Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 6^th April 2022

Algarve firefighters worried about the impact of fuel increases

The firefighters of the Algarve met last Wednesday, March 30, and said they were concerned about the impact that the increase in fuel costs could have on the operations of corporations.

In a note sent to the press, the Firefighters Federation of the district of Faro, which says it is “sick of having its hand outstretched”, expressed its “great concern and apprehension about the near future with regard to ensuring the main activities”.

“If the situation does not change, the need to ration services begins to emerge, which implies that the transport of some people for consultations or treatments, the so-called non-urgent transport, may no longer be carried out”, they say.

The Algarve firefighters appeal to the Government to “look at the precarious situation that many associations are experiencing with serious difficulties in functioning, a situation that has worsened significantly in the last two years and now also with the situation of the conflict in Ukraine”.

“The repercussions that this situation can have on the day to day of firefighters is very serious”, they consider.

According to the data presented by this federation, the increase in fuel costs, “to which the necessary updating of the contributions of the National Health Service for the transport of patients, has not been updated since 2012, with a cost then set at 0, 51€/kilometre, a situation incomparable with the costs practiced today and that needs an urgent update”.

These associations recall that they survive “from the good relationship they maintain with local authorities, without any type of positive differentiation on the part of the Government, not even during the last two years in which the country was devastated by the pandemic”.

 

Octogenarian who suffered a heart attack off Faro rescued by the Portuguese Air Force

The Navy, through the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Lisboa), in conjunction with the Urgent Patients Orientation Centre (CODUMAR) and the Portuguese Air Force, coordinated, yesterday afternoon, the medical rescue of a 85-year-old man of British nationality, who was on the ship “Spirit Of Discovery”, sailing at 45 nautical miles, the equivalent of 83 kilometres, south of Faro, and who suffered an acute myocardial infarction.

After contacting the Urgent Patient Orientation Centre, the Portuguese Air Force activated a helicopter to evacuate the victim, having completed the evacuation at 18:30.

The patient was transported to Faro airport, and later transferred to a hospital.

 

Five Star Award distinguishes 13 winners from the Algarve

Traditional Portuguese cuisine, beaches and mountains are some of the winning categories in the district of Faro. This year, 114 regional icons and 112 brands were distinguished across the country.

The winners of the Five Star Regions 2022 Award are already known. For the 5th consecutive year, the best of the Algarve was recognized and awarded, with 13 winners standing out.

The Cinco Estrelas Regions Award is now in its 5th edition, which seeks to enhance and make known the best of each of the Portuguese regions in terms of gastronomy, natural resources, monuments and heritage, among several other categories.

The award is based on the concept and evaluation methodology of the Cinco Estrelas Award, and this year involved the participation of 425 thousand Portuguese consumers.

Five Star Regions Award Winners in the District of Faro:

Villages and Towns: Estói

Traditional Portuguese Cuisine: Cataplana Algarvia

National Monuments: Castle of Silves

Beaches: Praia da Rocha

Traditional Portuguese Products: Orange from the Algarve

Reserves/Landscapes/Dams: Ria Formosa Natural Park

Mountains: Serra de Monchique

Condominium Management: Condoarade

Babysitting: My Nanny

Shopping Centers: Forum Algarve

Dental Clinics: Alinea Premium Oral Care

Theme Parks: Zoomarine

Used Car Stands: Cars and Cars

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 30^th March 2022

Municipality of Faro wants to reduce noise caused by night establishments

The Municipality of Faro approved this Monday, at a chamber meeting, the new regulation of the opening hours of commercial establishments and the provision of services in the municipality and the new municipal noise regulation.

The previous regulation on opening hours of establishments came into force in April 2017 and has remained unchanged since then, while the current noise regulation came into force in 2012.

As the municipality points out in a note sent, the first of these regulations introduced a set of changes, including the liberalization of opening hours of establishments selling to the public, provision of services, restaurants or drinks, establishments with a dance space or where perform shows.

According to the Municipality, the discomfort felt by the population regarding the noise caused by the operation of establishments, due to music, with loud music on public roads and the agglomeration of consumers outside them, has created a situation of excessive noise.

In this sense, for reasons of safety and protection of the quality of life of citizens, the regulation now approved defines that restaurant, beverage or mixed establishments (restaurants, cafes or pastry shops, among others) can operate every day between 06:00 and at 2:00 am the next day.

Drinks and restaurants, duly licensed (bars, concert halls, theatres, cinemas, venues, among others) may operate between 10:00 am and 3:00 am the following day, from Sunday to Thursday, and between 10:00 am and 4:00 am, the following day on Fridays, Saturdays and eves of public holidays.

São Brás de Alportel celebrates the Centenary of the 1st Air Crossing of the South Atlantic with a cycle of conversations

São Brás de Alportel will mark the Centenary of the 1st Air Crossing of the South Atlantic with a cycle of “Curious Conversations” that begins this Wednesday, March 30, at the Dr. Blonde Stanco.

The first conversation will begin at 5:30 pm and will revolve around the theme “1st Air Crossing of the South Atlantic: the voyage and its preparation” which will be presented by Admiral Martins Guerreiro, Captain of Abril and great enthusiast of the idea of ​​naming from Gago Coutinho, with roots in São Brás de Alportel, to Faro International Airport.

On the occasion, the documentary exhibition “Por Mares Não Dantes Navegados” will take place, which will be displayed at the Municipal Library and which will later travel through the municipality, in an initiative of the municipality, with the support of the São Brás de Alportel Collecting Nucleus.

The “Curious Conversations” will be held monthly. They will continue on April 8 with the theme “Gago Coutinho: the unlikely hero”, presented from 4 pm onwards, by José Correia Martins.

“Towards Gago Coutinho Airport: Imaginary journey through the main Portuguese airports” is the theme that José Belchior will present on May 13, starting at 4:00 pm. 

Tavira invites children to celebrate International Children’s Book Day

The Álvaro de Campos Municipal Library celebrates, on April 2, the International Children’s Book Day with a program that aims to encourage reading and the construction of learning in the younger audience.

In this sense, children from the age of five are invited, along with their family and friends, to celebrate this date with the following activities:

19:00: Reception and introduction of participants

20h00: “Listening to” with Maurício Leite

9:30 pm: Listen to shared stories “Who wants to tell?”

The actions are free of charge, but registration is mandatory, so those interested should make their reservation through the e-mail library@cm-tavira.pt.

The municipality advances that, on April 2, the birth of Hans Christian Andersen is celebrated all over the world. From 1967, this date became known as International Children’s Book Day, drawing attention to the importance of reading and the fundamental role of books for children.

 

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 23^rd March 2022

The Vila do Bispo City Council launches today, World Water Day, a campaign that calls for water saving in the municipality.

Using a photograph that shows the low level of water in the Bravura Dam, the municipality alerts the population to the possibility that, if the weather conditions are maintained and there are no significant savings in consumption, there will be problems in supply in the months summer.

The campaign will be present in the communication channels of the Municipality, local press and water bills, in order to reach all citizens, as well as merchants and other economic agents in the municipality.

The Bravura Dam, which supplies the western Algarve, is only 14% of its maximum level and the entire Algarve region is in extreme drought, being one of the most affected areas of the country. In February, the use of water from the dam for irrigation by farmers was prohibited and, at the meeting of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA)/Regional Subcommittee for the South Zone of the Reservoir Management Commission, held on 23 February in Lagos, one of the contingency measures approved to deal with the worsening hydrological situation in the Algarve was to establish “… the exclusive use of the Bravura reservoir for supply, temporarily suspending all other uses”.

At the municipal level, the Vila do Bispo City Council decided to suspend the procedure for new requests for water supply lines for agricultural irrigation, and work is being carried out on the monitoring and control of water losses.

Fires: Tavira expects to finish works in the centre of aerial means by December

The City Council of Tavira expects to conclude the tender for the works of the Centro de Meios Aéreo de Cachopo by June and have the intervention ready by December, keeping the runway operational during the fire season, estimated the municipality.

The intervention in the Centro de Meios Aéreos de Cachopo, located in the Algarve mountains, 40 kilometres from the coast, is budgeted at 2.5 million euros, with community funding, in order to “strengthen the response capacity of protection and rescue of airlines in the Algarve”, specified the municipality.

Speaking to Lusa, a source from the municipality said that the work, which provides for the requalification of the existing track and the construction of a support building, among other works, has not yet been awarded, and the procedure is in the tender phase until March 30, process that should be completed in the first half of 2022.

“Currently, the Cachopo Heliport only works during the period to fight forest fires, between June and September. The work has an execution period of six months and the municipality will seek to reconcile the execution of the work with the operation of the runway”, assured the same source.

After the works, the center will be ready to operate throughout the year, instead of only being active during the summer, during the period of greatest fire risk, he added.

High-speed boat found in Culatra, Algarve

On Sunday, a high-speed vessel was found stranded on the island of Culatra, in the municipality of Faro.

A high-speed vessel was detected this morning, with various material inside and without crew on board, which was stranded on the island of Culatra, in the municipality of Faro, according to the National Maritime Authority.

Following an alert received by the local Command of the Maritime Police of Olhão, at 06:30, reporting the presence of a vessel stranded on the island of Culatra, elements of the Maritime Police and the Captaincy of the Port went to check the vessel.

Upon arrival at the site, the Maritime Police found that it was a high-speed vessel, which had been abandoned with various material inside, and it was not possible to remove the vessel from the site due to the weather conditions at the time.

The Judiciary Police was contacted.

Comment

These types of vessels are increasingly used by drug traffickers and some have speeds in excess of 100 km/h.

 

 

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 16^th March 2022

Algarve Football Association joins FPF to support the integration of Ukrainian citizens

In the context of the conflict in Ukraine, the Portuguese Football Federation launched a support plan for Ukrainian war refugees who continue to arrive in Portugal, appealing and helping to welcome them in order to provide them with living conditions.

Thus, the Algarve Football Association (AFA), following its policy of social responsibility, in partnership with the Portuguese Football Federation, invited all its affiliates and the community in general to participate in this plan, in order to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in the region.

In a statement, the AFA says it has appealed to its clubs and referee groups to become “a facilitating element in the process of welcoming Ukrainian refugees, whether in helping them to find a job offer, accommodation, a useful service or other type of support that can be provided to these people’.

Therefore, interested parties should contact the Algarve Football Association on 916 171 653 or comunicacao@afalgarve.pt.

The registration of job offers can be done through the platform of the Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP) created specifically for this purpose.

In the event that there are children involved who are old enough to practice football and futsal, the AFA adds that the Portuguese Football Federation finances this practice in the respective clubs.

“It’s easier now, book today” to travel to the Algarve” is the motto of the most recent international campaign of Associação Turismo do Algarve (ATA).

This is the motto of the most recent international campaign launched by Associação Turismo do Algarve, with a view to promoting the destination and attracting reservations for the Easter and summer periods.

After two tumultuous years of the pandemic, marked by insecurity, doubts and a series of rules and procedures around travel, the new campaign reinforces the idea that tourists can travel to the Algarve again easily and comfortably, taking into account that the procedures on arrival and before the trip are now more simplified.

Through four videos that reveal some of the experiences that can be had in the region, with emphasis on hiking, biking or golfing, Turismo do Algarve reminds you that the destination is ready to welcome its visitors with tranquility and with the quality and diversity of the offer to which they have become accustomed.

With this campaign, we want to emphasize some of the main arguments that, at this time, make the destination even more appealing to those who are returning to the habit of traveling, namely safety, contact with nature and landscapes of great beauty, the good weather and the diversity of outdoor activities that the region offers. The idea is for people to feel that the Algarve gives them the opportunity to experience good times again, in a familiar, authentic atmosphere and with all the hospitality that is recognized for us», says João Fernandes, president of Turismo do Algarve