Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 26^th January 2022

Loulé Council halts project to install a new “waste management unit” in the municipality

The Municipality of Loulé reported that it had approved, for the third time, preventive measures (with the consequent suspension of the Loulé PDM in force) in order to stop the progress of projects that “may jeopardize the environment and quality of life of the populations”.

This Monday, in a city council session, the Municipality explains that it was unanimously decided to institute this measure in an area of ​​8.5 hectares in the area of ​​the former Matos da Picota quarry, where the developer Blueotter Circular, SA intends to install a management unit for waste.

In a statement, the Municipality of Loulé assumes that the decision taken “is based on the manifest public interest of safeguarding and protecting the environment of the entire area and public health and also took into account the concerns of the surrounding population, the recommendation of the Municipal Assembly unanimously approved on December 3, 2021, as well as the deliberation of the Chamber of December 20».

The municipality says that it is aware that «the environmental impacts resulting from the possible installation of industrial activities (namely activities of the nature that, at the present time, are intended to be installed there), are negative and of great importance, in an area and area greatly punished by the fact that, for decades, highly polluting industrial units that were harmful to public health have worked there. 

Fourth Portuguese Jewish Community makes official address in the Algarve

On the eve of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust, the Jewish Community of the Algarve announces its establishment as an official Religious Community.

The Jewish Community of the Algarve (CJA) becomes the fourth official Jewish community in Portugal, having been registered as a Religious Collective Person (non-Catholic) on Tuesday, January 4, in the National Register of Legal Persons.

The lengthy process of recognizing the organization was approved by the Religious Freedom Commission, chaired by José Vera Jardim.

This is the first time that a Jewish community has been recognized by the Religious Freedom Act, legislation that recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Being the most recent community with this specific legal figure, it will perhaps be the one that has the closest proximity to an extraordinary and ancient legacy of Jewish presence in Portugal, with almost two millennia.

The traces of the confirmed presence of these communities date back at least to the 4th century with the discovery in Silves of the tombstone of Yehiel from the year 390 of the Common Era, the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula. 

Legislative: PS Algarve applauds “new” Hospital in Lagos and asks for opportunity to build central hospital in the Algarve

The inclusion since today of the former private Hospital São Gonçalo de Lagos in the National Health Service, thus replacing the old hospital in Lagos “is excellent news” for the populations of Lagos, Vila de Bispo and Aljezur, advances the PS Algarve in a statement released.

Jamila Madeira, head of the list of the Socialist Party in the Algarve, expressed “enormous” satisfaction at the conclusion of this process, recalling that the PS deputies presented an initiative in the Assembly of the Republic in which they underlined the importance of the Government to enable a modern hospital response that is up to the needs of the populations of “Terras do Infante”.

The former Assistant Secretary of State for Health congratulated the board of directors of CHUA and all the mayors involved in this solution for the former Lagos Hospital, adding that this announced New Year’s gift «is an excellent contribution to strengthening the quality of the National Service of Health in the Algarve and in the counties of the southwest Alentejo».

Reaffirming that with the PS the new Central Hospital «is really going ahead» and that once the legal uncertainties regarding the contract suspended in 2011 are overcome, the PS Government will proceed with the signing of the contract for the award of the work, Jamila Madeira asked the Algarve for a second opportunity for the PS to comply with the construction of the new central hospital in the Algarve: “who believes that the PSD will spend 300 million euros on a public hospital when its leader defends that the National Health Service should be only for the poor and who has money should pay for health? Who believes that the right that wants to end free health care and put the private in competition with the public again would build a new hospital for the poor and indigent?”

The Judicial Police arrested a man, about 34 years old, suspected of committing a crime of arson.

The PJ said in a statement that the facts refer to a fire that occurred in the early hours of January 22, which broke out inside a house located in São Brás de Alportel, “in which the property had been recovered by the Municipality, with a view to rent at affordable prices’.

The detainee will be presented to the Judiciary Authority to apply the coercive measures.

 

 

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.