Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 7th April 2021
Introduction
Good morning – Yesterday was highlighted by statements concerning Covid-19 mainly from the Prime Minister, but also from the Minister of Internal Administration Eduarda Cabrita. In fact they occupied most of the media headlines throughout the day.
Turning to that of Eduardo Cabrita – He made it very clear being asked by journalists that there are no plans to relax border controls with Spain soon. This is as well, because it was reported that yesterday Spain had registered 6623 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. This is approximately 20 times more than Portugal (allowing for the lack of reporting over the weekend) with a population approximately four times the size!
This brings me to the subject of a few reports on social media of the “sudden emergence” (as one person put it) of foreign plated cars, over fears of an influx of tourists who may be infected. This is not been backed up by any evidence. Yes there was more movement of people and cars over the Easter period and also as a result of the easing of lockdown measures, but there is nothing to suggest that people are crossing the land border other than in accordance with the exemptions under the law. It is very clear that a priority for government is ensuring the integrity of the border, backed up by the extensive enforcement action we have seen, to avoid the risk of imported cases especially the variants that have been reported recently.
Yesterday the Prime Minister gave a long briefing to journalists following video calls with the Mayors of Alandroal, Carregal do Sal, Moura, Odemira, Portimão, Ribeira da Pena and Rio Maior. These are the counties that are at the top of the list of incidence rates in mainland Portugal.
Of particular concern is the fact that twenty-five municipalities of the Regional Health Administration of the North (ARS-N) recorded a growth of more than 50% of new cases of infection by SARS-CoV-2 between the penultimate and the last week of March.
He made it very clear that measures will be stepped up in these areas through inspections by security forces in the municipalities with the highest incidence of cases of Covid-19 will be reinforced and inspections of the health conditions of temporary housing intensified. The situation is being monitored daily.
At this point we should all give a thought to the immense pressure on the security forces who undertake this work, plus border controls and many other duties related to Covid-19 they are undertaking, in addition to their normal duties!
He also expressed his concern about the speed of transmission of Covid-19 infections in schools, which he associated with the British variant (discovered in the UK), and emphasising that further testing and expansion of surveillance is underway.
The main focus however was the appeal the Prime Minister made to citizens who “are enjoying the reopening of various activities”, such as the terraces. He stated “It is very good that they can do it, but it would be very good that we can continue to do it”. He said this yesterday after images of terraces full of people on terraces were disseminated by the media. It is, therefore, “essential”, he says, “that we can live this moment of reopening but with all cautions”.
In other words de-confinement will give us greater freedom to enjoy activities, but with this comes individual responsibility – to abide by the rules, such as social distancing, facemasks and hygiene. There can be no relaxation of these measures because if we do we will see cases rise, increased hospitalisations and serious cases and those in ICU.
Portugal has done so well over the last 6 weeks. We are at a crucial time and we cannot let all the sacrifice that people have made fail.
Yesterday there was confusion over an employee of the European Medicines Agency, who stated that “a link” had been established between AstraZeneca and the formation of thromboembolisms. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) however subsequently denied on Tuesday that a causal connection between the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine and a rare blood clot formation has already been established.
The vaccine review process “is currently underway,” EMA said in a statement to the agency France-Presse. In the same note, he adds that the conclusions of the agency’s security committee should be made known this Wednesday or Thursday
Yesterday was Civil Protection Day and a vastly reduced ceremony was held at the ANEPC Headquarters. The ceremony began with a tribute to all those who lost their lives in the service of Civil Protection. Included was the presentation of the Civil Protection Merit Medal (posthumously) to the family of the pilot Jorge Manuel Santana Jardim, who died in the fire in Ourense and was granted by the Government of the Kingdom of Spain by order of the Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez.
We thank the ANEPC and all its agents which includes the Bombeiros, GNR, PSP and INEM to name but a few, who put their lives on the line in dealing with various emergencies on a daily basis, and major incidents such as rural fires.
Please have a Safe Day.
Headlines
Covid-19: António Costa announces “massive testing actions” in the most critical areas.
The Prime Minister, António Costa, met this Tuesday with the mayors of councils with more than 120 cases of Covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants.
António Costa announced “massive testing actions” in the most critical areas, namely aimed at workers in large works, industry and agriculture.
The meeting took place by video call and joined the Prime Minister to the mayors of Alandroal, Carregal do Sal, Moura, Odemira, Portimão, Ribeira da Pena and Rio Maior. These are the counties that are at the top of the list of incidence rates in mainland Portugal.
At the end of the meeting, António Costa admits that “in agriculture the issue is critical”, leaving an appeal to employers to reinforce the protection of workers and employees so that they do not neglect the use of a mask during break times. In addition, the Prime Minister also announced the “reinforcement of the GNR and PSP in all municipalities with more than 120 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, with a view to reinforcing the inspection actions”.
The Government has been warning that the incidence may be a criterion to curb the lack of deconfinement, the third phase of which is scheduled for April 19th. Municipalities above the risk threshold – which is defined in the 120 new cases per 100 thousand inhabitants – may not advance on reopening.
The mayors argue that this criterion, in isolation, is unfair and harms the municipalities with the least population. Some experts agree. Luís Cadinha, President of the college of the Public Health specialty, considers that it would be a good measure to analyze the number of new cases with the number of active transmission chains in order to have a more complete and more real analysis.
Covid-19: Costa concerned about speed of contagion in schools and promises to reinforce surveillance.
Lisbon, 06 Apr 2021 (Lusa) – The Prime Minister expressed his concern today about the speed of transmission of Covid-19 infections in schools, which he associated with the British variant (discovered in the UK), and said that further testing and enlargement of surveillance is underway.
António Costa was speaking at a press conference in São Bento, after meeting with mayors of the seven municipalities by videoconference who registered more than 240 cases of Covid-19 per hundred thousand inhabitants in the last 15 days: Alandroal, Carregal do Sal , Moura, Odemira, Portimão, Ribeira de Pena and Rio Maior.
Faced with data that indicate an increase in contagions among children, especially since the schools reopened on March 15th, the leader of the executive acknowledged he was apprehensive.
“We have been following the situation very closely. As you recall, there was a testing of all teaching and non-teaching staff before the opening of day care centers, pre-school and primary school. And, to reinforce the grade for protection, massive vaccination of all teaching and non-teaching staff in educational establishments is underway, he said.
However, according to the Prime Minister, there is now new data.
“Contrary to what happened in the first period [of this academic year], it is that, now, as a result of this new [British] variant, which has greater transmissibility, as a rule, when a case is reported and when generalized testing is done, there are other cases soon, “revealed António Costa.
In that sense, according to the Prime Minister, after the identification of a case with a child in a school, “the respective families are also being tested”.
“We have to broaden the scope of surveillance because, in fact, this variant, as we had already realized in late December, increases transmission risks very significantly,” he added.
Covid-19.
This Tuesday’s bulletin from the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) records two deaths and 874 new cases of Covid-19 in Portugal in the last 24 hours. The main statistics are as follows:
Confirmed Cases: 824,368 (+ 874 / + 0.16 %)
Number of admitted: 504 (-32 / -5.9 %)
Number of ICU admitted: 113 (+1 / +0.8 %)
Deaths: 16,887 (+ 2 / + 0.02 %)
Recovered: 781,537 (+ 894 / + 0.11 %)
Active cases: 25,944 (-22 /-0.08%)
DGS reported that the new cases data presented yesterday reflect the delay in the integration of 599 positive laboratory reports that report over the weekend, “in other words, only 275 refer to the last day”.
Safe Communities comparisons/trends: show that deaths lowest since 2nd September, those- In hospital are the lowest since 19th September -6365 less compared to number in hospital 1st February and in ICU a marginal increase. – Active cases – Lowest since 2nd October, decrease of 155,679 since 31st January 2021
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.
Norte has 25 municipalities with growth of more than 50% of new cases.
Twenty-five counties of the Regional Health Administration of the North (ARS-N) recorded a growth of more than 50% of new cases of infection by SARS-CoV-2 between the penultimate and the last week of March.
The ARS-N document, which Lusa had access to today, shows that 25 of the 85 municipalities under the tutelage accounted for a growth of more than 50% in new cases of infection between the penultimate (21 to 27 March) and the last week of March (28th to 3rd of April).
Of the 18 municipalities in the district of Porto, eight increased the number of new cases, with the highest growth being registered in Santo Tirso (467%), which went from six to 34 new cases.
The municipality of Valongo increased 177%, from 22 to 61 new cases, as well as Vila do Conde, which went from seven to 17 new cases, and Maia, which went from 17 to 39 new cases.
In Marco de Canaveses, Matosinhos, Paredes and Trofa the increase in new cases varied between 50% and 82%, with the same counties going from two to three new cases, from 38 to 58, from 24 to 41 and from 11 to 20 new cases, respectively.
In the district of Braga, the highest growth in new cases of infection by SARS-CoV-2 was registered in Amares (300%), which went from one to four new cases.
In the counties of Guimarães, Vila Nova de Famalicão and Braga the growth of new cases of infection varied between 58% and 75%, with the same counties increasing from 12 to 19 new cases, 38 to 63 and from 24 to 42 new cases, respectively.
The municipality of Esposende increased 133%, from three to seven new cases, as did Fafe, which increased from five to 11 new cases, and Vieira do Minho, which increased from two to four.
Of the 12 municipalities in the district of Bragança, three followed this growth trend, namely, Vimioso with 500% growth (increasing from one to six new cases), Mirandela with 300% (increasing from one to four) and Bragança with 100% (from three to six).
Health
Risk thresholds serve as a “warning sign for everyone”.
The Prime Minister said that a biweekly assessment is carried out to assess the state of the epidemic in Portugal and that, last week, the decision was taken to move forward with the lack of confinement. “This assessment has to be carried out every day”, he warns, saying that these thresholds “are very demanding and exist to serve as a warning sign for everyone”.
“If a municipality is evolving in a negative direction, this requires particular care. If these precautions do not produce the effects that we all want, we will have to take the measures that we do not want to take and that no one wants us to take ”, said António Costa. And he appealed to individual responsibility: “It is good that we all strive for things to go well. We are going to mobilise the authorities, we are going to increase the testing, but it is essential that each one is responsible for their own behaviour. ”
“From the beginning, it is foreseen” that the municipalities may show changes in numbers of cases at different speeds – except in the case of schools, whose measures are “national in scope”, emphasized the Prime Minister.
Costa admits that “cocktails” with AstraZeneca may make vaccination more time consuming.
The Prime Minister admitted today that, if the EMA confirms the existence of a “thromboembolism” with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, there will be inevitable consequences in the slowness of the European Union’s vaccination plans.
António Costa took this position at a press conference in São Bento, at the end of a videoconference meeting with 
mayors of the seven municipalities that recorded more than 240 cases of Covid-19 per hundred thousand inhabitants in the last 15 days: Alandroal, Carregal do Sal, Moura, Odemira, Portimão, Ribeira de Pena and Rio Maior.
Faced with the fact that the person responsible for the vaccination strategy at the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Marco Cavaleri, assumed the existence of a “link” between AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine and the cases of thromboembolism after it António Costa said that it is necessary to wait for the official position of the EMA on the same matter.
“Within the framework of the European Union, we believe that it is essential that there is a uniform position in relation to the recommendations and indications set by the EMA with respect to each of the vaccines. If there is a snag, then this will have inevitable consequences in the vaccination process”, he pointed out the Prime Minister.
At this point, António Costa said that the vaccination process in Europe has been “strongly conditioned by the upstream production capacity”, namely “by the failure of AstraZeneca to fulfill its contractual obligations”.
“If there are increased restrictions, this will inevitably translate into a greater delay in the form of development of the vaccination plan”, reinforced the Prime Minister.
António Costa later observed that, at the moment, in the European Union, there are no alternative vaccines to immediately replace those from AstraZeneca.
AstraZeneca. Infarmed and task force maintain vaccination until EMA conclusions.
Infarmed rejects taking any unilateral stance on the alleged linkage of the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19 and the formation of thromboembolisms in vaccinated persons before the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announces a conclusion.
“Infarmed’s position is one of alignment with the European regulator. The EMA’s [Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee] meeting is taking place and a conclusion will be released as soon as it is over. We are waiting, said an official source from the National Medicines Authority to the Lusa agency.
The meeting of the European agency’s committee, which has representatives from Infarmed, started today and is expected to last until Friday, but issues surrounding the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and the AstraZeneca laboratory should be at the top of the agenda, after the declaration of the person in charge of the EMA vaccination strategy, Marco Cavaleri, confirming “a link” between the vaccine and the occurrence of blood clots.
“Obviously, this is a priority issue at the meeting and the committee will analyze the new data that has arrived from the different countries,” added the same source.
The task force that coordinates the vaccination plan against Covid-19 will also keep the AstraZeneca vaccine in the process until an official position emerges from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) and the Infarmed.
“We will wait for the official position of EMA and DGS. For now, the AstraZeneca vaccine remains in the vaccination program ”, said a source from the coordination of the National Vaccination Plan against Covid-19.
Almost half of the Portuguese spent Easter away from home.
From Friday to Easter Sunday, 54% of Portuguese remained at home, according to data released this Tuesday by the consultancy PSE, which specializes in data science. This means that there were 27% fewer people at home at Easter compared to 2020. The day with the greatest confinement since the beginning of the pandemic was Easter Sunday 
last year, when 79% of people were confined at home.
Last Saturday, the confinement was 49.2% and, on Easter Sunday, it was 56.5%, according to these data for 2021. The company statement said that “this year’s confinement was halfway” than was the Easter period last year.
The ban on movement between municipalities was in effect between 00:00 on March 26th and 23:59 on Monday, April 5th. Before the ban between municipalities for the Easter period came into force, the PSE revealed that about 10.7% had spent the night more than 100 kms from their usual residence on 25 March. In the week of 22 to 26 March, the level of deflation was “stable” and 38% of the Portuguese had stayed at home – almost the same value recorded before the start of the second confinement, in January.
These figures are collected by monitoring the location and means of travel of a panel of 4992 individuals representing the population over 15 years of age residing in mainland Portugal, says the PSE.
Border with Spain.
Carnaxide, Oeiras, 06 Apr 2021 (Lusa) – The Minister of Internal Administration said today that the control of people at the land and river borders between Portugal and Spain will continue as long as it is “strictly necessary”, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, without advancing dates.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) confirmed that the borders with Spain will remain closed until April 15 and today Minister Eduardo Cabrita said that, as long as necessary, the measure is to be maintained.
“Borders will be subject to control as long as this is strictly necessary”, underlined Eduardo Cabrita, speaking to journalists following the commemorative session of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) Day.
Asked if it was already possible to set a date for the lifting of controls, the government official preferred not to take any chances, referring to a new assessment of the epidemiological situation in both countries.
“We all want to be able to regain normality, but what we do is a bi-weekly evaluation and here we will not run the imprudence that is making a projection that is contradicted by reality”, he explained.
The borders with Spain have been closed since January 31 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with circulation only allowed between the two countries at the 18 authorized crossing points (PPA).
According to MAI, the limitations do not prevent the entry into Portugal of national citizens and holders of residence permits in Portugal, but those from the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa and countries with an equal Covid-19 incidence rate or more than 500 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, who enter Portugal by land, must comply with a period of prophylactic isolation of 14 days, at home or in a place indicated by the health authorities.
Situation in Spain.
Spain registered 6623 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infected people in the country to 3,317,948 so far, with contagions rising, according to data released by the Spanish Ministry of 
Health. Health services also accounted for 128 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 75,911.
The incidence of the disease (number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days) rose from 163 (Monday) to 165 (Tuesday).
In the last 24 hours, 1126 people were admitted to hospitals across the country, of which 276 in Madrid, 236 in Catalonia and 199 in Andalusia. There are now 9463 people hospitalized with Covid-19, 1990 of these in intensive care units.
The Spanish Prime Minister anticipated this Tuesday that, taking into account a “prudent and conservative” scenario, the rate of vaccination will increase so that, at the end of August, 70% of the population, 33 million people, will be immunized.
International Travel
WHO does not agree with vaccination passports for now.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that it does not support, for now, the request for “vaccination passports” to allow circulation between countries. At stake is the uncertainty related to the transmission of the virus in vaccinated people – a vaccinated person is protected against the serious form of the disease, but can become infected and transmit the virus to it – and also unequal access to vaccines, justified this Tuesday. WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris was quoted by Reuters.
The spokeswoman also said that the WHO will debate the approval of Chinese Covid-19 vaccines by Sinopharm and Sinovac for emergency use, possibly in late April – but, for now, more data on these vaccines is needed.
Social Support for workers extended.
Extraordinary Support for Workers’ Income will be extended to include situations with declines in income recorded 
in the first quarter of this year, the Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security announced in parliament today.
The Extraordinary Support for Workers’ Income (AERT) will be extended, to include situations with falls in income recorded in the first quarter of this year, announced today the minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, in parliament.
Minister Ana Mendes Godinho was speaking in parliament at a joint hearing with the Minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition, Pedro Siza Vieira, about the economic and social response to the Covid-19 pandemic, carried out at the request of the PSD.
The official said that the AERT, support that came into force with the State Budget for 2021 (OE2021), will be changed “to extend and ensure that the calculation of the loss of revenue with reference to the first quarter of 2021 is already taken into account coverage of workers “. The objective is to guarantee that the breaks felt in the confinement “will be taken into account when defining the support”, explained the minister.
“We want to ensure that the breaches felt in the confinement in 2020/2021 will be taken into account when defining support and with retroactive payments, to ensure that those who requested in January and saw the request not granted for not having a breach in the last quarter of 2020 in the face of 2019 it is covered and also that those who do not have activity in 2019 have a way of being covered “, said Ana Mendes Godinho.
The AERT covers workers in situations of economic protection and provides support between 50 euros and 501.16 euros, subject to the condition of resources, in most situations.
At the hearing, the minister also said that the Government is preparing a new mechanism for “simplifying instalment plans for settling debts to Social Security”, no longer requiring guarantees, and there is now “tacit approval” for there to be a response fast.
Vaccination
Covid-19. Porto and São João Hospital sign agreement to create “drive-thru” vaccination centre
The Porto Council approved this Monday the memorandum of understanding with the Centro Hospitalar de São João, for the creation of Covid-19 Vaccination Centre under Drive-Thru regime, in Queimódromo.
At the executive’s meeting, the mayor, the independent Rui Moreira, indicated that the mass vaccination plan in the city of Porto has been articulated with the task force, governing council of the Northern Regional Health Administration (ARS Norte), Carlos Nunes and Secretary of State Eduardo Pinheiro, appointed by the Government to coordinate the plan to combat Covid-19 in the Northern Region.
In a note published on its official page, the municipality says that at that meeting it made known the steps that Porto has taken to prepare for large-scale vaccination, starting with the drive-thru vaccination centre, ready to operate at Queimódromo do Parque da Cidade about two months ago, which was formalized today with the approval of the proposal at the meeting of the municipal executive.
Civil Service Teleworking Performance
Completion of a study by DGAEP.
The productivity and quality of work of public servants working in teleworking has remained the same or improved compared to that registered when they are in person, according to the results of a study carried out by the 
Directorate-General for Administration and Public Employment (DGAEP).
According to the study “The adaptation of work organization models in central public administration during the Covid-19 pandemic: difficulties and opportunities”, which is presented today, most of the directors of the 29 direct and indirect central government entities participating , gives a positive note to the quality of the work.
“About 60 percent of the respondent managers evaluate the quality of work as being the same, regardless of whether their workers are working in person or in teleworking” says the study, specifying that “27.27 percent of the managers think that the quality of work has improved or improved a lot when performed in teleworking regime ”.
Only 12.41 percent of managers gave a negative score when asked about the quality of the work developed in teleworking.
This study, to which Lusa had access and which was presented today in a session attended by the Minister of Modernization of the State and Public Administration, Alexandra Leitão, and the Secretary of State for Public Administration, José Couto, counted on the participation of 4,445 workers from a universe of more than 42,000 that integrate those 29 entities.
The study also reveals that the majority of managers (66.61 percent) did not find resistance to teleworking by workers, while 52 percent also reported that there was never or almost never resistance when conditions allowed them to return to face-to-face work.
“Nevertheless, 37.41 percent say that this resistance [of returning to face-to-face work] was manifested at times and 9.79 percent admit that it was always or almost always noticed”, says the study.
It is recalled that following the first general confinement, in 2020, about 68,000 civil servants were telecommuting. In the current confinement, that number was 60,000, according to Minister Alexandra Leitão, told Lusa.
University of Aveiro starts testing in the academic community.
The University of Aveiro (UA) will start this Tuesday, the 6th, the first phase of testing for Covid-19 screening in the academic community, according to a source from the higher education institution.
In the first phase, “all members of the academic community who carry out on-site activity on campuses (sets of academic buildings) will be tested. The tests will take place between 8 am and 8 pm, at the Artistides Hall Pavilion, for those who work at the Santiago Campus and the Crasto Campus, taking place at the same time at the Escola Superior Aveiro Norte (ESAN) and Escola Superior de Tecnologia and Águeda Management, for those who are active there.
Enforcement
GNR intercepts bus with 50 foreigners who entered Portugal at an unauthorized point.
GNR intercepted this Monday a bus with 50 foreign passengers that entered Portugal through the border of Marco, in the municipality of Arronches, district of Portalegre, at an unauthorized crossing point, said a source from that 
security force.
According to the same source, the bus, with two drivers, also foreign, was sent in the early afternoon to the border of Caia, in Elvas, also in the district of Portalegre, to be inspected by elements of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), due to the control of people on the borders between Portugal and Spain, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A police source indicated to the Lusa agency that 48 passengers stayed at the border, in the territory of Spain, for their situation to be analysed by the Spanish police, SEF was responsible for verifying the situation of two people and two others were allowed to remain in Portugal.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on Sunday that the control of people at land and river borders between Portugal and Spain will continue until April 15 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Circulation between Portugal and Spain at the 18 authorized crossing points (PPA) is limited to the international transport of goods, duly documented cross-border and seasonal workers, and emergency and emergency vehicles and emergency services.
Youth unemployment.
February will have seen slight improvements in youth employment, according to provisional estimates released yesterday by INE, which account for more than 9700 young people aged up to 24 in the labour market compared to the previous month. National employment still remained 1.7% below the pre-pandemic level, with 79 thousand fewer people working.
In what was, in 2021, the first full month of activity restrictions adopted by the government in response to the new wave of the pandemic, the monthly evolution of employment contrasts with that of a year ago, in April, during the first month of confinement in the country.
In the first month entirely marked by restrictions in 2020, almost 70 thousand jobs will have been lost, according to the current data from INE. The first full month of confinement imposed this year, February, witnesses a slight gain in employment, with nine thousand more people working than in January, reflecting improvements in youth employment data.
According to INE, the employed population increased by 0.2% in February, to 4.67 million people. The two tenths of earnings are largely achieved in the 16 to 24 age group, where the number of those in employment has increased from 240.6 thousand to 250.3 thousand. Among the older population, employment continued to decline, as did women.
Poll: Marcelo and Costa’s popularity rising, but 71% of Portuguese people want the President to be more demanding with the Government.
Both the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister saw their performance assessment rise compared to February and Rui Rio takes over from André Ventura, indicates a study carried out for DN, JN and TSF
Most Portuguese continue to trust the President of the Republic more than the Prime Minister. However, when asked about their assessment of the performance of the two politicians at the head of these two positions, the appreciation is not only positive in relation to both, but has improved compared to the month of February.
According to the barometer carried out by Aximage for DN, JN and TSF, 72% of respondents give Marcelo a good or very good performance, four percentage points more than what they reported in the same study in February. António Costa has had a positive performance for 61% of Portuguese, against 22% of negative responses.
And despite some moments of disagreement between the two leaders (the last episode around the promulgation of social support by the PR and sent to the Constitutional Court by António Costa was after this survey was carried out), the majority of Portuguese (71%) understand that Marcelo should be “more demanding with the Government”.
Women, the elderly, the poorest and the socialist voters are the groups that most appreciate Marcelo and Costa, according to the analysis made by JN.
The Aximage barometer also questions the perception of the performance of the Government and the opposition as a whole and the balance is clearly favourable for the socialist executive , with 55% positive evaluations (plus five percentage points) and 24% (minus nine percentage points) ) of negative appraisals.
Covid-19. In 2020 there were 71 people who died in Portugal waiting for a transplant.
The 21% reduction in organ transplants last year, compared to 2019, portrays the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in this area. 24 more people died while waiting for a transplant
In 2020, 696 organs were transplanted in Portugal, 183 fewer than in 2019. The rate of use of the organs increased, which represents a positive aspect, but which was still insufficient to compensate for the decrease in transplants performed in the country. At the end of 2020, there were still 2196 people waiting for a transplant, according to the annual report of the Institute of Blood and Transplantation (IPST), and 71 even ended up losing their lives while waiting for surgery, 24 more than in 2019.
Kidney transplants (minus 274) and liver transplants (minus 185) were those where the greatest breaks were felt, while heart transplants (four more) and pancreas transplants (two more) registered slight increases. There were even fewer six lungs transplanted. But the decreases were felt in the number of referenced donors, effective donors, harvested organs and transplanted organs. Until December 2020, there were 253 deceased donors, 94 less than in 2019. The decrease in living donors was 46%.
Despite the difficulties, the report from the National Coordination of Transplantation emphasizes the adaptability of Portuguese hospitals and the commitment of the teams to try to overcome the constraints caused by the pandemic, an effort that was reflected in the increased rate of use of organs harvested from deceased donors. . Of the 750 organs harvested (197 fewer than in 2019), 87% ended up being able to be used, which represents a growth compared to the 84% recorded in 2019.
Other news
Minister of Internal Administration highlights resilience of the Civil Protection System.
The Minister of Internal Administration thanked the operatives who are part of the National Civil Protection System, in a particularly demanding year marked by the pandemic.
During the commemorative session of the Day of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), Eduardo Cabrita highlighted the work carried out both by those who are directly part of the ANEPC and by all those who are part of the system, leaving them with words of “deep recognition”.
“This system involves all those who, in the fire brigades, in the security forces and services, in the armed forces, in institutions of various governmental areas, in the local authorities, are partners in responding to multiple challenges”, said Eduardo Cabrita.
“If the challenge of responding to rural fires is the one that the greatest visibility, sometimes for tragic reasons, takes on in the Authority’s response, I would like here to give a very special word to those who, in all this structure, in more than a hundred meetings from the civil protection subcommittee, responded to what is an exchange of concerns and, above all, operational responses that involved everyone, “he added.
The Minister also considered that the experience of the 14 years of ANEPC, and the last in particular, made the country “more resilient, more cohesive and more determined”, ensuring that Civil Protection will be ready “for the challenges of the future”.