told the Lusa agency today.

“We will start vaccinating on the 29th, Tuesday,” said Ana Castro, clarifying that CHUA has planned to vaccinate “professionals and patients who meet the criteria” defined in the vaccination plan until January 31st.

Asked when vaccines will arrive at the hospital and when time is needed later to operationalize the administration of the vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, the same source replied that he is still not sure of the arrival date, but assured that “as soon as they arrive [vaccines], you start vaccinating right away ”.

“From the moment they arrive, we start immediately, because we have a ready and assembled team, which will be dedicated to just that. So, as soon as the vaccines arrive, we start vaccinating, we have the list of people and it is to start calling them, which will be easy and immediate, because we have the list of people, everything is prepared, we know where people are and what services belong, so it’s getting started, ”he said.

Ana Castro acknowledged that she still has no information on when the vaccine will actually be delivered, but guaranteed that the process will start without delay on the 29th.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 23rd December

Aljezur Municipality supports institutions in the municipality in the purchase of protective material

The Municipality of Aljezur decided to grant financial support, of approximately 7,500 euros, to the institutions of the municipality, for the purchase of individual protection material and disinfection.

This support was decided under the “Aljezur – Present Municipality” program, created by the municipality to promote support to minimize the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Municipality of Aljezur stresses that this is “a considerable financial effort, not allowing this type of material to be lacking in the municipality’s institutions, namely the Casa da Criança do Rogil (Integrated Long Term Care and Maintenance Unit (ULDM)) Aljezur and nurseries), the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Aljezur and the Association of Voluntary Firemen of Aljezur”.

Also within the scope of the support measures, the Aljezur municipality financially supported the Juventude Clube Aljezurense, in the amount of 978.25 euros, to cover the operating expenses of its headquarters building, namely the payment of water, electricity and telecommunications.

“These measures will continue to be assumed and supported by the autarchy and understood as essential, at this point in the life of the associations, which have been at the forefront of the fight against Pandemic”, adds the municipality.


Albufeira Municipality attributes “Vale Restauração” to professionals who deal with the pandemic on a daily basis

Within the scope of the “Present Municipality” program, a new initiative was approved yesterday, this time aimed at the catering sector. This is the “Vale Restauração”, a voucher with a unit value of 20 euros and which will be distributed by professionals who deal with the pandemic daily.

The initiative results from a tripartite protocol between the municipality of Albufeira, ACRAL – Association of Commerce and Services of the Algarve and AHRESP – Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Services of Portugal.

In a statement, the municipality adds that the investment is around 120 thousand euros and that this is yet another initiative to apply the funds initially planned for the organization of the Christmas and New Year’s events, “in responses that can boost the economy and support the families of the municipality ».

For the Mayor, José Carlos Rolo, “it is a gesture of recognition for those who have given so much for others, often in situations of extreme mental and physical fatigue, but also a way to support restoration local, one of the sectors of activity that has suffered the most from the contingencies of the current economic situation”. In total, more than 5,700 beneficiaries will be covered by this measure, whose investment is around 120 thousand euros.


Faro municipality offers 400 king cakes to security forces, firefighters, hospital and INEM

The municipality of Faro has announced that it will symbolically offer 400 king cakes to GNR, PSP, INEM, Firefighters Sapadores de Faro, Voluntary Firefighters from Faro and Hospital de Faro.

The delivery of these cakes traditionally alluding to the Christmas season will take place on Christmas Eve, December 24, and intends, according to the municipality, to recognize “the extreme importance of the work, commitment, altruism and notion of public cause of the professionals of these entities in a year marked by a very difficult situation due to the situation of pandemic crisis”.

The local authority invested a value of 3,618 euros in the purchase of 400 bolo-rei, plus VAT at the legal rate in force.


Overseas Report Wednesday 30th December 2020
“♩♪♫ Every man (and woman) should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page ♫♪♩” – Henry Ward Beecher
I hope you all had a good Christmas holiday. Across the world Covid-19 has played a massive part in making this year so different from any other year.
The news from around the world has shown that cases are still increasing with a number of new mutant strains showing up in different parts of the world. The one with the biggest publicity was the new mutant virus announced by the NHS in the United Kingdom. This caused more than 40 countries to ban travellers arriving from the UK unless they had proof of a negative test result. The resultant chaos for freight businesses was huge and meant many drivers spent Christmas in their cabs along the motorways of Kent. This new strain is seen to be more contagious although not as severe. In the week since my last posting, the UK has had 289,583 new cases.
Elsewhere in the world cases, seem to be rising again compared to the first wave back in March, although the seven day moving average has fallen since the 24th December from a high of 644,949 to 562,712 cases worldwide.
So what do we know about these mutant strains of Covid-19? Researchers have watched SARS-CoV-2 evolve in real time more closely than any other virus in history. So far, it has accumulated mutations at a rate of about one to two changes per month. That means many of the genomes sequenced today differ at about 20 points from the earliest genomes sequenced in China in January. It is not just in the UK that there is this new mutant.
In South Africa, scientists have sequenced genomes in three provinces where cases are soaring: Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and KwaZulu Natal. They identified a lineage separate from the UK variant that also has a N501Y mutation in the spike gene. In the case of N501Y, more young people may be getting sick because many more are getting infected; Latest figures from South Africa show that they now have recorded over 1 million cases and over 27,000 deaths. In the whole of the continent, according to the Worldometer website, the total cases reported are just under 2.7 million, with deaths currently at 63,449. At first glance it may seem that South Africa is suffering more than other countries in the continent but the figures are only as good as the numbers provided and in many cases the recording of figures is sporadic.
Whilst the UK has been the country in the news across the world, scientists say the new strain may already be much more widespread. Researchers in the Netherlands have found it in a sample from one patient taken in early December.
Other countries may have the variant as well, says epidemiologist William Hanage of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; the United Kingdom may have just picked it up first because it has the most sophisticated SARS-CoV-2 genomic monitoring in the world. Many countries have little or no sequencing.
One aspect of this pandemic which is starting to affect people who do not have the virus is the idea of “Lockdown fatigue”.
Living through a global health crisis takes its toll on your physical and mental well-being. As the weeks go on under quarantine, lots of people have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings – from sadness and anger to tiredness and feeling ‘groggy’.
“One of the key reasons why being under lockdown during a health pandemic is draining is because we’re experiencing a lot of mental strain”, says Dr Sarita Robinson, principal lecturer in psychology at the University of Central Lancashire.
“We expect to feel tired when we have been on a run or have completed an exercise class. However, high levels of mental effort and increased anxiety can also make us tired too,” she says.
“This is because when we face psychological stressors our bodies still mount a physiological response – we can enter fight or flight mode – and this takes up energy. So our heart rate increases and we start to feel more alert and energised. However, keeping the body in this high state of alert really takes its toll on our energy levels.”
This is why we feel tired when we are facing financial or health concerns. It also happens when we have to adapt to an unfamiliar way of doing things, such as life under lockdown. We are now having to work out new ways of doing pretty much everything from entertaining the children, remote working, to socialising with friends. So what do we do to make life feel better? It’s easy to feel ‘groggy’ and unmotivated when you’re not on your usual schedule, so it’s important to create a routine for your sleep and mealtimes, work and rest. It’s also important to factor in more time to rest. If you’re working from home, take time off and schedule in regular breaks to get fresh air and unwind. Make sure you have a cut-off point, so you have enough downtime to relax. We need to keep to a regular exercise routine in order to remain physically healthy. However, exercise also has a good influence on our mental health and can lower anxiety levels.It’s also important to be kind to yourself. You may not be as productive or motivated as usual – and that’s OK.
Give yourself credit for any little achievement in this time of heightened anxiety and uncertainty. Stay well and stay safe until the next time.
Total number of cases worldwide – 82,394,792
Total number of deaths worldwide – 1,798,097
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 58,402,310
Active cases – 22,194,385
Closed cases – 60,200,407
Information and statistics from:
www.worldometers.info
www.sciencemag.org
https://patient.info/


Overseas Report Monday 21st December 2020
“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?” – Bob Hope
With the news of even greater lockdowns for many countries around the world due to an increase in Covid-19 cases, we take a look at how countries are handling the rolling out of the various vaccines which are now starting to be given to citizens across the world. We also look at the situations in Japan and Sweden and take note of what a French Philosopher said about time, and how it seems to drag when people are in lockdown situations.
In the USA, where last week they had the highest death toll in a single day at 3,611 since the start of the Pandemic, the vaccine was administered to over 211,000 across 38 states by yesterday (20th Dec). As with most countries, the vulnerable and health workers are the first to receive the vaccine. Elsewhere in the world, according to Bloomberg news, the first Covid-19 shots have been given to more than 1.6 million people in four countries. It’s the start of the biggest vaccination campaign in history and one of the largest logistical challenges ever undertaken.
Canada and the U.K. are among those countries that have started to vaccinate their citizens with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and this vaccine is expected to get emergency clearance in the EU as soon as next week. The Pfizer-BioTech vaccine, and the shot from Moderna, were both found to reduce coronavirus infections by 95% in trials of tens of thousands of volunteers. In both China and Russia, people have been receiving their own manufactured vaccine which is still in its testing phase.
One of the most striking things about the Covid-19 pandemic is just how dramatically different the responses have been from country to country. In early 2020, when little was known about the virus, this difference was unsurprising. Today, with tens of thousands of research articles and cases of best practice to learn from, one would expect to see more convergence. And yet some countries continue to resist popular strategies, such as lockdowns, and insist on going their own way – with varying degrees of success.
Two such countries are Sweden and Japan, which in 2020 have forged a different path to their neighbours on coronavirus and attributed their early successes to the assumed advantages of an inherent national character. But today, both seem to be paying the price. Leaders in both countries have emphasised that their constitutions prevent violations of civil liberties, such as lockdowns and fines. Instead, both governments have based their strategies on voluntarism, self-responsibility, and perhaps most importantly, the exceptional nature of their populations.
Sweden, famously, has left bars, restaurants and gyms open throughout the pandemic, as well as not requiring masks in any public settings. In fact, the official position in Sweden is still that masks may do more to increase the spread of Covid-19, rather than reduce it. This view was common in many European countries at the start of the pandemic, but other governments quickly changed their minds and mandated mask-wearing in public places.
In Sweden, rather than implement any mandatory restrictions, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven called on the populace to use their folkvett – a blend of good manners, morality, and common sense that is supposed to be innate to all good Swedes – to follow the voluntary recommendations.With a number of public officials calling lockdowns in other countries as “mad” and “ridiculous”, there was also some who announced that Covid 19 was no worse that seasonal flu and that herd immunity would see the disease eradicated. Time has shown that this was not the case and they have started putting in place similar measures to either countries to try and stem the increase in cases.
Like Sweden, Japan took the “no lockdown” route and refrained from imposing mandatory restrictions – though it closed its borders earlier this year. Unlike Sweden, however, virtually everyone in Japan voluntarily wears a mask, and the government engages in aggressive contact-tracing.
Japan implemented a domestic tourism campaign, “Go To Travel”, to encourage people to spend money and boost the economy. It’s now feared that this campaign, which saw the government subsidise people’s domestic tourist trips, could be responsible for driving the country’s third wave.
Another aspect of lockdowns and curfews is the feeling that time is dragging and everything seems to go at a slower pace. The French philosopher Henri Bergson (1859-1941), who was a bit of a celebrity in his time, came up with an idea that can help us understand why time has felt so strange in the year of the pandemic, ‘la durée’.
Bergson argued that time has two faces. The first face of time is “objective time”: the time of watches, calendars, and train timetables. The second, la durée (“duration”), is “lived time,” the time of our inner subjective experience. This is time felt, lived, and acted. He argues that we mostly don’t pay attention to la durée. We don’t need to — “objective time” is far more useful. But we can get a glimpse of the difference between them when they come apart.The stretch of objective time between 3pm and 4pm is the same as that between 8pm and 9pm. But this does not have to be so with la durée. If the first interval is spent waiting at the dentist’s office and the second at a party, we know the first hour drags and the second just passes by too quickly.
To put this into the perspective of the pandemic, It’s not just that that for many la durée slowed down during lockdown and sped up towards the relatively restriction-free summer.People who were lucky enough to not have to cope with the negative effects of the pandemic might have felt a sense of “novelty” about the first lockdown: the sales of exercise equipment rose sharply, some started learning Welsh, others began making bread. The reason why we often struggle to get into the same mindset now is that the memory of the first lockdown “flavours,” as Bergson would say, the current one. Countless yoga-mats will end up behind cabinets as we recall how fed up we got having to stay inside the first time around.
The pandemic has distorted both our ideas of the past and the future in ways that “objective time” cannot capture. If we now look into the past, we realise that trying to remember exactly how many months ago the Australian bushfires were raging is quite hard but that it was this year and before the pandemic. Similarly, if we look forward to the future, our feelings about stretches of time between now and the future are distorted. When will we go on holiday? How long will it be before we see our loved ones? Without signposts in objective time, we feel that time passes – but because nothing happens it passes much more slowly and we’re stuck in the present.
Let’s all hope as we come to the end of this year that we can start the New Year with a sense of a new beginning.
Merry Christmas.
Stay safe.
Total number of cases worldwide – 76,897,690
Total number of deaths worldwide – 1,696,352
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 53,935,251
Active cases – 21,266,087
Closed cases – 55,631,603
Information and statistics from:
www.worldometers.info
www.who.int
theconversation.com
www.bloomberg.com/news


Overseas Report Friday 18th December 2020
“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” – Seneca
As we come towards the last weekend before the Christmas holidays, it may be the right time to look at how Europe is faring, especially as many people will be travelling to countries over the next week or two to visit families.
By the end of week 50 (ending Sunday 13th December 2020), most countries have started or continued to observe a stabilisation or reductions in case notification rates, test positivity and new hospital/ICU admissions. Absolute values of these indicators remain high, even where they are stable or decreasing, suggesting that transmission is still widespread. Furthermore, case rates among older age groups continue to increase in nine countries and death rates in seven countries. Twelve countries continue to observe increases in hospital or ICU admissions and/or occupancy due to Covid-19.
By the end of week 50, (13th December) the infection rates in Europe, based on data collected from 31 countries, was 375 cases per 100,000 people.This figure has remained the same for three consecutive days.
Among 30 countries with high case notification rates (at least 60 per 100 000), sustained increases (for at least seven days) were observed in three countries (Cyprus, Denmark and Estonia). Four countries (Czechia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Slovakia) had increases of less than seven days duration. Stable or decreasing trends in case rates of 1–28 days’ duration were observed in 23 countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
All of these figures are highly dependent on several factors, one of which is the testing rate. Weekly testing rates for week 50, available for 29 countries, varied from 678 to 13 000 tests per 100 000 population. Luxembourg had the highest testing rate for week 50, followed by Denmark, Cyprus, Malta and the UK.
The 14-day Covid-19 death rate for the EU/EEA and the UK, based on data collected by ECDC from official national sources from 31 countries, was 102.1 (country range: 5.6–268.1) per million population. The rate has been stable for 15 days.
Among 30 countries with high 14-day Covid-19 death rates (at least 10 per million), sustained increases (for at least seven days) were observed in seven countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary and Latvia). Two countries (Lithuania and Norway) had increases of less than seven days duration. Stable or decreasing trends in death rates of 1–21 days’ duration were observed in 21 countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK).
During the early stages of the Pandemic it was the older age people who were contracting the virus in greater numbers. What has happened more recently is that a younger age group are becoming infected. Take Portugal as an example, and we see that during April and May the number of people infected in the age range up to 24 years was never above 40 people in 100,000. Looking at the latest figures we see that this number is now over 900 cases per 100,000 people. Many who contract the virus at this age are recovering without having to be in hospital.
However there is another issue surrounding the young getting the virus.
While there has been good news in recent weeks about the arrival of vaccines that proved successful in trials, the global pandemic has already fundamentally altered the health, economic, educational, and political landscape of our world. Moreover, it will be a daunting process for countries worldwide to approve, distribute, and administer the vaccines to billions of people.
According to the World Health Organization, as of 15th December, the world had more than 71 million confirmed cases of Covid-19, with more than 1.6 million deaths attributed to the virus. In addition, the World Bank estimates the pandemic will push as many as 115 million additional people into extreme poverty this year, and school closures are affecting hundreds of millions of children. For many of the world’s most vulnerable populations, the growing economic uncertainty of the past several months has resulted in numerous negative impacts on children. The crisis has increased threats of violence against children, the risk of child labour, child marriage and child trafficking. Furthermore, at least a third of the world’s children are unable to access remote learning with so many schools closed to in-person learning.
With more and more schools having to close due to staff and pupils contracting Covid-19 there are many education authorities who are increasingly concerned about the long term impact on the students. In the UK the government education office, Offsted, have carried out nearly 2,000 visits to education and social care providers during the autumn term. Today’s reports reflect on the experiences of leaders working in schools, further education and skills, early years and SEND.
Inspectors heard that repeated absences due to COVID-19 outbreaks have resulted in pupils losing more learning. Many children are thought to be at least 6 months behind where they should be. And for a significant number of pupils, repeated periods of self-isolation have chipped away at the progress they have been able to make since September.
The reports find that in just over half of the schools visited, pupils in bubbles were sent home to self-isolate at some point during the term. More children were sent home in bubbles from secondary schools than primaries. Some schools were extensively affected by COVID-19-related absence. And a few school leaders said that a significant proportion of their pupils had to self-isolate on 2 or 3 separate occasions.
Inspectors found schools were having to provide meaningful remote education under two distinct circumstances: bubble isolation and individual isolation. Many schools were making real progress with remote provision for bubbles, which often included live or pre-recorded online lessons. However, pupils who were self-isolating individually for a fortnight at a time often had a poorer experience. Whole bubbles can more easily be kept up to speed with the planned curriculum while they work from home. But isolating individuals often miss out on the new content being taught to peers in class, instead doing revision at home. For these children, the loss of learning they experienced in the summer is being repeated.
As we look towards the start of a new decade we must all hope that these issues are confronted and that the next generation are not affected long term by the pandemic.
Stay safe.
Total number of cases worldwide – 75,307,233
Total number of deaths worldwide – 1,668,818
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 52,873,981
Active cases – 20,764,434
Closed cases – 54,542,799
Information and statistics from:
www.who.int
www.worldometers.com
www.ecdc.europa.eu
www.gov.uk


Overseas Report Wednesday 16th December 2020
“There’s not much point to being alive if you don’t do what you can to make life better for someone else, is there?” ― Michael Thomas Ford
As the USA death toll from Covid-19 reaches 300,000 and the first people in the States are given the vaccine, we are going to take a look at what the world is experiencing regarding other forms of disease and disability.
Just released from the World Health Organisation are the statistics showing the top 10 killers in the world. With so much emphasis on Covid-19 for the past 12 months, it is a fact that 7 of the top 10 causes of deaths in the world are from non communicable ailments. Pandemics are rare occurrences and, as such, when there is one that impacts the world’s population, it does tend to get more publicity than those causes of death that have been around for a while.
I am sure it will not surprise too many people to know that heart disease is still the number 1 killer throughout the world. Heart disease has remained the leading cause of death at the global level for the last 20 years. However, it is now killing more people than ever before. The number of deaths from heart disease has increased by more than 2 million since 2000, to nearly 9 million in 2019. Heart disease now represents 16% of total deaths from all causes. More than half of the 2 million additional deaths were in the WHO Western Pacific region. From the European perspective, there was some good news in that the number of deaths from this cause dropped by 15%.
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are now among the top 10 causes of death worldwide, ranking 3rd in both the Americas and Europe in 2019. Women are disproportionately affected: globally, 65% of deaths from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are women.
Deaths from diabetes increased by 70% globally between 2000 and 2019, with an 80% rise in deaths among males. In the Eastern Mediterranean, deaths from diabetes have more than doubled and represent the greatest percentage increase of all WHO regions. In 2019, pneumonia and other lower respiratory infections were the deadliest group of communicable diseases and together ranked as the fourth leading cause of death. However, compared to 2000, lower respiratory infections were claiming fewer lives than in the past, with the global number of deaths decreasing by nearly half a million. Two of the communicable diseases that have seen drops in the past decade are HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis. Worldwide these two diseases have seen numbers fall. Tuberculosis is also no longer in the global top 10, falling from 7th place in 2000 to thirteenth in 2019, with a 30% reduction in global deaths. Yet, it remains among the top 10 causes of deaths in the African and South-East Asian regions, However, as with a lot of diseases it does depend on how wealthy a country or area is as to whether the authorities can keep the disease under control. Africa saw an increase in tuberculosis mortality after 2000, though this has started to decline in the last few years.
With the advancement of medicines and technology, many countries have in the past 20 years seen their citizens living longer. In 2019, people were living more than 6 years longer than in 2000, with a global average of more than 73 years in 2019 compared to nearly 67 in 2000. But on average, only 5 of those additional years were spent in good health. disability is on the rise. To a large extent, the diseases and health conditions that are causing the most deaths are those that are responsible for the greatest number of healthy life-years lost. Heart disease, diabetes, stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were collectively responsible for nearly 100 million additional healthy life-years lost in 2019 compared to 2000.
As societies become more healthy from better living conditions and higher wages we see that this can also have an effect on people’s health. More people are able to own a car with the result of increased injuries. These are another major cause of disability and death: there has been a significant rise in road traffic injuries in the African region since 2000, with an almost 50% increase in both death and healthy life-years lost. Similar but slightly smaller increases (at around 40%) were also observed for the Eastern Mediterranean region. Globally, deaths from road traffic injuries are 75% male. Death and disablement are not all by accident. In the Americas, drug use has emerged as a significant contributor to both disability and death. There was a nearly threefold increase in deaths from drug use disorders in the Americas between 2000 and 2019. This region is also the only one for which drug use disorder is a top 10 contributor to healthy life-years lost due to premature deaths and disability.
As of today, Covid-19 has tragically claimed more than 1.5 million lives. People living with pre-existing health conditions (such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory conditions) are at higher risk of complications and death due to Covid-19 so whilst the pandemic is still around these different causes of death do have a link.
Although all of these statistics do make somewhat gloomy reading for a Wednesday morning, hopefully it does help us to put this challenging pandemic into some sort of perspective and we hope that, as we learn more about Covid-19, we all follow the guidelines that are provided to keep us and others healthy, and vaccines become more available, we will soon start to see numbers concerning Covid cases and fatalities fall.
Stay Safe.
Total number of cases worldwide – 73,841,836
Total number of deaths worldwide – 1,642,418
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 51,844,949
Active cases – 20,354,469
Closed cases – 53,487,367
Information and statistics from:
www.who.int
www.worldometers.com


Overseas Report Monday 14th December 2020
“Your success will shine as a light of hope and inspire numbers you cannot total” – Mary Anne Radmacher
In this report we take a look at countries around the world and what their latest situation is regarding the virus, and how countries are handling the second wave of the virus.
Latest figures from the Worldometer website show that yesterday (Saturday) the number of new cases reported across the world was 638,030 and the number of new deaths reported for the previous 24 hours was 10,432. Compared to the previous 24 hour period this was a drop of around 10% in cases reported and around a 20% drop in deaths. Although these figures are encouraging, the trend for both cases and deaths is still on an upward curve albeit levelling out as we get towards the end of the year and the hoped for vaccine being rolled out early in the New Year.
In the USA, the total number of new cases reported was 220,298. The state of California continues to be the hardest hit state with new cases recorded on Saturday at 29,216. Since the beginning of December the number of reported cases has risen dramatically from 16,893 on the 1st December to a high on Friday 11th of 37,114. Many have put this down to the Thanksgiving holiday period which saw many people travelling across the country to visit family. Regretfully deaths from the virus are moving in the same direction, with California’s death toll reaching just under 21,000. Although California has a case rate per 1 million people of 39,355 the state is now rated 40th out of 51 states. The state with the highest cases per 1 million is North Dakota with a rate of 114,938. The state the least affected by the virus is Vermont. Their rate of infection is at 9,016 cases per 1 million and deaths are 152 per 1 million people.
Across the border in Canada, they have reported a total of 454,852 cases since the start of the pandemic. In terms of cases per 1 million people, they are relatively low at a rate of 12,004. The number of people who have died from Covid-19 in Canada is also relatively low at 13,350. In terms of deaths per 1 million people, again, their numbers are fairly low at 352. Putting this into context the country with the highest ratio of deaths to its citizens is Belgium with 1,532. Portugal stands at 536 and the UK at 914.
In South America, the virus has hit some countries worse than others. Brazil has the highest recorded number of cases at 6,880,595. Whilst it has also recorded the highest death toll in South America, they are not the country with the highest death toll per 1 million people. Peru has a figure of 1,103 deaths per 1 million people, and Argentina has the highest case numbers per 1 million people at 32,934.
Across the world the number of people recovering from Covid 19 is increasing daily. However when you compare the number of cases recorded against the number of active cases, it shows that different parts of the world are recovering at different speeds and that some parts of the world are seeing longer recovery periods than others.
In total across the world, out of all the recorded cases, around 28% are still active although different continents are at different stages of recovery. In Europe the statistics show that 49% of the cases recorded are still active, meaning people are still feeling the effects of the virus. Compare this with Asia and South America where only 8 and 8.6% respectively are currently active. What this means is that the cycle of the virus is at a different point in Europe compared to some of the other parts of the world.
Although Asia has far fewer active cases than some other parts of the world. Some of the countries in this region are seeing big increases in new cases.
Japan has recorded 3,030 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, its highest single-day rise in infections since the pandemic began, the country’s Ministry of Health has reported. Among the new cases, 621 were in the capital Tokyo, the highest number ever recorded in the city. Japan has now recorded 177,999 cases and 2,575 deaths, including 28 on Saturday. The ministry said that 23,990 Covid-19 patients are currently receiving medical care in hospitals, while 578 of them are in critical condition.
South Korea reported 1,030 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, its highest number since the pandemic began, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Over 1,000 of the cases were locally transmitted and 28 were imported. More than 780 cases were in the Seoul Metropolitan area. South Korea has now reported 42,766 cases in total and 580 deaths, including two from Saturday. There are 10,372 people in quarantine in the country, according to KDCA.
Whilst statistics can give us an idea of how things are we must always remember that they are only as good as the people who provide them and there has been a lot of discussion about how accurate many of these figures are. Maybe that is for another day.
In the meantime Stay Safe.
Total number of cases worldwide – 72,367,770
Total number of deaths worldwide – 1,615,640
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 50,710,977
Active cases – 20,041,153
Closed cases – 52,326,617
Information and statistics (from Sunday 13th December) from:
www.worldometers.info
https://edition.cnn.com
https://www.who.com


Overseas Report Friday 11th December 2020
“There is no stress in the world, only people thinking stressful thoughts and then acting on them.” Dr. Wayne Dyer
With so much doom and gloom around there is lots to be thankful for as we head towards a very different Christmas for us all. All over the world, in spite of the Covid crisis we hear of great stories that lift us all. For this edition of the world report l have picked a few and will continue to show the statistics for the virus.
One aspect of the Covid virus is the shut down of many countries’ manufacturing plants. The Himalayas are now visible from certain parts of India for the first time in “decades”.
The unexpected side effect of reduced air pollution has meant that locals in the northern Indian state of Punjab, along with other surrounding areas, can now enjoy views of the famous mountain range, which is some 160km away.
The clearer views are thought to be courtesy of a dramatic improvement in air quality, made possible by the Covid-19 lockdowns across India.
According to India’s pollution authority, Delhi saw a 44% reduction in PM10 air pollution levels on just the first day of restrictions. Another 84 other cities across India are reporting similar reductions in pollution levels.
India currently has reported over 9.7 million cases of Covid-19 with deaths at just under 142,000. On a daily basis they have reported 13,420 new cases.
Finland was named the world’s happiest country in 2019, and now Visit Finland has launched a virtual travel initiative inviting housebound travellers and those feeling blue in lockdown to Rent a Finn.
The new Rent a Finn social media campaign lets people from around the world experience the Finns’ natural way of life, via livestream sessions and one-on-one chats, where they’ll be sharing some of the daily routines and closely guarded secrets that make everyone in Finland so ‘gosh darn’ cheerful. Some of the reasons that the Finnish way of life is known to boost happiness include: taking time to connect with nature regularly, which boosts happiness hormones; and simply appreciating the small things in their daily lives. Finland has fared well in combating Covid-19 with one of the lowest rates of infection and deaths in the world, although there has been an increase in cases during the second wave.
In New Zealand, where they were one of the first countries to lockdown, they are now through the second wave and trying to get back to some form of normality. Known as a country with a love of the outdoors and extreme sports it is no surprise that The Mayor of Queenstown Lakes, Jim Boult, has celebrated the easing of coronavirus travel restrictions across New Zealand in the most fitting way possible: by bungee jumping!
The Queenstown Lakes Mayor made the leap at Kawarau Bridge Bungy Centre as a celebration, signifying the end of the seven-week lockdown for the region. According to TVNZ, Mr Boult said he was delighted to be marking the reopening of the Kawarau Bridge (often considered the home of bungee jumping) even if he had to jump off a bridge first thing in the morning to do it. With just 2088 cases since the start of the pandemic and 26 deaths, New Zealand are at the forefront of the curve. In fact the latest figures for confirmed cases show that have recorded just 3 new cases on the 9th December 2020.
In a tribute to medical workers, Rio De Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue was illuminated in a doctor’s uniform over the Easter long weekend during the coronavirus pandemic.
The 38-metre-tall statue was lit up wearing hospital scrubs, a white lab coat, and stethoscope offering thanks to healthcare workers on the front line of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The statue bore the word Obrigado (the Portugeuse word for ‘thank you’) and the hashtag “#FiqueEmCasa” (meaning ‘stay at home’) at the bottom of the illumination.
Rio de Janeiro’s Archbishop, Dom Orani Tempesta, also performed a special mass atop Corcovado mountain to honour those risking their lives to help others during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Rio’s iconic statue was also lit up with flags of nations around the world and videos of medics and doctors during the tribute. According to the latest data from the WHO, Brazil has reached 6.73 million cases since the start of the pandemic and has lost over 179,000 of its citizens. The latest figures for new cases shows they had 54,203 in the 24 hour period up to the 9th December 2020.
With no visitors around to enjoy Holland’s famous blooms, Dutch tulip farmers have been inspired to get creative with their flower beds; they’re using them as a way to share uplifting messages with the world.
We’re often told to gaze towards the heavens for comfort, but for those who prefer to seek solace a little closer to home, Holland’s tulip farmers have teamed up to brighten your quarantine.
Dutch Daffodils and Tulips in Holland joined forces to write “see you next year” in large letters alongside a giant heart in their otherwise unappreciated flower beds.
The image was shared to their Facebook page with a message that read: “We headed the tulips a bit earlier to write this message, from our families to yours… We hope that this brightens your day… and we hope to see you next year!” The Netherlands recorded 6,528 new cases of Covid-19 in the paast 24 hours. Since the start of the pandemic they have seen 576,965 cases with deaths at 9,841.
Stay safe.
Total number of cases worldwide – 69,597,651
Total number of deaths worldwide – 1,582,651
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 48,256,651
Active cases – 19,758,604
Closed cases – 49,839,367
Information and statistics from:
www.worldometers.info
www.reuters.com
https://www.delicious.com.au/


Overseas Report Wednesday 9th December 2020
Two gentlemen to consider today – William Shakespeare from Warwickshire (died in 1616, aged 52) famous for many works of literature, poems and plays, including “The Taming of the Shrew”.
William (Bill) Shakespeare, aged 81, also from Warwickshire – the second patient in the UK to receive the new coronavirus vaccine yesterday – centre stage in “The Taming of the Flu!”
On 8th December the roll out of the new coronavirus vaccine began in the UK. About 70 hospital hubs in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are gearing up to give the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.
As we move closer to the Christmas holiday period we are hearing more and more from airlines and their call to governments across the world to lift the quarantine restrictions imposed on travellers in most countries. The latest call comes from the European Travel Commission in response to guidance from the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).The document confirms that air travellers account for less than 1% of all detected cases of the virus and do not increase the rate of transmission.
It also states that imported cases of Covid-19 account for a “very small proportion” of all detected cases and are “unlikely to significantly increase” the rate of transmission.
As we know here in the Algarve, the economy of the region depends so much on visitors throughout the year and it is estimated that in 2020 the Algarve has lost almost 90% of its annual tourist revenue. The ETC argues that the European tourism sector is at a “precipice” and cannot survive another round of “unco-ordinated ineffective” restrictions.
ETC president Luís Araujo said: “The importance of restarting mobility in Europe cannot be understated in terms of the role it will play in the recovery of tourism and the wider European economy over the coming months.
“Millions of livelihoods depending on the tourism sector are on the brink of collapse now and we simply cannot afford wasting more time on these unjustified restrictions”.
In the UK, travellers will be able to cut the length of quarantine by half, but at a price. Travellers who arrive in England from high-risk countries will soon be able to reduce their quarantine period by more than half if they pay for a Covid test after five days – and of course, if that test is negative. The new system will begin on 15th December and will cost between £65 and £120 per person. The travel industry welcomed the policy but described it as long overdue. The Transport Secretary said it would allow people to see loved ones and give a boost to business.
In Brazil, the spread of the virus has moved in a different way to many other countries. From a fairly low start in March they have seen a steady increase in cases right through with no let up like other countries and they continue to show increases with over 6.6 million cases since the start and almost 177,000 deaths. On a daily basis they are recording over 26,000 new cases.
There seems to be no let up for the USA with the number of new cases being reported each day over 175,000 and deaths reported as still above 1000 in a 24 hour period. Since the start of the pandemic, the USA has lost over 290,000 of its citizens to the virus and has reported over 15 million cases.
One of the traditional activities for children has always been the visit to Santa Claus. This year things will be very different throughout the world with many countries taking to the internet with virtual visits from Santa. Others are offering Zoom meetings with children.
In New York the famous store Macy’s is moving Santa online with a virtual experience that includes walks through Santa’s village and workshop with interactive games, ending with a chance to “meet” the man himself.
Chatbooks’ experience will include a 10-minute Zoom chat with Kris Kringle, where kids can discuss all things Christmas related, including whether they’re on the “nice list” or what they’re wishing for on Christmas Day. Parents can choose one of three Santas that will be available to chat and book them through an online form. At the end of the chat, you’ll also get a photo to remember the occasion. The best part? It’s free.
Stay safe.
Total number of cases worldwide – 68.266,536
Total number of deaths worldwide – 1,556,925
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 47,256,030
Active cases – 19,453,581
Closed cases – 48,812,995
Information and statistics from:
www.ecdc.europa.eu
www.bbc.com/news
www.worldometers.info


Overseas Report Monday 7th December 2020
“Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.” Samuel Smiles
This weekend in the UK was a momentous occasion for many thousands of football supporters. For the first time since March, football and rugby fans were allowed into their clubs’ stadium to support their team. A limited number of just 2000 were allowed at each venue, where the tier level for their particular area was not of the highest level, but it is hoped that this is the start of some sort of normality.
For months sports fans have been questioning the merit of the rule which allows people to go into shopping centres but not into sports stadiums. But, as clubs in certain areas of England prepare to open their turnstiles for the first time in almost nine months, a BBC Sport poll suggests fans are divided over whether they should be allowed to return before a Covid-19 vaccine is rolled out. In a Savanta ComRes poll of 2,100 football fans, 52% said they should be allowed to return to watch matches in person before a vaccine is available, while 45% said they should not.
At the same time in the UK, an area in one city where the tier level is at its highest, Nottingham, opened their Christmas market in the city centre and saw thousands of people converge on the city square.With very little sign of social distancing it was not surprising that, after just one day the city council, made the decision to shut down the market. Across the UK cases are slowly receding and from a peak in November of 34,000 cases the figures are now around 15,000 in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile across the world in Australia a full house crowd of 40,000 people watched the Australian cricket team take on India at the Sydney cricket ground. This is because the whole country have reported just 7 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.
With much of sport being played behind closed doors in many countries, there are still issues surrounding the players catching the virus. In Capetown, South Africa, the England cricket team are currently touring but have had to abandon one of their matches due to hotel staff, where they are staying in isolation, testing positive. Currently South Africa is going through a resurgence of the virus with a so called ‘second wave’. In the past 24 hours the country has reported 4,932 new cases and this is the highest daily total since the peak in July.
Looking closer to home in Europe, many EU/EEA countries have started to observe a stabilisation or reductions in case notification rates. This may be evidence that some countries may have peaked.
It could be an effect of strict non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented in those countries. However, we are still in the midst of this pandemic, and the case notification rates remain generally high. A combination of non-pharmaceutical interventions adapted to the local epidemiological situation, accompanied by clear, targeted communication messages to the public, remain the fundamental elements of the public health approach to controlling transmission.
Among the 32 countries reporting increases (for at least seven days) were five countries (Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania). Two countries (Cyprus and Denmark) had increases of less than seven days’ duration. Stable or decreasing trends in case rates of 1–24 days duration were observed in 23 countries including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, and Italy. Among 30 countries with high case notification rates (at least 60 per 100 000), were Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
Of the 24 countries in which weekly test positivity was high (at least 3%), four countries (Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden) had positivity that had increased compared to the previous week. Test positivity remained stable or had decreased in 20 countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the UK)
With the run up to the Christmas holidays, countries across the world are implementing actions to make sure the virus remains under control, while at the same time allowing citizens to meet with family and friends over Christmas.
Some, like Italy, have made it illegal to move around the country during the Christmas period. The Italian government on Wednesday night separately approved a decree law prohibiting non-essential travel between regions from December 21st-January 7th.
The rules will be even stricter on Christmas Day itself, with a ban on travelling between towns and communes in place on December 25-26th and on New Year’s Day, as the government seeks to avoid a third wave of coronavirus infections being triggered by socialising over the festive period.
“From December 21st 2020 to January 6th 2021, travel between different regions (including those to or from the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano) will be prohibited, with the exception of travel for proven work reasons, situations of necessity or health reasons,”.
This has not gone down well with the citizens of Italy according to The Guardian newspaper of the UK. According to the newspaper- “The Italian government’s move to ban people travelling around the country during the Christmas period has been described as a “slap in the face” to families and their deeply rooted traditions.”“Christmas is very important for Italians,” Riccardo Ciogli said outside Gatsby Cafe in Rome’s Esquilino district. “This is what we do – we get together with family, with friends, and we eat.” His friend Erica Salvatore, who works at the nearby federation of architects, is from the southern region of Molise, where she usually spends Christmas with her parents added “I will go and see them for a few days this weekend but I don’t know if I’ll be able to travel before 20 December,” she said. “In Italy our traditions are very important, you can’t just take them away.”
Time will tell if they decide to follow the rules.
Stay safe.
Total number of cases worldwide – 67,147,969
Total number of deaths worldwide – 1,538,689
Total number of recovered cases worldwide – 46,453,353
Active cases – 19,155,927
Closed cases – 47,992,042
Information and statistics from:
www.ecdc.europa.eu
www.bbc.com/news
www.worldometers.info

Situation Report Azores – 30th December 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
Covid-19
The Regional Health Authority says, from 1,513 tests carried out in the Region over the last two days, in the two reference laboratories in the Region and rapid tests carried out by other entities, the number of new cases for COVID-19 is 55. There were 51 on the island of São Miguel, 4 on the island of Terceira.
There have been 31 recoveries recorded, 23 on São Miguel, 7 on the island of Terceira and 1 on Pico.
There was one death on the 28th of December of a 72-year-old man at 2:15 pm, at the Hospital Santo Espírito de Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island. The patient had underlying health problems.
The current situation in the region.
There are 17 patients in hospital.
15, at the Hospital of Divino Espírito Santo in Ponta Delgada (one of which in the ICU)
2, at the Hospital of Santo Espírito in Angra do Heroísmo (both in ICU)
There are 59 transmission chains
48 on São Miguel (two new chains in the last 24 hours).
11 on Terceira (a new chain in the last 24 hours).
76 chains are now extinct.
Five of them in Ribeira Grande and three in Angra do Heroísmo, in the last 24 hours.
There are currently 296 positive cases active in the Region, 253 in São Miguel, 34 in Terceira, one in Pico, one in São Jorge and seven in Faial.
– 1,858 cases of infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes Covid-19 disease, have been detected to date, with 22 deaths and 1,449 recoveries.
Pandemic prevention and containment measures should be maintained and strengthened, whenever possible, by citizens and public, private and social sector organizations.
It is reiterated the need to comply with all recommendations already made public in this regard, especially that, in case of symptoms, do not seek a Hospital or Health Unit, but call the Azores Health Line – 808 24 60 24.
For more information, visit the website created by the Government of the Azores on pandemic control in the Region, at https://destinoseguro.azores.gov.pt/ , or the Facebook page of the Regional Health Directorate, at https: / /www.facebook.com/DirecaoSaudeAcores/ .
The Government of the Azores also makes available the Azores Non-Medical Clarification Line Covid-19, with the number 800 29 29 29, which can be used between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm, on working days, and the RIAC Line 800 500 501, which works from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 10:30 pm, and on Sundays, from 10 am to 10:30 pm.
It is also available the email address esclarecimentocovid19@azores.gov.pt for clarification on measures taken in the region to cope with the new coronavirus pandemic.

Situation Report Azores – 28th December 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
The Government of the Azores has announced that the first batch of 9,750 doses of vaccine against Covid-19 in the region is on the way. They should arrive by Tuesday 29th December.
The vaccines, said in a statement the regional secretary of Health, Clélio Meneses, will be delivered directly to the island of Terceira, and will be transported on a SATA plane.
“The supplier has already informed that the delivery will take place on the 28th or 29th of this year “.
The 9,750 doses of the vaccine will be administered to 4,875 people, with half reserved for the second inoculation, since the vaccine is administered in two doses per person, 21 days apart.
In the region, up until March, the first residents to be vaccinated, will be the institutionalized elderly in homes, residential structures, and long-term care network and health homes.
At the same time, health professionals and people identified in the regional vaccination plan with disease or pathology will be vaccinated.
“From March to June, the vaccines that arrive will be administered to other people, namely elderly people over 65 and people between 50 and 64 years old, with pathologies. From July, the inoculation is generic”.
The first vaccines will be available on the islands of Terceira and São Miguel, as they are the islands where there is community transmission of the new coronavirus.

Covid-19
The Regional Health Authority says, from 6,619 tests carried out in the Region over the last five days, in the two reference laboratories in the Region and rapid tests carried out by other entities, the number of new cases for Covid-19 is 105. The rate of infection seems to be on the decline.
87 on the island of São Miguel, 12 on the island of Terceira,4 on Faial, 1 on Pico and 1 on São Jorge.
There have been 181 recoveries recorded, 129 on São Miguel and 52 on the island of Terceira.
The current situation in the region
There are 20 people in hospital
14, at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada (1 of which in the ICU)
6, at the Hospital de Santo Espírito on Terceira Island (2 of which in ICU)
There are 60 transmission chains.
46 in São Miguel
14 in Terceira
From today there are 67 extinct chains.
6 of which in São Miguel in the last 24 hours (4 in Ribeira Grande, 1 in Ponta Delgada and 1 in Vila Franca do Campo)
There are currently 273 positive cases in the Region, 225 in São Miguel, 38 in Terceira, 2 in Pico, 1 in São Jorge and 7 in Faial.
To date, 1,803 cases of infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have been detected, which causes Covid-19 disease, with 21 deaths and 1,418 recoveries.
Pandemic prevention and containment measures should be maintained and strengthened, whenever possible, by citizens and public, private and social sector organizations.
It is reiterated the need to comply with all recommendations already made public in this regard, especially that, in case of symptoms, do not seek a Hospital or Health Unit, but call the Azores Health Line – 808 24 60 24.
For more information, visit the website created by the Government of the Azores on pandemic control in the Region, at https://destinoseguro.azores.gov.pt/ , or the Facebook page of the Regional Health Directorate, at https: / /www.facebook.com/DirecaoSaudeAcores/ .
The Government of the Azores also makes available the Azores Non-Medical Clarification Line Covid-19, with the number 800 29 29 29, which can be used between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm, on working days, and the RIAC Line 800 500 501, which works from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 10:30 pm, and on Sundays, from 10 am to 10:30 pm.
It is also available the email address esclarecimentocovid19@azores.gov.pt for clarification on measures taken in the region to cope with the new coronavirus pandemic.

Situation Report Azores – 23rd December 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
Vaccine.
The Azores should have about 28 thousand people in the first group for vaccination against covid-19, revealed the head of the monitoring committee.
“We have so far identified more than 12,000 members of the public who meet the ‘risk’ group criteria, that is, individuals over 50 who have heart failure, chronic kidney disease or another of the chronic conditions that are identified, we have about 7,000 health professionals identified and about 9,000 other employees from multiple social response areas. These numbers still need some confirmation”, said Gustavo Tato Borges.
The chairman of the Monitoring Committee on the Fight against Pandemic in the Azores spoke, in Angra do Heroísmo, at a hearing, by videoconference, at the Social Affairs Committee of the Legislative Assembly of the Azores, in which he participated together with the regional secretary for Health and Sports, Clélio Meneses, and with the regional director of Health, Berto Cabral.
Gustavo Tato Borges stressed the region should receive about 2% of the number of vaccines attributed to Portugal, noting that the official number is not yet known.
“It is not possible to say at this point how many people per island will be vaccinated, nor how many vaccines per island will be distributed, because the number of vaccines that are going to reach the Portuguese Republic is not yet official”, he stressed, adding that both Pfizer and AstraZeneca have already announced a reduction in the quantities initially indicated.
The head of the monitoring committee stressed that priority will be given to nursing homes.
“Taking into account what happened in ‘Nordeste’, in the first phase, we will prioritize the vaccination of residents who are in care homes and employees who work there,” he said, referring to a home where 12 residents died.
Gustavo Tato Borges said that the vaccines will be stored in a first phase at the hospital in Terceira, but Ponta Delgada also has storage capacity at a later stage.
“Bearing in mind that the Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept at -70 degrees and five days to thaw, we will take advantage of the trips to allow this vaccine to thaw, so that vaccination can take place as soon as possible,” he said.

Covid-19
The Regional Health Authority says, from 4,537 tests carried out in the Region over the last four days, in the two reference laboratories in the Region and rapid tests carried out by other entities, the number of new cases for Covid-19 is 60. A big reduction on recent days.
54 on the island of São Miguel and 6 on the island of Terceira.
There have been 82 recoveries recorded, 54 on São Miguel and 28 on the island of Terceira.
The current situation in the region.
There are 16 people in hospital
11, at Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada
5, at Santo Espírito Hospital on Terceira Island (2 of which in ICU)
There are 67 active transmission chains
49 in São Miguel (1 in the last 24 hours, shared between Ribeira Grande, Lagoa and Ponta Delgada)
1 chain shared between São Miguel and São Jorge
17 on Terceira Island (1 new chain in Angra do Heroísmo in the last 24 hours)
49 chains have been extinct to date (3 in São Miguel and 2 in Terceira, in the last 24 hours).
There are currently 353 positive cases in the Region, 270 in São Miguel, 79 in Terceira Island, 1 in Pico and 3 in Faial.
1,698 cases of infection by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected to date, with 21 deaths and 1,237 recoveries.
Pandemic prevention and containment measures should be maintained and strengthened, whenever possible, by citizens and public, private and social sector organizations.
It is reiterated the need to comply with all recommendations already made public in this regard, especially that, in case of symptoms, do not seek a Hospital or Health Unit, but call the Azores Health Line – 808 24 60 24.
For more information, visit the website created by the Government of the Azores on pandemic control in the Region, at https://destinoseguro.azores.gov.pt/ , or the Facebook page of the Regional Health Directorate, at https: / /www.facebook.com/DirecaoSaudeAcores/ .
The Government of the Azores also makes available the Azores Non-Medical Clarification Line COVID-19, with the number 800 29 29 29, which can be used between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm, on working days, and the RIAC Line 800 500 501, which works from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 10:30 pm, and on Sundays, from 10 am to 10:30 pm.
It is also available the email address esclarecimentocovid19@azores.gov.pt for clarification on measures taken in the region to cope with the new coronavirus pandemic.

Situation Report Azores – 19th December 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
Starting today, December 19th, passengers traveling from the airports on the islands of São Miguel and Terceira will have to test Covid-19 negative. These tests will be paid for by the regional government and this applies to flights going to the other islands in the archipelago.
Covid-19
The Regional Health Authority says, from 4,279 tests carried out in the Region over the last three days, in the two reference laboratories in the Region and rapid tests carried out by other entities, the number of new cases for COVID-19 is 89.
60 on the island of São Miguel and 25 on the island of Terceira, 1 on Pico and 3 on Faial.
There have been 170 recoveries recorded, 145 on São Miguel, 24 on the island of Terceira and 1 on Faial
The Current Situation

  • There are 15 patients in hospital
  • 8 at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada
  • 7 at the Hospital de Santo Espírito on Terceira Island, two of which are in the ICU.
  • There are 72 active transmission chains.
  • 50 in S. Miguel (three new chains in the last 24 hours, one in Ponta Delgada and two in Ribeira Grande);
  • A chain shared between São Miguel and São Jorge;
  • 21 in Terceira (a new chain in the last 24 hours in Angra do Heroísmo).
  • 36 transmission chains have been extinct to date, two of which in the last 24 hours, one in Ponta Delgada and the other in Ribeira Grande.
  • There are currently 377 active positive cases, 272 in S. Miguel, 101 in Terceira Island, one in Pico and three in Faial.
  • 1,638 cases of infection by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected to date, with 21 deaths and 1,155 recoveries.

Pandemic prevention and containment measures should be maintained and strengthened, whenever possible, by citizens and public, private and social sector organizations.
It is reiterated the need to comply with all recommendations already made public in this regard, especially that, in case of symptoms, do not seek a Hospital or Health Unit, but call the Azores Health Line – 808 24 60 24.
For more information, visit the website created by the Government of the Azores on pandemic control in the Region, at https://destinoseguro.azores.gov.pt/ , or the Facebook page of the Regional Health Directorate, at https: / /www.facebook.com/DirecaoSaudeAcores/ .
The Government of the Azores also makes available the Azores Non-Medical Clarification Line COVID-19, with the number 800 29 29 29, which can be used between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm, on working days, and the RIAC Line 800 500 501, which works from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 10:30 pm, and on Sundays, from 10 am to 10:30 pm.
It is also available the email address esclarecimentocovid19@azores.gov.pt for clarification on measures taken in the region to cope with the new coronavirus pandemic.
Situation Report Azores – 16th December 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
Rabo de Peixe
Between the 3rd and the 13thof December the village of Rabo de Peixe had been closed off to the rest of São Miguel with a sanitary fence. The fence was used to help control the number of infections springing up locally.
Currently, according to data from the Azores Health Authority, there are 221 active cases in the village, with the region having a total of 459 patients with Covid-19.
The coordinator of the fight against Covid-19 in the Azores, Gustavo Tato Borges, had also told journalists at the beginning of the testing operation that there would be a significant increase in the number of infections, but, after ten days, a number of people would recover from the disease.
Despite the end of the fence, the Government of the Azores determined to maintain the closure of the schools of Rabo de Peixe until the end of the current school term.
The measure was justified with the “close, present and permanent assessment of the various entities involved”, and with the fact that there are five days until the end of the first term of the school year.

Covid-19
The Regional Health Authority says, from 4,264 tests carried out in the Region over the last four days, in the two reference laboratories in the Region and rapid tests carried out by other entities, the number of new cases for COVID-19 is 162, a big increase.
130 on the island of São Miguel and 32 on the island of Terceira.
There have been 114 recoveries recorded, 73 on São Miguel, 40 on the island of Terceira and 1 on Pico.
The Current Situation
The number of patients in hospital is 15
9 at Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada
6 at Hospital de Santo Espírito on Terceira Island – 3 of which in the ICU
Active transmission chains – 67
São Miguel – 49 (four new chains in the last 24 hours, two in Vila Franca do Campo and two in Ribeira Grande);
A chain shared between São Miguel and São Jorge.
Terceira – 15 (with two new chains identified in the last 24 hours in Angra do Heroísmo).
31 chains have been extinct to date, three of which on the island of S. Miguel (one shared between Ribeira Grande and Ponta Delgada and two in Ponta Delgada).
There are currently 459 positive cases, 358 in S. Miguel, 100 on Terceira Island and one in Faial.
1,549 cases of infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected to date, with 21 deaths and 985 recoveries.
Pandemic prevention and containment measures should be maintained and strengthened, whenever possible, by citizens and public, private and social sector organizations.
It is reiterated the need to comply with all recommendations already made public in this regard, especially that, in case of symptoms, do not seek a Hospital or Health Unit, but call the Azores Health Line – 808 24 60 24.
For more information, visit the website created by the Government of the Azores on pandemic control in the Region, at https://destinoseguro.azores.gov.pt/ , or the Facebook page of the Regional Health Directorate, at https: / /www.facebook.com/DirecaoSaudeAcores/ .
The Government of the Azores also makes available the Azores Non-Medical Clarification Line COVID-19, with the number 800 29 29 29, which can be used between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm, on working days, and the RIAC Line 800 500 501, which works from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 10:30 pm, and on Sundays, from 10 am to 10:30 pm.
It is also available by email esclarecimentocovid19@azores.gov.pt for clarification on measures taken in the region to cope with the new coronavirus pandemic.

Situation Report Azores – 12th December 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
The Regional Health Authority says, from 3,350 tests carried out in the Region since the 9th of December in the two reference laboratories in the Region and rapid tests carried out by other entities, the number of positive cases for COVID-19 is 58, many fewer cases than in recent weeks. 36 on the island of São Miguel and 22 on the island of Terceira. There have been 93 recoveries recorded, 62 on São Miguel and 21 on the island of Terceira. Some of the cases have been discovered as part of the SARS-CoV-2 screening test carried out on arrival at ports and airports and through the analysis performed after the sixth day in the regionMost cases now are as a result of local chains of transmission.
CURRENT SITUATION IN THE REGION:
There are 12 patients in hospital.
6, at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada
6, at Santo Espírito Hospital on Terceira Island – 3 of which in ICU.
The only patient who was admitted to the Hospital da Horta was transferred in the last hours to the Hospital of Ponta Delgada, to perform a procedure, with the return to the Hospital da Horta expected soon.
ACTIVE TRANSMISSION CHAINS – 50:
– 35 in São Miguel
– An active chain São Miguel + São Jorge
– 14 on Terceira Island
– 26 chains have been extinct to date, the last of which in Ponta Delgada, in the last 24 hours.
There are currently 411 active positive cases, 301 in S. Miguel, 108 in Terceira Island, 1 in Pico and 1 in Faial. 1,387 cases of infection by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected to date, with 21 deaths and 871 recoveries. Yesterday, one death was recorded on the island of S. Miguel, of a 73-year-old man, resident in Fajã de Baixo, admitted to the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo. Pandemic prevention and containment measures should be maintained and strengthened, whenever possible, by citizens and public, private and social sector organizations. It is reiterated the need to comply with all recommendations already made public in this regard, especially that, in case of symptoms, do not seek a Hospital or Health Unit, but call the Azores Health Line – 808 24 60 24.
For more information, visit the website created by the Government of the Azores on pandemic control in the Region, at https://destinoseguro.azores.gov.pt/ , or the Facebook page of the Regional Health Directorate, at https: / /www.facebook.com/DirecaoSaudeAcores/ .
The Government of the Azores also makes available the Azores Non-Medical Clarification Line COVID-19, with the number 800 29 29 29, which can be used between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm, on working days, and the RIAC Line 800 500 501, which works from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 10:30 pm, and on Sundays, from 10 am to 10:30 pm.
It is also available the email address esclarecimentocovid19@azores.gov.pt for clarification on measures taken in the region to cope with the new coronavirus

Situation Report Azores – 9th December 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
Rabo de Peixe
The Rabo de Peixe health quarantine, in force since the 3rd of December, was extended until the 13th of December because of the high potential for active community transmission of Covid-19. The parish is in the municipality of Ribeira Grande.
119 cases of the infection have been identified following the mass testing of the village. To date 7000 people have been tested.
Sadly, there has been another death, an 89 year-old woman from the island of Terceira. It happened yesterday, at 12:36 pm, at the Hospital de Santo Espírito. She had just entered the Health Unit a few hours earlier. She lived in the parish of Doze Ribeiras, in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo.
The Regional Health Authority says, from 8,120 tests carried out in the Region since the 5th of December in the two reference laboratories in the Region and rapid tests carried out by other entities, the number of new cases for COVID-19 is 202.
173 on the island of São Miguel, 27 on the island of Terceira and 1 on Pico.
There have been 107 recoveries recorded, 68 on São Miguel, 35 on the island of Terceira, 2 on Flores, and 2 on Pico.
The number of patients in hospital at the moment is 13,
6 at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada
6 at the Hospital de Santo Espírito on Terceira Island – three of which in the ICU
1 at the Hospital of Horta.
49 transmission chains are active, 34 in S. Miguel (with the emergence of a new São Miguel + Vila Franca chain, a São Miguel + S. Jorge chain, and 14 in Terceira (two new chains, one in Angra do Heroism and another at Praia da Vitória).
23 transmission chains are already extinct, the last of which are on the island of São Miguel, one in Ribeira Grande and the other in Ponta Delgada.
There are currently 447 positive cases, 328 in S. Miguel, 117 on Terceira Island, one in Pico and one in Faial.
1,329 cases of infection by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes Covid-19 disease, have been detected to date, with 20 deaths and 778 recoveries.

Situation Report Azores – 5th December 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
Azores Airlines
The airline SATA / Azores Airlines will reconnect Ponta Delgada to London and vice versa, starting in June 2021.
According to a statement, flights between Ponta Delgada and the British capital will begin on June 3rd, 2021 and continue until September 30th, 2021.
The carrier has planned three weekly connections, which will be operated on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Rabo de Peixe
Jaime Vieira, the president of the Parish Council of Rabo de Peixe commented on the imposition of a sanitary fence around the village, which came into force yesterday, and the carrying out of tests on the approximately nine thousand inhabitants of the parish with more cases of Covid-19 in the Azores (78).
“It will be a mega operation. We know that it is impossible to test everyone, but this operation is ‘very complex’ and involves several institutions. Only with this union of efforts will we do what we intend and we know that everything will be fine” he said.
The testing of residents of the village in the municipality of Ribeira Grande will start on Friday and will run until Sunday.
According to the chairman of the board, there will be five mobile units, which will be in “strategic points” of the parish, so that “people do not have to walk far to go to this mobile unit”.
Jaime Vieira pointed out that fixed testing stations will still be set up in the parish naval club and in front of the Ruy Galvão de Carvalho school.
“On Friday we will test a part of the village and Saturday and Sunday another part of the village, with mobile units going through the streets so that those who cannot drive and who have mobility difficulties are also tested,” he added.
“This village is to be congratulated so far for the way it is facing and behaving during this state of confinement,” he said.
The chairman of the board also stressed that the mass tests will make it possible to identify outbreaks of contagion and put a “brake” on the spread of Covid-19 in Rabo de Peixe.

Covid-19
The Regional Health Authority says, from 4,168 tests carried out in the Region since the 2nd of November in the two reference laboratories in the Region and rapid tests carried out by other entities, the number of new cases for COVID-19 is 84.
59 on the island of São Miguel and 25 on the island of Terceira.
There have been 148 recoveries recorded, 129 on São Miguel, 16 on the island of Terceira, 1 on Flores, and 1 on Santa Maria
The Regional Health Authority also reported that a 70-year-old woman died on the island of São Miguel, on December 3rd, at 4:00 am, victim of Covid-19, resident in the municipality of Ponta Delgada.
The patient was not hospitalized.
With this further death, the Region has had 18 deaths.
41 transmission chains active in the Region
The Region has 41 active transmission chains, 30 in São Miguel (with the emergence of a new São Miguel chain in Ribeira Grande in the last 24 hours), a chain shared between São Miguel and São Jorge, one in Pico and nine in Terceira island (the connection between the elements of two transmission chains, which merge) is determined in Praia da Vitória. In the Region, 18 transmission chains have already been extinguished.
356 active cases
To date, there are 356 active positive cases, 225 in São Miguel, 126 in Terceira, two in Pico, one in Faial and two in Flores.
To date, 1,1128 cases of infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have been detected, with 18 deaths and 671 cases recovering.
18 hospitalizations
There are 18 patients in the region’s hospitals, seven at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada (one at the ICU), 10 at the Hospital de Santo Espírito on the Terceira Island (two of which at the ICU) and one at the Hospital of Horta.

Situation Report Azores – 2nd December 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
In view of developments at the international and national level, with the declaration of a State of Emergency for the entire national territory, and taking into account the air connections from abroad to the islands of Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira, Pico and Faial, it is now justified the extension of the declaration of the Situation of Public Calamity in these islands, as well as the extension of the declaration of the contingency situation in the islands Graciosa, São Jorge, Flores and Corvo.
In an extraordinary meeting of the Government Council held by videoconference, it was resolved to:
1. To determine, to be in effect throughout the Autonomous Region of the Azores, in the period between 00:00 hrs on December 2nd and 23:59 hrs on December 8th, the following:
a) The closure of all drinks and similar establishments, with dance spaces;
b) The closing, as of 10:00 pm, of bars and other beverage establishments, with or without a show and with or without terrace service;
c) From 22:00 hours until 06:00 hours of the following day, fuel filling stations can maintain their operation, exclusively for the purpose of selling fuel and supplying vehicles to the public;
d) The closure of the Social Centers and suspension of visits to users of Residential Structures for the Elderly, except in exceptional situations, limited to one visitor, during restricted hours, and provided that the rules for wearing a mask, physical distance and respiratory label defined by the Regional Health Authority;
e) The suspension of all travel, inter-islands and out of the Archipelago, of regional administration workers, including public institutes and public companies, in service, unless absolutely essential, and the recommendation to other public and private entities in the Region that adopt the same procedures regarding the displacement of their workers to the outside of the Region, without prejudice to the displacement of the holders of political and high public positions;
f) The suspension of all trips to the archipelago by external entities requested by the regional administration, including public institutes and public companies, unless absolutely essential, provided they are authorized by the Regional Health Authority;
g) The suspension of the holding of public events promoted by the regional administration, including public institutes and public companies, and a recommendation addressed to all public entities, namely local authorities, and private ones for not holding events open to the public;
h) The suspension of opening to the public at sporting events and competitions.
2. To recommend to local authorities the signalling, with the security forces and competent inspection entities, of non-compliance with the rules provided for in the preceding paragraph, as well as with those arising from guidelines of the regional health authority.
3. To determine, at the level of readiness and response, within the scope of the Legal Regime of the Civil Protection System of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, between 00:00 hours, on December 2nd, and 23:59 hours on 8th, December:
a) The extension of the declaration of the situation of public calamity in the islands of Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira, Pico and Faial;
b) The extension of the declaration of the contingency situation in the Graciosa, São Jorge, Flores and Corvo Islands.
4. For passengers disembarking in the Region:
a) Recommend that, until the result of the SARS-COV-2 screening test, performed on the 6th day, limit travel to the essential and comply with the rules for the use of a mask, physical distance and respiratory label defined by the regional health authority;
b) When they intend to travel to another island (s), passengers must communicate this intention, upon arrival, to the health authority, by completing a declaration for this purpose and, when they arrive at the island of final destination, should contact the county health authority to perform the SARS-COV-2 screening test, on the sixth day, counting from the date of the test carried out within 72 hours prior to departure for the Region.
5. With regard to inter-island travel, recommend that they be limited to the essential, and must comply with the rules for the use of a mask, physical distance and respiratory etiquette defined by the regional health authority.
6. To determine that the implementation of the provisions of paragraph 3 of this Resolution is coordinated, under the terms of Regional Legislative Decree No. 26/2019 / A, of 22 November, by the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service of the Azores, being he is already authorized to request the collaboration of the security forces, as well as the use of human and material resources from the regional administration.
7. The charges resulting from accommodation, in addition to that initially hired by passengers disembarked in the Region, pursuant to paragraph 4, for compliance with mandatory confinement derived from POSITIVE result to SARS-CoV-2, as well as for prophylactic isolation, determined by the health authority, are assumed by the Region, under the terms to be defined by joint order of the members of the Regional Government with competence in matters of finance, health and tourism.
8. Failure to comply with mandatory confinement or prophylactic isolation, when determined by the regional health authority, implies the immediate presentation, by the health authority of the municipality where you reside or is staying, of a complaint for the practice of the crime of disobedience.
9. The measures provided for in this Resolution can be reversed or cancelled at any time, taking into account the evolution of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Region.
10. Under the provisions of article 6 of Regional Legislative Decree no. 26/2019 / A, of 22 November, this resolution takes effect from 00:00 hours, from December 1 until 23:59 on December 8th.

Covid-19
The Regional Health Authority says, from 5,690 tests carried out in the Region since the 28th of November in the two reference laboratories in the Region and rapid tests carried out by other entities, the number of new cases for Covid-19 is 114.
79 on the island of São Miguel and 33 on the island of Terceira, and 1 on Flores and 1 on Pico.
There have been 33 recoveries recorded, 13 on São Miguel, 14 on the island of Terceira, and 1 on São Jorge.
Some of the cases have been discovered as part of the SARS-CoV-2 screening test carried out on arrival at ports and airports and through the analysis performed after the sixth day in the region.
CURRENT SITUATION IN THE REGION
The Region now has 37 active transmission chains, 26 on the island of São Miguel, eight on the island of Terceira *, one shared between the island of São Miguel and the island of São Jorge, one on the island of Pico and one on the island of São Jorge.
* In the course of the epidemiological investigation in Angra do Heroísmo, the connection between the elements of two initially distinct transmission chains, which merge, was determined, and the island of Terceira now has eight active transmission chains.
1,044 cases of infection by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected to date, with 17 deaths, 523 recovered cases and 421 active positive cases, of which one on the island of Santa Maria, 296 on the island of São Miguel, 117 on the island of Terceira, one on the island of São Jorge, two on the island of Pico, three on the island of Faial and two on the island of Flores.
There are 14 people who have been admitted to the hospital, six at the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo in Ponta Delgada, seven at the Hospital de Santo Espírito on Ilha Terceira and one at the Hospital da Horta.

Parish of Rabo de Peixe to be placed under health quarantine
The parish of Rabo de Peixe, on the island of São Miguel, will be under a Health quarantine from 00:00 hrs until December 8, and the population will be tested, announced today the Government of the Azores.
According to a note from the press office of the Azorean executive, travel by land and sea between Rabo de Peixe, in the municipality of Ribeira Grande, and the rest of the parishes is forbidden, and the health authorities will proceed to carry out “rapid population tests “.
By parishes, the fishing village of Rabo de Peixe, with around ten thousand inhabitants, is the one that registers the most cases (61) in the Azores.