Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 19^th January 2022

“Electrão Schools” in the district of Faro have already collected more than 1 ton of electrical equipment

Eight educational establishments in the district of Faro that joined the “Escola Electrão” campaign have already collected 1383 kilos of used electrical equipment this school year, between September and December 2021.

Most of the used electrical equipment collected in the campaign corresponds to small appliances, such as cell phones, computers, microwaves and lamps, which make up a total of 1063 kilos. 236 kilos of batteries and 84 kilos of light bulbs were also collected.

The 11th edition of Escola Electrão, which runs until June, involves 236 schools nationwide. Overall, in this first period, participating schools across the country collected a total of 73 tons of used equipment. The campaign, promoted by Electrão – Waste Management Association, aims to raise awareness of the correct disposal of unused batteries, lamps and electrical equipment.

Each participating school can receive prizes depending on the amount of used batteries, light bulbs and electrical equipment collected. One point is awarded for every 100 kilos of used electrical equipment, 10 kilos of light bulbs or 10 kilos of batteries delivered. For every 10 points accumulated, at the end of the school year, the school receives a gift voucher in the amount of 75 euros to use in the purchase of new electrical equipment.

Over the last 10 editions, the “Escola Electrão” campaign allowed the collection of more than six thousand tons of electrical equipment used in the various participating schools, from north to south of the country.

Faro approves support for the creation of new vacancies in Medicine at UAlg

The measure will allow the creation of 96 vacancies by 2025.

The Faro City Council approved, at a council meeting on 5 January, the allocation of a total amount of 317,090 euros to the University of Algarve (UAlg) to reinforce and expand the vacancies of the integrated master’s degree in Medicine.

This transfer, which results from a program contract signed between UAlg, the Association for the Development of the Academic Centre for Biomedical Research and Training of the Algarve (AD-ABC), the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, through the Directorate -General of Higher Education, and the associated municipalities of the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve (AMAL), will allow the increase of up to 96 places in the Medicine course by the year 2025.

The Program Contract «Extending and modernizing the teaching of medicine and biomedical research at the University of the Algarve» provides for the allocation of 6 million euros to the University of the Algarve, over five years (from 2021 to 2025), and is also financed by the Ministry of Health. Science, Technology and Higher Education and by AMAL.

For this purpose, the municipality will contribute with annual transfers in the amount of 63,418 euros.

According to the municipality of Faro, «the signature of this program-contract embodies another additional investment by the municipality in promoting quality in health care provided to the population, as well as in the reinforcement of educational offers within the scope of higher education».

Algarve Municipal Libraries provide free access to digital newspapers and magazines

As of January 18, readers of the Intermunicipal Network of Libraries of the Algarve (BIBAL) will have free access to more than 7,000 online publications. The availability of this service, acquired by AMAL – Comunidade Intermunicipal do Algarve, represented an investment of around 20 thousand euros.

BIBAL readers will have access to the PressReader service, a digital platform that gives access to online newspapers and magazines. There are more than 7,000 national and foreign publications that, through this innovative and free service, can be read at the moment or downloaded for later reading.

PressReader is a digital platform, distributed in Portugal by WECUL, which provides direct and full access to periodicals from more than 150 countries and in more than 60 languages, through an interface with several functionalities, including searches by title, country, language or category. Access to the platform is possible in several ways, with library user credentials. All information is available at each of the municipal libraries.

The mayors of the Algarve believe that this initiative universalises and democratizes access to information and knowledge, while encouraging reading.

In a statement, AMAL recalls that the acquisition of this service was unanimously approved at the Intermunicipal Council meeting in July last year. «On the occasion, all the presidents recognized the importance of the measure for the communities in the region and decided to support this expense, thus guaranteeing the availability of the service in the network of municipal libraries belonging to BIBAL (with the exception of Aljezur, the only municipality that has not yet has a library).

Access to the platform is possible in several ways, including a Whatsapp, using the library’s user credentials. All information is available at each of the municipal libraries.

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 12^th January 2022

Do you think you have Covid-19? Whatever you do, don’t run to the ER

If you think you have Covid-19 or if you have had a positive self-test, do not, under any circumstances, go to the emergency rooms of hospitals in the Algarve, appeals Ana Varges Gomes, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve.

This is because, the head of management of public hospitals in the Algarve told Sul Informação, there has been great pressure from “completely asymptomatic” patients with Covid-19, which makes it difficult to provide assistance to those who really need urgent treatment.

“People who go to the ER who are green and blue [respectively, minor and non-urgent cases, according to the Manchester triage method] and who had no reference to come here, still constitute 46% of the people we see in this service”.

«While we are like this, the Emergency Department can never give the best answer. And all because people don’t look for the right services. There are respiratory services at the health centers in operation, there is a family doctor, there are specific places to do tests. Therefore, coming to a hospital emergency to come for a Covid test when the person is asymptomatic is not a good practice”, defended Ana Varges Gomes.

This rush of asymptomatic Covid patients to the emergency room has to do, on the one hand, with «the non-functioning of the Saúde 24 line», but also with a wrong notion that many people have, that it is necessary to go to the emergency room to be able to have a sick leave.

Firefighters from São Brás de Alportel enter 2022 with a new permanent intervention team.

The Firefighters of the new Permanent Intervention Team (EIP) of the Humanitarian Association of Volunteer Firefighters of São Brás de Alportel received their insignia on Friday, January 7th, during a ceremony attended by the Mayor of São Brás de Alportel, Vitor Guerreiro, and the Civil Protection District Operational Commander of Faro, Richard Marques.

The entry into office of this new team, which represents an annual investment of 70 thousand euros, was possible after the signing of a protocol between the municipality of São Brás de Alportel, the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) and the Humanitarian Association of Volunteer Firefighters of São Brás de Alportel (AHBVSBA), will be supported in equal parts by the City Council and ANEPC.

This second AHBVSBA Permanent Intervention Team reinforces the work of the first team that was created in 2012.

For the Commander of the Fire Department of São Brás de Alportel, Vitor Martins, and for the President of AHBVSBA, Custódia Reis, the realization of this new team «is a very important objective in the life of the Fire Department» because it will allow the daily reinforcement operational structure and highlighted the fundamental role of the municipality in this improvement of assistance to the population.

Tourist village in Tavira regulates public lighting via Bluetooth

The Pedras da Rainha Tourist Village, in Tavira, inserted in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, has just implemented a sustainable smart lighting project.

Without the need to dig trenches or use cabling, and in a completely autonomous way, SunStay solar luminaires were installed that offer public lighting to the village in an intelligent, clean and sustainable way.

In a statement, the tourist village explains that, essentially, the SunStay solar luminaires, produced by the Signify company of the Philips Group, are fully sustainable and include battery, motion detector and photovoltaic panels that adapt to sunrise and sunset, making the luminaire autonomous and sustainable. It is also possible to connect via bluetooth, which allows the management of the luminaires through an application, being possible to define the lighting levels adaptable to the place, allowing the saving of resources, given that it is a renewable energy, and also the saving of resources.

Almeida Pires, General Director of Pedras da Rainha says that “The Algarve is one of the most privileged regions of our country, and with 300 days of sunshine a year there are even more reasons to bet on sustainable and smart solutions. We want to reduce the ecological footprint and we believe that we are contributing to making the Algarve an increasingly smart and sustainable destination, and by inserting the Sunstay solar luminaires in the Pedras da Rainha village we are setting an example of good practices and betting on the future. .

Woman died who went swimming at Faro beach

A woman in her 50s was found dead on Faro beach on Monday, after being spotted by people entering the water and swimming, a source from the Marinha told Lusa.

According to the Commander of the Southern Maritime Zone and Captain of the Port of Faro, Fernando Rocha Pacheco, the woman who “was undocumented was taken out of the water by people and assisted on the beach by the INEM doctor who confirmed the death”.

The source said the body was pulled out of the water around 3pm, about 50 minutes after witnesses saw the lady enter the water and swim.

“On the beach a towel and some personal belongings were found that are presumed to belong to the lady”, he added.

The causes of death will now be determined by the Medical-Legal Office of Faro, where the body was transported.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 5^th January 2022

House prices for rent in the Algarve rose 7.6% in 2021

Renting a house in the Algarve now costs 9.8 euros per square meter. Prices only dropped in Albufeira (-2.2 percent) in 2021.

House prices for rent in the Algarve rose 7.6 percent in 2021, comparing December 2021 with the same month in 2020.

According to the price index of the idealista portal, at the end of December 2021, renting a house in the region had a cost of 9.8 euros per square meter (m2). In relation to the quarterly variation, leasing increased by 1.6 percent.

The only drop in prices in the region in 2021 was registered in Albufeira (-2.2 percent). Conversely, prices rose in Lagoa (14.8 percent), Loulé (13.5 percent), Faro (12.2 percent), Tavira (9.9 percent), Olhão (9 percent), Silves (7.3 percent), Portimão (6.4 percent), Lagos (5.8 percent) and Vila Real de Santo António (2.6 percent)

The most expensive municipality to rent a house is Loulé (12.2 euros/m2), followed by Lagos (9.7 euros/m2) and Lagoa (9.2 euros/m2).

On the other hand, the cheapest are Vila Real de Santo António (8.6 euros/m2), Olhão (8.6 euros/m2) and Portimão (8.5 euros/m2).

At the national level, housing for rent registered a decrease of 4.3 percent in 2021, standing at 10.7 euros/m2.

ABC opens Covid-19 testing centre in Moura

The Algarve Biomedical Centre (ABC) will open this Sunday, January 9th, in Moura, which is its first Covid-19 testing centre in Alentejo.

In partnership with the Municipality of Moura, the centre will be open on Sundays, between 16:00 and 19:30, and on Wednesdays, from 11:00 to 14:00.

This testing centre is located next to the City Council, in Pátio dos Rolins, and will provide PCR and antigen tests, the latter being financed by the National Health Service.

Appointments must be made online on the ABC website.

ABC thus opens its tenth Covid-19 test centre in Moura, after Albufeira, Lagoa, Lagos, Loulé, Portimão, São Brás de Alportel, Silves, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António.

Albufeira hosts lifeguard training course in February and March

Registration is open until the 28th of January for the lifeguard training course that will take place in Albufeira between the 1st of February and the 16th of March.

The course, promoted by the Association of Salvadoran Swimmers of Albufeira (ANSA), comprises 31 sessions in a total of 150 hours, from Monday to Saturday (minimum daily load 5 hours). The final exam “will be carried out during working hours”, on a date to be determined by the Instituto de Socorros a Náufragos.

In the end, those who finish the course with a positive grade will be entitled to a certification conferred by this entity.

«The training is valid throughout the country, to perform the functions of lifeguard, at any beach/pool, for a period of 3 years, in accordance with the applicable legislation», according to ANSA.

Candidates will be subject to an admission test, where they will have to “run 2400 meters in a maximum time of 14 minutes”, “swim 100 meters free, in a maximum time of 1h50 minutes”, “underwater swimming (apnea) in a minimum time of 20 seconds”, “swim 25 meters in dorsal decubitus (back), only with swinging legs” and “catch two weights at a minimum depth of 2 meters”.

To be able to access this test, candidates must meet minimum requirements, starting with age, since trainees must be at least 18 years old at the start of the course.

Compulsory education is also required, as well as “proof of professional activities developed and other relevant elements for the assessment of their ability to attend the course”.

Candidates must also “have physical strength and psychological profile for the activity of lifeguard”, proven by a medical certificate for the purpose.

Attendance at the course has a total cost of 200 euros, 40 of which for the entrance exam and 160 for the registration fee. This amount includes insurance, lifeguard manual and a resuscitation mask.

Enrolment can be done through the website of the FEPONS Professional Lifeguard Training School , which will teach the course. 

Ryanair flight from Manchester to Faro makes emergency landing in France after reports of a fire on board

A Ryanair flight departing Manchester, UK, and bound for Faro, made an emergency landing in France this Monday, following a fire that reportedly broke out in the aircraft.

According to reports the plane made an abrupt descent from about 40,000 feet to 6,725 feet in seven minutes, landing in Brest, in western France, at 19.30 hours.

According to publications on the social network Twitter, the flight made an emergency landing after reports from passengers of a fire having broken out on board.

“All the passengers were transported to a bus by the French police”, can be read in one of the publications where there are images of the plane that was received by several vehicles of firefighters.

According to the portal FlightAware, the flight that departed at 6.33 pm from Manchester was scheduled to arrive at 9.30 pm in Faro.

There were initial concerns that there could have been a loss of cabin pressure on the aircraft.

Passengers of flight FR4052 were able to continue their journey to Faro once the incident was dealt with as another plane was dispatched from Stanstead to reach them.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 29^th December 2021

New Year’s Eve: Câmara de Albufeira keeps fireworks to the sound of Kiss Fm and the transmission of “Carpe Nox” on RTP1

Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the traditional New Year’s party in Albufeira, at Praia dos Pescadores, was cancelled, however, the Municipality will not fail to mark the entry in 2022.

So, on December 31, at midnight, the local authority states that it will be possible to watch a pyro-musical show, which can be seen and heard from home. The fireworks will be launched from eight points in the municipality, reaching all parishes: Albufeira (2 launch points), Oura, Galé, Guia Ferreiras, Paderne and Olhos de Água.

The soundtrack and countdown for the entry into the New year will be broadcast by local radio Kiss Fm, on frequencies 95.8 fm and 101.2 fm.

At 1:30 am, RTP1 will also broadcast the New Year’s Eve night in Albufeira 2019-2020, with the show Albufeira Carpe Nox, which brought together 120,000 people at Praia dos Pescadores, among boats, planes, lights and sound, as well as music from Amor Eletro and The Black Mamba, exhibitions by the Flying Dragons and Airborne Pyrotechnics.

“This year, the New Year festivities had to be adapted to the circumstances and we decided to offer a fireworks show in different forms, which will cover the entire municipality and allow people to watch from their homes or hotel, where they are housed”, explains the Mayor, José Carlos Rolo. “The objective is to avoid the crowds and allow everyone to participate in the festivities from the tranquility of their homes”, he adds. 

Algarve hotels with last minute cancellations due to anti-covid restrictions

Algarve hotels anticipated a strong period of demand for the New Year, but they are being subject to massive cancellations with the new restrictions that force customers to submit negative tests, even if they are vaccinated.

Hotels in the Algarve are receiving last-minute cancellations due to the entry into force of new restrictions to combat the covid-19 pandemic and the worsening epidemiological situation.

“We are witnessing last-minute cancellations following the restrictions, due to the worsening of the pandemic. We continue to have reservations, but our forecasts, which were very optimistic for this year-end, are not confirmed”, stated the president of the Association of Hotels and Tourist Resorts in the Algarve (AHETA).

According to Elidérico Viegas, the new restrictions and the worsening of the pandemic have led to “many cancellations”, especially by the Portuguese, who are the ones who are most in demand in the region at this time of year, and also to a lower demand.

“Although there is still demand, the data we have now do not allow us to confirm the forecasts we had”, said the official, expressing the hope that, throughout the week, there may be last minute reservations, in case there is a slowdown in the number of new cases.

In view of the worsening of the epidemiological situation in Portugal, due to the Ómicron variant, the Government decided to bring forward the measures foreseen for the so-called “contact contention week”, which would only take place in January, to 0:00 on December 25th.

Among the measures enacted is the obligation to present a negative test in tourist establishments and local accommodation, when previously only the presentation of a digital certificate was required. 

Silves: Traders Exempt from Paying Municipal Fees in 2022

The Municipal Assembly of Silves unanimously approved the exemption from payment of fees for occupation of public space and/or advertising for the year 2022, for holders of commercial, service and restaurant establishments, closed, with suspended or conditioned activities, due to compliance with the restrictive measures imposed by the Government, in the context of the response to the pandemic.

In a statement, the municipality of Silves clarifies that the measure results from a proposal by the municipal executive led by the President of the Municipality of Silves, Rosa Palma, who had already received the unanimous approval of the Municipality of Silves, at the meeting on 29 November.

With the approval of this measure, the Municipality of Silves gives up revenue of around 226 thousand euros.

In this way, local entrepreneurs and merchants will not pay any fees in relation to requests for occupation of public space and/or advertising, between January 1 and December 31, 2022, a measure previously decreed by the municipality for the years 2020 and 2021, by the onset of the pandemic.

In addition to these measures, the Municipality registers others in support of the community, highlighting the activation of the Social Emergency Fund; the deferral of payment of bills for water supply and sanitation, with no default interest being charged, nor the suspension of the provision of said service; the suspension of the period for collecting all fees related to the municipal advertising licensing required by advertising companies; and exemption from payment and/or reduction of rents for concessionaires and commercial tenants of municipal spaces in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Castro Marim offered 700 Christmas hampers

This year, the Castro Marim City Council delivered around 700 Christmas baskets.

For the municipality, the initiative created a few years ago, with the aim of contributing to a “more comfortable and happier” Christmas, is of greater importance at a time when the pandemic has increased the number of vulnerable families economic.

The baskets include several essential food products, selected also with the concern of integrating themselves into a healthier diet and lifestyle.