Portugal Situation Report Saturday 27th March 2021
Introduction
Good morning – If ever a title was needed for this morning report it would be “Don’t shoot the Messenger” – please read on!
Yesterday, the Council of Ministers, approved electronically the decree that regulates the renewal of the State of Emergency, which will be in force until 23:59 on April 5th. There was initially some confusion concerning this, since the Assembly of the Republic had approved the President’s proposal which extended the State of Emergency until 15th April. Hence we queried this with government before publishing.
The reason was explained by the Minister of State and the Presidency who stated that “The government decided to extend the current decree until April 5th and decided to evaluate what the rules are from April 5th on the next meeting on April 1st”, that is, “we will decide with more current data and closer to reality on that day”. This means that the measures currently in place will remain until 5th when the de- confinement measures are confirmed (or changed). This seems a sensible approach making use of updated data closer to the time.
The council of Ministers also announced, “the extension of the ban on movement outside the municipality of the home, daily, starting at 00:00 on March 26th until 23:59 on April 5th, without prejudice to the exceptions provided for.”
I have to say, given that we have been monitoring this for over a year, the timings concerning the start and finish of the travel ban over the Easter period, were to say the least unclear. The Government website “Estamos On” did not give timings and many people, the media and indeed ourselves initially were under the impression from interpreting the law, that that the start was 8pm as usual finishing on 5am on 5th – again as usual. The government then yesterday published a rectification decree stating the start date was 00.00 on 26th meaning midnight 25/26th which we quickly published, but this did not clarify the finishing time. As early as yesterday morning, many media were reporting this as 05:00 hrs 5th but clearly this was not correct. The Council of Ministers finally clarified this. To date Estamos On has not been updated with the timings. This would make matters very clear and is a recommendation we have made to government.
I mention this at length because we often get people complaining as though it is somehow our fault. I can assure you that the reverse is true and if something is unclear we approach government at a senior level to ask them to explain.
The problem is that there is, in our opinion, a gap in government written communication – “Estamos On” which is our view is too brief and does not provide essential information, compared with the decree laws which are most detailed but so lengthy people do not have time to read albeit understand. Safe Communities therefore acts as a bridge to try and give more detail that people should be aware off – doing this in English of course makes this even more difficult.
We turn now to transmission rates which will have a bearing on the de- confinement phased implementation. According to INSA data on the epidemic curve of infection by SARS-CoV-2 released today, for the five-day period between 17th and 21st March, the Algarve has an Rt of 1.19, the Alentejo of 1.02, the Azores 1.04 and Madeira 1.05. The remaining regions of the country have a virus transmissibility index below 1: North 0.95, Centre 0.85 and Lisbon and Tagus Valley 0.89. It would seem from the press briefings yesterday that the increasing rates are a matter that government is monitoring very closely and another reason why the reason to defer a decision concerning the de- confinement plan. We will keep you up to date accordingly.
Both the GNR and PSP have made it very clear that they are stepping up enforcement over the Easter period staring 26th March. Since 00:00 this Friday (yesterday) it is forbidden to move between municipalities. The measure will run until April 5th to avoid gatherings at Easter time. For the PSP the “Easter at Home” operation is in force, during which the PSP (who police the larger cities) promises to be attentive to all travel, whether on foot or by car.
With the warmer and continuing dry weather, we again need to remind us all to avoid starting a rural fire. Yesterday there were two in the Algarve, one in Tavira brought under control in less than 30 minutes with the rapid deployment of a helicopter and the other in Boliqueime, also brought under control.
Yesterday the ANEPC issued a notification to the population warning of the risk of rural fires. In addition the fire-fighting program has been strengthened in 5 districts in the north of the country. Comparing with the reports of 
rural fires in 2020 from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF), it was concluded that this year the fires more than doubled in relation to March 2020 and the burnt area is almost seven times larger.
In the next few days the fire risk will be increasing especially in the Algarve, so if you are burning debris or scrubland ensure you obtain authorization beforehand and that you take the necessary safety precautions. The GNR are enforcing these measures and if you have not taken these steps you can expect a hefty fine.
Stay Safe and have a good day
Headlines
Covid-19: Costa warns that next week is “very critical” and calls for “completely different” Easter.
The Prime Minister, António Costa, warned today that the next week is “very critical” for the process of deflation and called on the Portuguese to have a “completely different” Easter from usual.
At the end of the inauguration of the requalification of the Monte de Caparica Secondary School, in Almada, António Costa reiterated the warning made also by the Minister of Education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, who accompanied him on the visit.
“We are in a week that is very critical, but that is absolutely decisive, particularly for the future of this school”, said Costa.
The Prime Minister recalled that the Government’s de-confinement plan provides that, on April 5th, they can return to face-to-face classes in the second and third cycles and, two weeks later, the secondary.
“For this to happen, it is absolutely essential that we are able to continue to keep the pandemic in check,” he said, referring that, if the incidence of cases continues to fall, the rate of transmission has been rising.
In a reference to the matrix presented two weeks ago and which will guide the advance, stop or retreat in the deflation, Costa warned that “in that square, the dot will move”.
“On the one hand, in a good way, but on the other, in a dangerous sense, towards the yellow side”, he warned.
The Prime Minister defended that the country “cannot lose what it has achieved in the last two weeks”, but warned that “nothing is yet won” and Portugal “cannot go back”, leaving a request.
“Let us all assume that Easter is going to be completely different from the Passover of our lives, so that our lives can be resumed as they used to be and we can have, in the future, the Passover that we all wish everyone, with those loved ones that we want to be here to spend other Easters’ with us”, he said.
Costa expressed his confidence that “the sense of responsibility that the Portuguese have expressed throughout this year, will once again fully assert itself this week”.
Government decides to extend current decree law until 5th April.
On April 1st, the Government decides whether there will be changes to the de-confinement plan, announced the Minister of the Presidency, recommending the Portuguese to “be cautious” at Easter.
This Friday, Mariana Vieira da Silva left two central messages after the Council of Ministers meeting: “caution” and “fulfilling the duty to stay at home” during Easter week are needed and the Government will re-evaluate the restrictions in effective April 1st.
The Minister of State and the Presidency referred that, on March 11th, there were 105 cases of Covid-19 per hundred thousand inhabitants in 14 days and the risk of transmission – R (t) – was 78 and currently there are 67.7 cases and an R (t) of 0.81. In other words, the R (t) is increasing and approaching 1. But “the incidence has been reduced, which is a factor of contentment in this first phase of deflation”, he acknowledged.
“The path we have taken shows that we are able to continue the de-confinement plan but it also shows that we have come very close to R (t) 1 and we need to be cautious in the continuation of the de-confinement process”, said Mariana Vieira da Silva, referring to the two lines identified to re-evaluate the averages: 120 cases per hundred thousand inhabitants and R (t) equal to 1.
“Although we remain in the green zone of this matrix, it does not mean that we are free to do all things,” he warned. “It means that we are in a position to continue the de-confinement plan”.
“The government decided to extend the current decree until April 5th and decided to evaluate what the rules are from April 5th on April 1st “, that is, “we will decide with more current data and closer to reality on that day “, she announced.
“It is a decision of caution and warning,” she stressed. “The rules up until April 5th will be the same as today,” she stated, highlighting the ban on movement between municipalities and the duty to stay at home.
Covid-19 Situation.
On Friday Portugal recorded 5 deaths and 488 new cases of Covid-19 according to the daily report of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS). The statistics were as follows.
Confirmed Cases: 819,698 (+ 488 / + 0.05 %)
Number of admitted: 669 (-26 /-3.7 %)
Number of ICU admitted: 155 (+1 /- 0.6 %)
Deaths: 16,819 (+ 5 / + 0.02 %)
Recovered: 771,339 (+891 / +1.1 %)
Active cases: 31,540 (-408 /-1.2%)
Safe Communities comparisons/trends show that: deaths are lowest since 10th October 2020; new cases – 2nd highest in 6 days; recoveries were double new cases. The number in hospital has decreased to the lowest since 4th October and those in ICU the lowest since 17th October 2020 – Active cases: Lowest since 11th October, decrease of 150 083 since 31st January. There are no deaths in Algarve, Alentejo, north and Azores.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Despite all this good news it is important not to let our guard down at this crucial time. Those in hospital and ICU remain high. This means complying with the rules in place – wearing face masks, social distancing, hygiene and no social gatherings.
Health
Testing.
Portugal is expected to receive about 12 million tests for Covid-19 in the coming weeks. The mass testing plan is being adapted and plans to cover everyone, without exception.
“The concept is to prevent, test and diagnose” confirmed Fernando Almeida, coordinator of the task force for the mass testing plan and President of the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge.
This morning, at a press conference, the Minister of State and the Presidency confirmed “the strategy of very significant enlargement of the tests “.
In an interview with SIC Notícias, the task force coordinator said that the objective is to promote testing, as a “move of anticipation with some criteria”. However, he stressed that testing “just for testing” is the criterion that they do not want to use.
Vaccinations.
Portugal yesterday (Friday) surpassed one million vaccinees with the first dose of one of the vaccines against Covid-19.
And, at the same time, 500 thousand second doses will be reached, according to a source in the vaccination plan’s task force.
“The barrier of one million first doses of vaccines administered against Covid-19 is already surpassed in Portugal today,” the source of the task force coordinated by Vice Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo told the Lusa agency.
The same source added that “at the same time, the value of about half a million second inoculated doses will be reached”, with Thursday being “the day with the highest volume of doses administered: 50 thousand”.
Portugal started vaccinating the population on December 27th, 2020
Vaccines – AstraZeneca.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said this Thursday night, at a press conference just after the meeting with the leaders of the 27, that AstraZeneca has to ensure its commitments to supply vaccines to the EU before to be able to export doses outside the European space.
“We must guarantee our citizens that they have access to what is due to them and that is why we agreed that pharmaceutical companies must honour contracts with the EU before they can export to other regions in the world – and this is, of course, the case for AstraZeneca”, said von der Leyen, adding that this is also “evident” for the company itself.
Data released this afternoon by the official reveal that 18.2 million adults out of nearly 400 million EU citizens have already received the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, thus leading to only 4.1% of the European population being fully immunized. “We would have been much faster in delivering vaccines if the pharmaceutical companies had fulfilled the agreement. AstraZeneca delivered fewer doses than those contracted by the contractor required,” said von der Leyen.
With the number of cases of Covid19 rising again in Europe, the 27 repeat that it is necessary to accelerate the production of vaccines and to ensure that the pharmaceutical companies, with whom contracts were closed, fulfill the deliveries even if it is necessary to resort ” to all instruments, including a ban on exports if necessary, “said António Costa. However, he adds that it is essential to safeguard “always the supply chains that are essential to ensure the smooth functioning of the industry, both in Europe and abroad”.
Vaccine Production.
Friday 1:37 pm – EMA approves new vaccine production site for AstraZeneca in the Netherlands.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) today approved a new vaccine production site for AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine in the Netherlands, a pharmaceutical involved in controversy due to delays in the delivery of vaccines to the European Union (EU).
“A new manufacturing site has been approved for the production of the active substance [of Covid-19 vaccine] from AstraZeneca. The Halix site is located in Leiden, the Netherlands, and will bring to four the total number of licensed manufacturing sites for the production of the active substance in the vaccine”, informs the EMA in a press release.
Also approved today by the EMA was a new production site (both active substance and final product) for the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine in Marburg, Germany, stating in Stella Kyriakides’ note that this “is very good news”, which reveals that the EU is “working at full speed to increase the capacity to produce vaccines against Covid-19”.
Like any medicine in the EU, vaccines against Covid-19 can only be manufactured in places approved by the European regulator.
INE Covid-19 Statistics.
Friday 11:39 am – Daily average in the last seven days has dropped to last September levels.
The daily average in the last seven days of new infections by SARS-CoV-2 has dropped this week to values that have not occurred since September 2020, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) released today (Friday).
According to the INE figures, on March 24th, there was a daily average of 451 cases of infection in the previous seven days (3,155 cases in total), the “lowest value since September 9th, 2020”, continuing the “sharp decrease” of the number of new confirmed cases in the last seven days “starting on January 28th.
The incidence rate of contagions at 14 days was, last Wednesday, 64 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, well below the maximum of 1,667 cases verified on January 29th.
Vaccination of teachers starts this weekend.
The Minister of Health said this Friday that the vaccination process is going on as planned. “We are moving forward with good pace” despite the various challenges, “namely we will move forward this weekend with the vaccination of a significant part of the teachers”.
Marta Temido also said that Portugal will overcome the challenge of vaccinating 80 percent of people over 80 in the first quarter.
Covid-19: Students lose the most if de-confinement is not won – minister.
Lisbon, 26th March 2021 (Lusa) – The Minister of Education today considered the success of the de-confinement process “crucial”, warned that nothing is gained in the containment of the Covid-19 and defended that the students will be the ones who lose the most if the situation gets complicated.
These warnings were transmitted by Tiago Brandão Rodrigues at the opening of the expansion works to the 2nd and 3rd cycles of the Basic School of Parque das Nações, a ceremony attended by the Prime Minister, António Costa, and the Mayor of Lisbon, Fernando Medina .
In his brief speech, the Minister of Education began by recalling the times when he was a student at the University of Coimbra and when he was at Expo 98 as a volunteer, at a time when Parque das Nações was being launched and did not yet have school infrastructure or of health.
“Today, a series of school facilities is closed here. A legacy is left for all future generations who will pass through here,” he said, before referring to the country’s current epidemiological situation.
“We are at a crucial moment with the end of the second school term, already with teaching activities in kindergartens and in the 1st cycle. I want to say something about this process of deflation: The country is going through a complex period and nothing is gained”, he declared.
Tiago Brandão Rodrigues then said that he has spoken with teachers and mayors and that everyone knows that “the ones who have more to lose, if things do not go as they wish, are children and young people”.
Police Enforcement
Covid-19: About 300 vehicles inspected by the PSP on the 25 de Abril Bridge, only one without justification.
Almada, 26th March 2021 (Lusa) – Of the approximately 300 vehicles inspected this morning by the PSP at Ponte 25 de Abril, south-north direction, within the scope of the ban on driving between municipalities in mainland Portugal, to combat the pandemic of Covid- 19, only one circulated without justification.
“During the morning of today we were inspecting the vehicles that were circulating between south/north to enter the municipality of Lisbon, to check if they are complying with the prohibition of driving between municipalities and with the general duty of home collection”, he explained in statements to Lusa the PSP sub-commissioner Cátia Brás.
Circulation between municipalities in mainland Portugal has been banned since 00:00 today and 05:00 on April 5th (since amended to 23:59 on April 5th), the Monday after Easter, under the State of Emergency to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ban on driving between the 278 municipalities on the continent will be applied this Easter period daily, according to the deconfinement plan presented by the Government on March 11th and which came into effect last week.
According to Cátia Brás, of those inspected in Almada, “only one driver was not complying” with the rules, as he was unaware that the driving ban schedule had been brought forward one day, having been assessed by the authorities.
Covid-19: GNR closes two restaurants in Amarante with nine people inside.
Amarante, Porto, 26th March 2021 (Lusa) – GNR closed, in Vila Meã, municipality of Amarante, Porto district, two 
restaurants operating with nine people in the interior, in violation of restrictions to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement, the official indicated that the action took place on Thursday, after a complaint “that accounted for the holding of lunches inside two restaurants”.
The military went to the locations, verifying that nine people were having lunch inside the two food and beverage establishments, disregarding the current regulations regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to that police force, the nine people were identified and the administrative offense records were drawn up for failure to observe the duty to remain in the interior of catering establishments and for non-compliance with the general duty of home collection.
Tourism economy.
Tourism’s contribution to world GDP falls more than 49% in 2020.
The contribution of the tourism sector to the global economy has dropped to a “devastating” level.
The contribution of the tourism sector to the global economy fell to four billion euros ($ 4.7 billion) in 2020, 49.1 percent less than in 2020, due to the “devastating” impact of the pandemic, it was today announced.
The World Travel & Tourism Council ( WTTC ) stated that in 2019 the contribution of the tourism sector to the global economy was 7.8 billion euros (9.2 billion dollars).
After this decline, which contrasts with that of the global economy, which contracted by 3.7 percent, tourism now represents 5.5 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), against 10.4 percent in 2019, according to the WTTC’s annual economic impact report.
Tourism employment declined less, by 18.5 percent, to lose 62 million jobs, from 334 million (10.6 percent of the global total or one in 10) in 2019 to 272 million in 2020.
WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara stressed that, without prompt action by governments around the world by implementing measures to save jobs at risk, “today’s numbers would be much worse.”
However, the threat “persists” as many of these jobs are currently supported by state schemes for job retention and short-term work and, without a full recovery in the sector, could be lost, warned the WTTC.
The report also reveals a “shocking” loss in international travel expenses, which decreased 69.4 percent last year from 2019, while the drop in domestic tourist travel was less than 45 percent.