Situation Report Azores – 29th September 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
The Regional Health Authority has reported that, from 4100 tests carried out in the two reference laboratories in the Region since the 25th of September, twelve positive cases of COVID-19 on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira and Faial, have been diagnosed.
All the cases have been detected at the airports during the required screening procedure or on the follow-up test carried out on all arrivals to the region on the 6th day of the stay.
All the cases arrived in the region by air from continental Portugal.
The cases are all in a stable clinical condition and the procedures defined for the confirmed case, testing and surveillance of close contacts, as well as all those inherent to the deepening of the epidemiological investigation, have already been carried out by the Local Health Delegations.
Three recoveries were recorded on the island of São Miguel, bringing to 181 the number of recovered cases of COVID-19 in the Region.
So far, 302 cases of infection with the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected in the Region, with 73 active positive cases currently, of which 49 on the island of São Miguel, 11 on Terceira island, five on Pico island, four on Graciosa island, three on Faial island and one on Santa Maria island.
Pandemic prevention and containment measures should be maintained and strengthened, whenever possible, by citizens and public, private and social sector organizations.
The Regional Health Authority reiterates 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/ .
Situation Report Azores – 25th September 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
The Government of the Azores, through the Vice-Presidency has decided to extend the deadline for submitting applications, until the end of this year, for Azorean companies to continue to access financial support for the purchase of protective equipment and the adaptation of establishments. This will allow companies to comply with Health Department recommendations
According to a Government Council Resolution published today in the Official Journal, December 31st will become the deadline for submitting applications for the Support Program for the Adaptation of Companies in the context of COVID-19, and its presentation must be made through an electronic form available on the website of the Regional Directorate for Support to Investment and Competitiveness (DRAIC) on the Internet.
Under this exceptional program, Azorean companies can access additional support that includes the ‘non-refundable’ contribution of 85% towards the purchase of personal protection and hygiene equipment up to 5,000 euros. This must satisfy compliance of the conditions indicated by the Regional Health Authority, aimed at micro and small companies and cooperatives.
This extraordinary measure allows one application per company, making it possible, in the case of an entrepreneur who operates several establishments, that the maximum amount of eligible investment is 15 thousand euros. Expenses can include funds for the installation of protective barriers, among other moderating and physical distance equipment, the reorganization and adaptation of workplaces, as well as the purchase of devices, personal protective equipment, including masks, gloves, visors, among others, are eligible.
The Government of the Azores also decided to extend until December 30th the deadline for submitting applications for projects to adapt facilities of amounts between 5,000 and 40,000 euros, with a maximum execution period of six months, which may under exceptional circumstances, up to 120 thousand euros for companies that own several establishments, within the scope of the Subsystem of Incentives for Local Development, of the Incentive System Competir +.
The Regional Government will grant a non-refundable incentive of 70% of the eligible expenses related to layout alteration works, to the acquisition of machinery and equipment that are necessary to comply with new working methods, for the acquisition and installation of hygiene equipment, among others things, aiming at adapting facilities to established standards.
These projects should have an impact on the modernization and optimization of the physical structures of premises, the introduction of innovative equipment or on the creation or maintenance of jobs, but without neglecting compliance with the guidelines defined by the regional authorities for the reopening of establishments and resumption of activity. The Government of the Azores, in just three months, has already received around 300 applications from small and medium-sized companies for support for the purchase of protective equipment and adaptation of establishments in the context of COVID-19.
New Cases
Since the 22nd of September and after 3,587 tests for COVID-19 in the two reference laboratories there have been 13 new cases and one recovery. There are currently 5 transmission chains active in the region.
A total 290 cases of infection by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected in the Region, with 66 active positive cases currently, of which 45 on the island of São Miguel, 10 on the island of Terceira, six on the island of Pico, four on the island Graciosa and one on the island of Santa Maria.
Situation Report Azores – 22nd September 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
Press release from the President of the Regional Government of the Azores
“The Government Council, meeting in Ponta Delgada, this Monday, analysed the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Azores, as well as the set of measures that in this regard have already been implemented in the Region, from the perspective of those directed at the screening and containment of positive cases, whether from the perspective of support aimed at companies and workers, within the scope of its economic and social effects.
Over these six months, the Government of the Azores has implemented 98 measures to support the maintenance of employment, the disposable income of families and to encourage the economy and the maintenance of the productive capacity of companies, to minimize the social and economic effects of the pandemic of Covid-19.
The combined effect of these measures has allowed the Azores to be the only Region in the country that has managed to maintain the level of employment in the last six months, without registering an increase in unemployment.
In practice, the measures taken have ensured that Azorean companies have significantly higher support than other companies in the country, and non-repayable financial incentives, which substantially contribute to personnel expenses, provided that they maintain all jobs.
To help the resumption of economic activity, new supports were created, innovative in the national context, which reinforced the non-refundable support for the maintenance of employment and created new support for the training of workers, in the period of less activity, increasing the conditions for companies to continue to maintain all their jobs.
In terms of the protection of public health, the system of screening and surveillance in force in the Azores has proved to be absolutely essential for the detection of positive cases, whether tests carried out prior to departure, destined for the Azores, from zones considered to be of active community transmission or with active transmission chains, either from the tests carried out on arrival, or, and very significantly, in tests carried out on the 6th day.
Covid-19 Situation
As of today, September 22, the Region presents the following epidemiological situation:
Since March 16th, a total of 277 cases of infection with the new coronavirus have been detected, with 16 deaths.
Currently there are 55 active positive cases, of which 43 on the island of São Miguel, eight on the island of Terceira, three on the island of Pico and one on the island Graciosa.
With the cases diagnosed and after an epidemiological investigation carried out so far, five chains of local transmission are identified on the island of São Miguel.
Since March, there have been 175 recoveries and there is no hospitalization in the Region by Covid-19 since May 24th, that is, more than 120 days.
In addition, within the scope of the system for screening passengers from abroad, 73 positive cases were detected in the screening tests carried out in the network of laboratories agreed outside the Region, as well as 71 positive cases detected in the tests carried out at airports on arrival in the Azores. .
It should also be noted that the tests carried out on the 6th day after the first test, a procedure that, nationwide, is only carried out in the Azores, has detected 40 positive cases of infection with the new coronavirus.
This data shows us that, until now, the system of testing and detecting positive cases has fulfilled its function, contributing, to the creation of safe conditions for the Azoreans in the gradual process of returning to normality.
Regional Health Service
As part of the preparation for the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, work has been carried out to strengthen the capacity of the Regional Health Service, which currently has:
– 82 ventilators, which represents an increase of 54% in the number of these devices in relation to March, when the current pandemic situation started.
– 26 rooms of negative pressure distributed by the hospitals of Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroísmo and Horta, twice the number that existed before the pandemic.
– a processing capacity of around 1,800 tests per day in the two public laboratories operating in the Region, there have been days when this capacity has gone beyond that, when, in March, the installed capacity in the Region was around 250 daily tests , an increase of about 620 percent.
In addition to this current capacity, there are about 207 sample collection points spread across the continent and Madeira.
In total, since March, more than 170 thousand PCR tests have been carried out, about 134 thousand of which in the two public laboratories in the Region and about 36 thousand tests in the network of laboratories agreed outside the Region.
The average stock of personal protection equipment in most health units in the Region is 300 days, and in some cases, additional acquisitions of some types of this material have been ordered.
Despite the fact that the Region is better prepared, as a result of the work carried out over the past months and involving several entities, the situation of the pandemic at the international and national level, which is compounded by the arrival of autumn / winter, will impose additional precautions, as we take the necessary measures to continue the balance between safety and confidence in the resumption of social and economic life in the Region.
Government Council – reinforcement of measures
In this sense, the Government Council, in the scope of reinforcing the measures of screening, detection and containment of eventual positive cases, decided:
1 – Proceed with the acquisition of 100 thousand rapid tests, which will allow to reinforce the capacity to screen for possible positive cases of Covid-19 in schools and nursing homes in the Region.
These rapid tests, approved by INFARMED, are a complement to the PCR tests, will be another screening tool, allowing, in less than half an hour and in a decentralized way, the testing of suspected cases of infection, the confirmation of cases of active infection and the tracking of contacts, with the adoption of the respective procedures.
Its use will be for situations where it is necessary to assess, quickly, any contagions, along-side the tests for PCR.
2 Starting tomorrow, September 23, the annual flu vaccination campaign, starting with the Residential Structures for the Elderly and Integrated Continuing Care Units, covering users and employees, followed by health professionals and the rest of the population benefiting from free vaccination.
3 – Create a reception centre in the Palace of Santa Catarina, in Angra do Heroísmo, with a capacity of up to 62 beds, for patients admitted to a hospital unit or sheltered in residential structures for the elderly and / or other situations that may be justified. In order to increase the number of rooms and beds available, similar to the space already created for the same purpose in São Miguel.
4 – Reinforce the screening for SARS-CoV-2 for employees of Residential Structures for the Elderly, Residential Homes for People with Disabilities, Integrated Continuous Care Units, Health Homes and Home Support Service, on the island of São Miguel, passing from a monthly to biweekly.
5 – Establish the frequency of testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to health professionals who provide services in the structures of the Regional Health Service of the island of São Miguel, every 15 days, instead of monthly, as currently takes place;
6 – Create two teams of professionals, namely in the area of nursing and support for the elderly, who will be in a state of readiness in order to supply, immediately, a possible shortage of human resources resulting from an outbreak scenario that may occur in residential structures.
One of the teams will be based on the island of São Miguel and the other on the island of Terceira.
7 – To recommend to Private Institutions of Social Solidarity and ‘homes’ with residential reception and home support service, on the island of São Miguel, the adoption of a methodology for organizing working hours in “mirror”, in order to guarantee the existence of an available team, in case of contagion by Covid-19 of the working team.
In this regard, a new financial instrument aimed at these institutions will be created, to compensate for the possible increase in personnel costs resulting from the adoption of this measure.
8 – Reinforce support for IPSS and ‘Homes’ that manage social responses, through the constitution of mixed Health and Social Solidarity teams to verify the specific operating conditions of these structures with a view to preventing and controlling infection by Covid-19.
9 – Provide guidance to public schools in the Autonomous Region of the Azores for the adoption of the rule of only having the physical presence of teaching and non-teaching staff, who eventually returned from traveling outside the Region, after obtaining two negative tests of screen for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including the test performed on the 6th day;
10 – Create a financial incentive to conduct screening tests for SARS-CoV-2 prior to shipment to the Region from areas considered by the World Health Organization to be areas of active community transmission or with active local transmission chains, usable exclusively in purchases of goods or services in the Region, also serving the purpose of stimulating local economic activity;
11 – Recommend the use of a mask in open public spaces with a large concentration of people, that is, in places with greater difficulty in guaranteeing the recommended physical distance.
This recommendation will soon be subject to the respective guidance of the Regional Health Authority.
This recommendation is especially relevant for cases in which the result of the screening test carried out on the 6th day is awaited, and those who are in these circumstances must also pay special attention to compliance with other public health protection measures.
In addition to these, and within the scope of measures to support various activities affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Governing Council also decided to:
Situation Report Azores – 18th September 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism revealed today that the WTO – World Tourism Organization has highlighted the work of the Region under the ‘Clean & Safe Azores’ seal.
The ‘World Tourism Organization’ has said that “The Azores, as the world’s first archipelago certified as a sustainable destination by ‘EarthCheck’ / GSTC, consider this initiative essential for companies and tour operators to implement safe work measures and for that, through concerted action, the promotion and reinforcement of destination security”.
Marta Guerreiro expressed “great satisfaction” for this distinction, which she considered to be “another recognition of the successful work that the Government of the Azores has carried out with regard to the creation and implementation of health security measures in the tourism sector”.
The ‘Clean & Safe Açores’ initiative aims to recognize tourism entities that comply with the recommendations of the Regional Health Authority, after working in partnership with regional entities representing the sector.
IPDT – Tourism and Consulting, is the entity responsible for the design, organization and execution of training sessions.
The Government of the Azores scheduled multiple free training sessions, divided by thematic areas, according to the modules of the Manual of Good Practices, which can be consulted at https://clean-safe.azores.gov.pt/ .
The objective is to prepare for the return of tourism in the Azores by improving the provision of tourist services, from the health point of view, reinforcing the trust of customers and visitors. The training also aims to raise awareness among tourist organizations about cleaning, hygiene and basic measures for the prevention and control of COVID-19 infection and to provide information to participants to help them adapt these procedures for their businesses.
Covid-19 update
The Regional Health Authority has reported that, from 3197 tests carried out in the two reference laboratories in the Region since the 15th of September, only two positive cases of COVID-19 on the island of São Miguel, have been diagnosed.
Both cases were detected at the airport during the required screening procedure or on the follow-up test carried out on all arrivals to the region on the 6th day of the stay. They arrived from Europe and Portugal. There have been six recoveries in the region.
So far, 259 cases of infection by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected in the Region, with 42 active positive cases currently, of which 33 on the island of São Miguel, six on Terceira Island, two on Pico Island and one on Graciosa Island.
Situation Report Azores 15th September – 16th September 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
Travellers wishing to disembark in the Azores have, from now on, the web tool ‘My Safe Azores’, which makes the health control process on entering the archipelago easier and faster.
It is available here, at https://mysafeazores.com /. It allows passengers to carry out, in a single interaction and in advance, all the steps that the traveller must follow upon arrival in the Region.
Through this tool, passengers can schedule their SARS-CoV-2 test by the RT-PCR method within 72 hours before departure, in laboratories agreed with the Region in mainland Portugal and in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, fill in and send in advance the Risk Assessment and Early Detection Questionnaire and also attach the negative result to your individual process.
When passengers complete the Risk Assessment and Early Detection Questionnaire, they receive a code generated by the application, which can be presented at the airport, making the circulation process easier and faster.
Passengers arriving in the Region with a screening test and a negative result attached to the platform, previously validated by the Health Delegation, can present the code and leave the airport.
For passengers taking the screening test on arrival, the process is also faster, as their data is automatically integrated.
Ponta Delgada Airport will now have new arrivals systems for disembarking passengers.
This is an action of the Government of the Azores, through the regional secretariats of Health, Transport and Tourism, in partnership with ANA – Airports.
There are now three clearly marked zones both airside and landside:
• Inter-islands – yellow zone.
• Passenger disembarking from the outside without a test – blue zone, with three infrastructures equipped with six air-conditioned offices, which guarantee comfort, privacy and security to its users, whether health teams or passengers, where tests will be carried out for SARS-CoV-2, as well as additional infrastructure for logistical support;
• Passenger disembarking from abroad who have test – green area, with six open infrastructures for reception and speedy treatment of passenger processing.
With this separated flow management, the intention is to avoid congestion and crossing between inter-island passengers and those disembarked from abroad, as well as those who have tested against those who have not yet done so.
All the infrastructures created are numbered to facilitate the movement and guidance of passengers and have specific areas for priority situations.
This is one of the measures that allows for greater efficiency in the service provided, receiving passengers with a welcome message.
In this context, the support of the employees of the Regional Directorate for Tourism is highlighted in guiding passengers throughout the process, in addition to the usual reception and welcome to our visitors.
Communique from the Regional Government.
The Government of the Azores, in an extraordinary meeting of the Government Council held on September 14, by videoconference, decided:
- Determine, in terms of readiness and response, within the scope of the Legal Regime of the Civil Protection System of the Autonomous Region of the Azores:
a) The extension of the declaration of the situation of public calamity on the islands of Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira, Pico and Faial until midnight on 1st of October.
b) The extension of the declaration of the alert situation in the islands of Graciosa, São Jorge, Flores and Corvo until midnight on 1 October.
2. To determine that, after the reopening of the national maritime space to cruise ships and yachts from international ports, the normalization of the docking of these ships in the ports and marinas of the archipelago should be promoted, and provided that the respective passengers are tested on arrival, unless the Regional Health Authority dismisses it, taking into account the non-stop travel time and the absence of symptoms.
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.
The Regional Health Authority has reported that, from 3840 tests carried out in the two reference laboratories in the Region since the 12th of September, five positive cases of COVID-19 on the island of São Miguel, Terceira and Pico, have been diagnosed.
All the cases have been detected at the airports during the required screening procedure or on the follow-up test carried out on all arrivals to the region on the 6th day of the stay. They arrived from North America, Europe and Portugal.
There have been two recoveries in the region.
So far, 257 cases of infection by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected in the Region, with 46 active positive cases currently, of which 35 on the island of São Miguel, eight on Terceira Island, two on Pico Island and one on Graciosa Island.
Situation Report Azores 11th September – 12th September 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
It has been reported today that the region has been promised almost two times the amount of community funds, compared to the last cycle of assistance for the Azores. The money is awarded as a part of the European Cohesion Policy and the European Recovery Plan. The amount being given for the next cycle is 2,394.9 to be used between 2021 and 2027.
The Regional Health Authority has reported that, from 4201 tests carried out in the two reference laboratories in the Region since the 9th of September, eight positive cases of COVID-19 on the island of São Miguel and Graciosa, have been diagnosed.
All the cases have been detected at the airports during the required screening procedure or on the follow-up test carried out on all arrivals to the region on the 6th day of the stay. They arrived from North America, Europe and Portugal.
There has been one recovery in the region.
So far, 252 cases of infection with the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected in the Region, with 44 currently active positive cases, of which 36 on the island of São Miguel, six on Terceira Island, one on Pico Island and one on Graciosa Island.
Situation Report Azores 8th September – 9th September 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
The Regional Secretary of Health said today at the Legislative Assembly, in Horta, that the screening tests carried out on the Continent and in the Autonomous Region of Madeira have prevented 53 positive passengers travelling to the Azores.
Teresa Machado Luciano, who was speaking at a debate on the Regional Health Service, said that testing has been the cornerstone of the region’s strategy for prevention and containment of COVID-19, with more than 115 thousand tests having been carried out in the laboratories of the region and 30 thousand tests authorised at private laboratories.
Our ratio stands at 600 tests per thousand residents, almost twice the Autonomous Region of Madeira and close to three times that of mainland Portugal.
She also said that, despite intense demand in global markets, the acquisition and maintenance of reserves of personal protective equipment was guaranteed, to safeguard professionals and users for at least eight months.
“We are better prepared, not only technically, but also in medical equipment, individual protection and facilities”. There are 80 ventilators and 26 rooms of negative pressure in the Region, 13 of which are at Hospital in Terceira, 10 at the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, Ponta Delgada, and three at the Hospital da Horta.
The Regional Secretariat is working, together with the Directorate-General for Health, to increase coverage for the vaccinations against influenza, as the flu season is nearly here.
The Regional Health Authority has reported that, from 4772 tests carried out in the two reference laboratories in the Region since the 5th of September, 16 positive cases of COVID-19 on the island of São Miguel and Terceira, have been diagnosed.
All the cases have been detected at the airports during the required screening procedure or on the follow-up test carried out on all arrivals to the region on the 6th day of the stay. They arrived from North America, Europe and Portugal.
There have been three cases of recovery in the region.
So far, 244 cases of infection by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, have been detected in the Region, with 39 active positive cases currently, of which 32 on the island of São Miguel, six on Terceira Island and one on Pico Island.
https://destinoseguro.azores.gov.pt/
Situation Report Azores 4th September – 5th September 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
The Vice-President of the Government has announced that the Azorean Executive has approved 706 applications for the Employment Maintenance Program, this is aimed at ensuring that Azorean companies that have benefitted from national credit lines have additional support to repay these loans, substantially reducing charges and reinforcing liquidity.
“Under this measure made available by the Regional Government, which covers all sectors of activity in the regional economy and almost all Azorean companies, 706 applications have already been approved, which contributes to ensuring the maintenance of 8,567 jobs,” said Sérgio Ávila.
The ‘Employment Maintenance Programme’, injects much needed money into the Azorean economy.
The Regional Health Authority has reported that, from 4226 tests carried out in the two reference laboratories in the Region since the 2ndof September, four positive cases of COVID-19 on the island of São Miguel, Terceira and Graciosa, have been diagnosed.
All the cases have been detected at the airports during the required screening procedure or on the follow-up test carried out on all arrivals to the region on the 6th day of the stay. They arrived from North America, Europe and Portugal.
The positive case diagnosed on the island of Graciosa, is a man who is, 31 years old, he had already been diagnosed with COVID-19 during his stay on the continent, and was said to be recovered by his local health authorities, he currently has remnants of the virus and, therefore, not contagious.
228 cases of infection by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected in the Region, and there are currently 29 active positive cases, 25 on the island of São Miguel, three on Terceira island and one on Pico island.
Azores
Situation Report Azores 1st September – 2nd September 2020 – From our colleague in the Azores
The Government of the Azores will extend the situation of ‘Public Calamity’ on the islands of Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira, Pico and Faial, as well as extend the ‘alert’ situation on the islands Graciosa, São Jorge, Flores and Corvo, until September 15th.
The decision was taken at an extraordinary meeting of the Government Council held on August 31st, 2020, by videoconference and is due to the fact that in the Azores, as of August 31st, there were a total of 29 positive cases active on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira and Pico.
A ‘Safety at Home’ booklet written in conjunction with the Regional Government and Proteção Civil E Bombeiros Açores (srpcba) has been delivered to households in the region, it can be downloaded here: https://www.prociv.azores.gov.pt/fotos/documentos/1594742736.pdf
The Regional Health Authority has reported that, from 4748 tests carried out in the two reference laboratories in the Region since the 29th of August, seven positive cases of COVID-19 on the island of São Miguel have been diagnosed.
All the cases have been detected at the airports during the required screening procedure or on the follow-up test carried out on all arrivals to the region on the 6th day of the stay. They arrived from North America, Europe and Portugal. Two positive cases have flown home despite the risk to others on the flight.
So far, 217 cases of infection by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 disease, have been detected in the Region, and there are currently 27 active positive cases, of which 24 are on the island of São Miguel, two on Terceira Island and one on Pico Island.