Algarve Situation Report – Wednesday 30th December 2020

Portimão says goodbye to 2020 with music at the door

On December 31st, Portimão will say goodbye to the old year and welcome 2021 without the usual cultural animation and traditional fireworks, however the municipality has prepared an alternative for pandemic times: “New Year’s Eve at Home – Music at the Door”.

In a press release, the city announced that, to mark the New Year and respecting the rules and constraints enacted by the Government, and the recommendations of the Directorate-General for Health, two large trucks will be circulating, between 3 pm and 9 pm, around Portimão, to the sound of the live concerts starring César Matoso, Filipa Sousa, Gabriel de Rose and Filipe Konx, with DJ Ari Girão and Virgul as headliners.

The same publication advances that, despite the pandemic times, Portimão will not fail to welcome the arrival of 2021.

It should be noted that, although Portimão is still classified as high risk, it is about to return to the list of municipalities at moderate risk, therefore, the municipality warns that “the contribution of citizens is fundamental, based on understanding and responsibility”.

In this sense, the trucks’ itinerary will not be disclosed, “so that everyone has the good sense to comply with the rules and stay at home, having fun at the window with the music that will pass at the door”, stressed the same source.

Covid-19: Operational Program of the Algarve released until October, 19.7 million to minimize the effects of the pandemic

The Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Algarve) published the second edition of the Covid-19 Algarve Bulletin, with the latest information on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in the region and on public policy measures adopted with funds from European funds allocated to the Algarve Operational Program, in support of companies and institutions in the Algarve.

In a statement, the CCDR explains that the elaboration of the second edition of the bulletin coincides with a period in which Portugal is in a state of emergency, whose measures implemented by Portugal and most countries to contain the spread of the pandemic, «caused a strong contraction of the demand and supply, both domestically and globally, with significant consequences for employment and the economy”.

In recent months, following the country’s trend, the Algarve presented milder negative year-on-year rates of change than in the initial period of the pandemic, in most of the indicators followed. Despite this, the region continues, in many cases, to record falls above the national average, translating into a more marked economic and social impact in the Algarve. According to the same document issued today to the media, September and / or October showed slightly more severe breaks than in previous months.

In this context, until October 31, the Operational Program of the Algarve mobilized 19.7 million euros for the adoption of measures aimed at minimizing the effects generated by the pandemic, with 17 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and 2.4 million from the European Social Fund (ESF).

To date, nine notices have been launched and 214 operations have been approved in the three notices already completed, resulting in a total of 7.26 million euros of eligible investment, corresponding to 4.7 million European funds, adding up to all support provided in terms of unemployment benefits, social inclusion income food support.

 

Algarve Situation Report – Monday 28th December

Covid-19: Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) to start vaccination on Tuesday

The Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) will start vaccination against covid-19 on Tuesday, the president of the centre’s board of directors, which includes hospitals in Faro, Portimão and Lagos, told the Lusa agency today.

“We will start vaccinating on the 29th, Tuesday,” said Ana Castro, clarifying that CHUA has planned to vaccinate “professionals and patients who meet the criteria” defined in the vaccination plan until January 31st.

Asked when vaccines will arrive at the hospital and when time is needed later to operationalize the administration of the vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, the same source replied that he is still not sure of the arrival date, but assured that “as soon as they arrive [vaccines], you start vaccinating right away ”.

“From the moment they arrive, we start immediately, because we have a ready and assembled team, which will be dedicated to just that. So, as soon as the vaccines arrive, we start vaccinating, we have the list of people and it is to start calling them, which will be easy and immediate, because we have the list of people, everything is prepared, we know where people are and what services belong, so it’s getting started, ”he said.

Ana Castro acknowledged that she still has no information on when the vaccine will actually be delivered, but guaranteed that the process will start without delay on the 29th.

 

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 23rd December

Aljezur Municipality supports institutions in the municipality in the purchase of protective material

The Municipality of Aljezur decided to grant financial support, of approximately 7,500 euros, to the institutions of the municipality, for the purchase of individual protection material and disinfection.

This support was decided under the “Aljezur – Present Municipality” program, created by the municipality to promote support to minimize the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Municipality of Aljezur stresses that this is “a considerable financial effort, not allowing this type of material to be lacking in the municipality’s institutions, namely the Casa da Criança do Rogil (Integrated Long Term Care and Maintenance Unit (ULDM)) Aljezur and nurseries), the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Aljezur and the Association of Voluntary Firemen of Aljezur”.

Also within the scope of the support measures, the Aljezur municipality financially supported the Juventude Clube Aljezurense, in the amount of 978.25 euros, to cover the operating expenses of its headquarters building, namely the payment of water, electricity and telecommunications.

“These measures will continue to be assumed and supported by the autarchy and understood as essential, at this point in the life of the associations, which have been at the forefront of the fight against Pandemic”, adds the municipality.

Albufeira Municipality attributes “Vale Restauração” to professionals who deal with the pandemic on a daily basis

Within the scope of the “Present Municipality” program, a new initiative was approved yesterday, this time aimed at the catering sector. This is the “Vale Restauração”, a voucher with a unit value of 20 euros and which will be distributed by professionals who deal with the pandemic daily.

The initiative results from a tripartite protocol between the municipality of Albufeira, ACRAL – Association of Commerce and Services of the Algarve and AHRESP – Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Services of Portugal.

In a statement, the municipality adds that the investment is around 120 thousand euros and that this is yet another initiative to apply the funds initially planned for the organization of the Christmas and New Year’s events, “in responses that can boost the economy and support the families of the municipality ».

For the Mayor, José Carlos Rolo, “it is a gesture of recognition for those who have given so much for others, often in situations of extreme mental and physical fatigue, but also a way to support restoration local, one of the sectors of activity that has suffered the most from the contingencies of the current economic situation”. In total, more than 5,700 beneficiaries will be covered by this measure, whose investment is around 120 thousand euros.

Faro municipality offers 400 king cakes to security forces, firefighters, hospital and INEM

The municipality of Faro has announced that it will symbolically offer 400 king cakes to GNR, PSP, INEM, Firefighters Sapadores de Faro, Voluntary Firefighters from Faro and Hospital de Faro.

The delivery of these cakes traditionally alluding to the Christmas season will take place on Christmas Eve, December 24, and intends, according to the municipality, to recognize “the extreme importance of the work, commitment, altruism and notion of public cause of the professionals of these entities in a year marked by a very difficult situation due to the situation of pandemic crisis”.

The local authority invested a value of 3,618 euros in the purchase of 400 bolo-rei, plus VAT at the legal rate in force.

Algarve Situation Report 19th of December

Three Municipalities at High Risk

Prime Minister António Costa announced this Thursday, new restrictive measures to curb the contagion of the covid.19, namely for the New Year period.

After reviewing the epidemiological situation in the country, the Council of Ministers updated the list of risky municipalities.

In the Algarve there are 3 counties at “high risk”: Faro, Portimão and Loulé, (the latter rose to “high risk”). There are 3 other municipalities that have gone down to “moderate risk”: Lagos, Monchique and Lagoa.

The remaining counties, namely Albufeira, Alcoutim, Aljezur, Castro Marim, Olhão, São Brás de Alportel, Silves, Tavira, Vila do Bispo and Vila Real de Stº António, remain at “moderate risk”.

The new measures take effect on November 24.

Covid-19: RTA President predicts “significant impact” on demand for Christmas and New Year

The president of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA) today acknowledged that restrictions to contain the covid-19 pandemic will have a “significant impact” on demand in the region at Christmas, but especially over the New Year.

“There are no specific estimates, but we know that there will be a significant impact,” said considering that the tightening of the restriction measures that the Government imposed on Thursday for the New Year will prevent “some expected activity” in a context more permissive.

The president of RTA regretted that the “less serious” epidemiological situation in the Algarve, compared to other regions of the country, was not taken into account by the Government when, on Thursday, it tightened up the restrictions for the New Year, imposing the 23: 00 as the time limit for curfew on the 31st and limiting the circulation on public roads until 13:00 on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of January.

“I am sure that there will be a lot of people coming to their second homes in the Algarve, but [the decision to tighten restrictions on New Year’s Eve] will have a lot of impact on tourism and is a very difficult year extension”, he said .

João Fernandes considered that, although circulation between municipalities remains the same as predicted before the aggravation decided by the Government on Thursday, “the impossibility of circulating on public roads from 13:00 on 01, 02 and 03 will also limit the enjoyment of what in the Algarve is a special condition, which is being able to walk outdoors for a good part of the day”.

“It was a year in which this demand was obviously very important, the coincidence of the 31st being on a Thursday and 01 Friday allowed for a long weekend, but these measures – which come to condition the period of pre-booked dinners, New Year’s Eve festivities and New Year’s lunch, as well as circulation on the public road in the following days – end up dictating a loss of the potential we had for this period”, he argued.

Arrivals of illegal immigrants to the Algarve do not reveal a migratory route

The arrival in the Algarve of illegal immigrants, less than 100 people, does not yet make it possible to say whether there is a new migratory pattern or whether Portugal is just a transit point, according to the Secretary of State for Migration, Cláudia Pereira.

“There are less than 100 people who have arrived. I know that they had a lot of media visibility, but there are less than 100, which still doesn’t allow us to know if it is a new migratory pattern. We still don’t even have data to understand if they wanted to come to Portugal or if they wanted to leave Portugal and go to other countries. More than half have applied for asylum”, but none of these people have yet been given any status, the Secretary of State for Integration and Migration, Cláudia Pereira, said in an interview to Lusa, regarding the International Migration Day, which is being celebrated today.

Since December 2019, small groups of migrants on boats, originating in Morocco, have sporadically arrived in the Algarve.

This reality led the Portuguese State to decide to speed up a process that was already underway to reach a bilateral agreement with Morocco, to be worked on by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to frame migrations based on the demand for work in Portugal, said Cláudia Pereira, who also mentioned that, so far, the Government is unaware of any other possible route besides this one.

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