Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 14th October 2020

There are 24 new cases of Covid-19 in the Algarve

The Algarve has 24 more cases of Covid-19, according to data from the epidemiological bulletin of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) of this Tuesday, October 13th, which has just been released.

The number of cases accumulated since the beginning of the pandemic in the Algarve region is now 2025.

In Alentejo, 32 more cases are reported today, bringing a cumulative total of 1677. These figures make the Algarve today the region of Mainland Portugal with fewer cases.

Covid.19: Municipality of VRSA prolongs the use of a mask on the street

Given the epidemiological evolution of Covid-19 in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, and with the aim of minimizing the chances of contagion, the municipality will extend, until the end of the month, the application of a set of more restrictive isolation measures and protection of the population.

In a statement, the City Council says it seeks to develop “concrete” actions to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, seeking to keep the majority of trade and services in operation, “but in a regulated and safe manner”.

The exception is the gradual opening of municipal sports facilities, starting on October 16th, namely the municipal swimming pools, which will operate only by appointment (via phone and e-mail) and with limited capacity.

To make this possible, all sports facilities have a set of procedures and contingency plans, in order to ensure the protection and safety of visitors and employees.

According to the Municipality, the following restrictive measures will remain in force: the suspension of all cultural events held in municipal facilities, recommendation for the use of an individual protection mask in all situations of contact with other people, including on the street, warnings of the prohibition of private parties, under the terms already provided by the General Health Directorate (DGS), and reinforced inspection.

Covid.19: GNR ends illegal party that had live music

GNR ended this Saturday, an illegal party, which brought together about 50 people, at Sítio do Corotelo, municipality of São Brás de Alportel.

In a statement sent this afternoon (Tuesday), the GNR stated that it received a complaint “for the existence of a party with live music at a beverage establishment”, with the military proceeding with the inspection of the event and the demobilization of the people present, in order to comply with the standards related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the same source, the owner of the establishment was identified, with an order to end the party, resulting in the drafting of an administrative order.

CCDR: José Apolinário elected for the presidency in the Algarve

Former Secretary of State for Fisheries José Apolinário was elected president of the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) on Tuesday, with 290 votes out of 423 voters, according to official results.

According to the information made available online by the Directorate-General of Local Authorities (DGAL), 483 voters were registered and 116 white votes and 17 null votes were registered.

Although with a difference of one vote in relation to the votes and null, the election of José Apolinário had already been indicated to Lusa on Tuesday night, but the socialist sent more statements for today.

José Apolinário, 58, graduated in Law, asked to leave the Government, from the post of Secretary of State for Fisheries, to run for the presidency of CCDR / Algarve, having been the only candidate standing for election.


Algarve situation report Saturday 10th October 2020

Covid- 19 ARS statistics

The Algarve Health Authority reported yesterday 36 more cases of infection, totalling 1,923 cases and a total of 22 deaths to date.

  • No. of active cases (current) 763
  • No. of active surveillance contacts 1 532
  • No. of confirmed cases (cumulative) 1 939
  • No. of deaths (cumulative) 22
  • No. of new cases in the last 24 hours 36
  • Number of hospitalized patients 27, including 5 in ICU
  • Number of recovered cases (cumulative) 1,154 – recovered 59.52 %

Loulé Carnival Parade 2021 Cancelled

In view of the growing number of people infected by COVID-19 in the country and worldwide, as well as the important economic problems resulting from the periods of confinement, the City Council decided to cancel the traditional Carnival parade in Loulé. This decision reflects the need to protect the population at the health level, as well as safeguarding the local economy, preventing the appearance of new outbreaks that could result in more periods of confinement.

For over a hundred years now, Avenida José da Costa Mealha has hosted the grand parade of the Loulé Carnival. Known to some as the “Louletano Sambadrome” and to others as the oldest carnival parade in the country, the Loulé Carnival attracts close to 60,000 people over its three days of parade.

Its mega-production requires a hard work of more than 3 months and includes about 600 extras and 14 floats. Despite the importance of this anchor event in the municipality, its typology, its format, its invitation to socialize and share experiences between the stakeholders make the organization unable to ensure compliance with the COVID-19 prevention rules, listed by the DGS, as well as by the measures imposed by the Government of the Portuguese Republic, in what concerns above all the social distance and the prevention of gatherings inside and outside the enclosure.

This difficult decision comes in addition to so many other measures taken by the Municipality for the safety of the population and is aligned with several municipalities at national and international level that have already announced the cancellation of their carnival celebrations, due to the lack of knowledge about the evolution of Pandemic, in the beginning of 2021.

In Loulé, the date will be marked with decorative elements placed on Avenida José da Costa Mealha and elsewhere in the city, so that everyone remembers this event that will return in 2022.


President of AHETA considers Tourist season 2020 was “the worst ever” for the Algarve

Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve (AHETA) considers that the tourist season 2020, (April to October), which really counts for the results of the companies, presents the “worst tourist results ever in the Algarve”.

Between April and October, the Algarve recorded an average occupancy rate of 27.5 percent, a decrease of 65.5 percent, while turnover decreased 68.7 percent, compared to the same period last year. Thus, hotels and tourist developments in the Algarve recorded, between April and October, 10.3 million fewer nights than in 2019, with revenues falling by 635.8 million euros in the same period.

These results mainly contributed to the drop in demand from the main foreign markets, with emphasis on our largest supplier of tourists, the United Kingdom -88.9 percent, resulting in 626 thousand fewer guests and 3.8 million overnight stays. On the other hand, the most important issuing markets also showed large decreases in tourist flows to the Algarve during this tourist season, namely Germany -77.4 percent, Holland 67.3 percent, Ireland -94.7 percent and France – 73.2 percent.

Passenger traffic at Faro Airport, the main port of entry for tourists in the Algarve, decreased 82.5 percent, down 5.3 million passengers, 2.8 million of which came from the United Kingdom. Approximately 20 percent of tourist developments remained closed during the tourist season, corresponding to more than 26 thousand beds. The outlook is for 70 percent of establishments to close during the next low season (November to March).

Therefore, “it is our conviction that the recovery will be slow and very prolonged, extending over several years, to the extent that the reestablishment of confidence levels with holiday consumers is not assured and is not predictable in the times closer, including the fear of traveling that affects the world in general”, considers the direction of AHETA in a statement sent to the press.

“Today we have a more precise and clearer perception of the scale of the crisis and its impact on tourism and the economy in general, although aware that, after the pandemic, tourism will return gradually and gradually”.


EasyJet to open a new base in Faro and creates 100 jobs

The airline EasyJet will open a new base at Faro Airport in the spring of next year, creating 100 jobs. The announcement was made this Thursday, October 8th. In a statement, EasyJet explains that the future base will have “three A319 aircraft”, each with a capacity for 156 passengers.

José Lopes, executive director of EasyJet Portugal, revealed, at a press conference held at the Ministry of Economy, that recruitment starts today, but priority will be given to current airline workers who can thus request a transfer. Only then, if necessary, will an “external recruitment process” be opened.

According to José Lopes, the new base in Faro confirms, “unequivocally, EasyJet’s great commitment” to Portugal. Especially because this new investment will allow the airline to remain “attentive and take advantage of new opportunities that may arise in the market”. According to José Lopes, an agreement was concluded with “the representatives of our employees”, which will avoid “any dismissals and allow this growth”. At the moment, EasyJet, which employs about 325 people in Portugal, has 17 routes from Faro, representing 20% of passengers disembarked in the region.


Algarve – Covid-19 Situation as at Monday 5th October.

The Algarve has 1,832 cases, 25 more in the last 24 hours and 19 deaths ending 5th October. Regional weekly count (cumulative): source (DGS):

  • Albufeira has 292, (3 deaths)
  • Loulé – 260, (8 deaths)
  • Faro – 227
  • Portimão – 199, (3 deaths)
  • Lagos – 198
  • Vila Real de Stº António – 101, (2 deaths)
  • Tavira – 94
  • Silves – 83
  • Olhão – 61
  • Lagoa – 61, (2 deaths)
  • Castro Marim – 30
  • Monchique – 16
  • São Brás de Alportel – 15, (1 death)
  • Vila do Bispo – 13
  • Alcoutim – 11
  • Aljezur – 9 (1 death)
  • The information presented refers to the total of medical notifications in the SINAVE system, not including laboratory notifications. As such, it may not correspond to all cases per municipality.

Covid.19: Woman detained in Albufeira for violation of mandatory confinement

GNR yesterday detained a 43-year-old woman in Olhos de Água, Albufeira, for violating the mandatory confinement to which she was subject, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was through a patrolling action to verify the obligation of mandatory confinement, that “the military intercepted the suspect on the public road, and was taken immediately to their residence”, says a statement from the GNR.

The woman was accused and the facts were referred to the Albufeira Judicial Court.

Algarve hotels recorded a 39.9% drop in demand in September

The Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve revealed data referring to the variations in accommodation units in the region for September.

Thus, the average occupancy rate / room was 52.5%, 39.9% below the value registered in 2019.

According to the association, the British market was the one that most contributed to the decrease (-68.2%), followed by the Irish (91.3%) and the German (-48.3%).

The national market was the only one to show an increase (+ 36%), having represented 49.5% of the total overnight stays.

Sales volume decreased by 37% compared to the same month of the previous year. In accumulated values, the bed occupancy registered an average decrease of -55.8% since January and the sales volume decreased by -51.3%.

Covid.19: Municipality of Albufeira creates telephone line to clarify educational community

The Municipality of Albufeira has created a support line for the educational community, “Lace-Covid 19”, with the support of ABC – Algarve Biomedical Centre.

As the Municipality explains in a statement, this is a measure that aims to “inform and minimize” the possibility of transmission of the new coronavirus, in addition to facilitating safe, clarified return to classes. The line is available at 707 027 070, open every day of the week from 7 am to midnight.

The telephone service counts on ABC doctors, who are available to assist in case of suspicious or positive cases, as well as in situations of doubts or behaviours to be adopted in case of alert.

The municipality notes that the creation of the line is not intended to replace the SNS24 line, “but rather to provide an integrated response” within the scope of the adaptation strategy of the municipality’s educational community in order to minimize the possibility of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus which causes the Covid-19 disease).


Algarve Situation report Saturday 3th of october

Outbreak amongst Roma Community

There are 60 positive cases in Roma communities, “dispersed throughout the region”, revealed Ana Cristina Guerreiro, regional health delegate on Thursday. At a press conference, held at the Civil Protection headquarters in the Algarve , in Loulé, the delegate said that this is, “perhaps, the situation that most concerns” the regional health authorities today.

Until yesterday, September 30, there were such 60 confirmed cases, “more concentrated in Portimão and Albufeira, but with the knowledge that the outbreaks may soon reach other municipalities”. “For us, it is difficult to separate the two situations because they are communities that live together a lot and we are even aware of other cases in other municipalities”, explained Ana Cristina Guerreiro.

Questioned by the South Information on the number of tests carried out, the delegate said that “surely more than 200 have already been carried out”, with hundreds of people in prophylactic isolation, including adults, young people and children. The origin of these outbreaks, revealed Ana Cristina Guerreiro, is related to “more than one” gathering.


Covid.19: Outbreak at Faro Hospital is related to Beja

The registered confirmed cases of health professionals at Hospital de Faro, are linked to the outbreak of the Beja unit, the President of the Regional Health Administration of the Algarve – (ARS) confirmed today to journalists.

In a press conference on the epidemiological situation in the region, Paulo Morgado said that the outbreak at the Faro hospital is related to an infected professional who works at both hospitals. Altogether there are 7 positive health professionals with 33 in confinement, however, there was no closure of services.

At the regional level, there are 14 infected professionals, belonging to the hospitals of Faro and Portimão and to a private health unit.

The ARS Algarve official explained that at this stage, the health authorities are still able to detect the origin of the outbreaks, “that way we better control their spread”. He added that next week, the Regional Public Health Laboratory of the Algarve, Dr. Laura Ayres, will increase its testing capacity, with the possibility of carrying out more than 1000 tests per day, in line with the national strategy, “only yesterday in the country , more than 25 thousand tests were carried out”, he clarified.

He also informed that the Hospital de Faro has an installed capacity of 60 beds, “if necessary, we activate the Portimão unit”. The Algarve has a total of 15 students and six school staff, which includes teachers, infected with Covid-19, revealed this Thursday, October 1, in a press conference.


Algarve has 15 students and 6 employees infected with Covid-19

According to data provided by Ana Cristina Guerreiro, there are cases “in all levels of education, from day care to secondary”. Regarding day care centres, there is one infected child in the Alameda Kindergarten (Faro), three in the Borboleta Kindergarten (Vila Real de Santo António) and three employees in the Portuguese Red Cross Kindergarten, in Moncarapacho. In Schools EB2, 3 there are infected, in D. Afonso III, in Faro (two students), in D. Martinho Castelo Branco, in Portimão (1 employee), in D. José I, in VRSA (3 students) and in EB2, 3 by Castro Marim (2 students).

Portimão Intensive Care Unit “prepared to deal with 2nd wave of Covid-19”

We are prepared to deal with this second wave of Covid-19 and are equipped for that.” The guarantee is given by the director of the Intensive Care Unit of the Portimão unit of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, whose Intensive Care Unit is now 20 years old.

Alexandre Baptista Photo: Reserchgate

“From a practical point of view, we are currently well equipped and clearly prepared» stresses the specialist doctor Alexandre Baptista, who heads a team of 8 doctors, 33 nurses and 12 assistants.

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Portimão hospital, which is exactly this Friday, October 2nd, two decades of operation, currently has 11 beds, of which eight are now occupied by as many patients. The South Information visited the UCI yesterday, to know the conditions of this service that, in recent months, has been around the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In fact, aimed especially at these patients, there is another wing of the ICU almost next to it, “isolated and with completely separate circuits”, which is prepared and equipped, but closed, waiting to be needed again. At the moment, of the 16 patients in the Algarve with Covid-19 who are hospitalized, only 4 are in Intensive Care, but at the Faro hospital.


The COVID Lares (Care homes) Line starts operating this Friday, October 2nd.

To mark the moment, the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, visited the call centre at 2 pm at Estádio do Algarve.

Through the number 700 20 70 70, care homes across the country are provided with support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to clarifying doubts and providing information, the telephone line will facilitate the contact of homes with local health, civil protection and social security entities, facilitating the signalling of risk situations with the competent authorities.

The COVID Lares Line results from a partnership between Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa and the Algarve Biomedical Center, as part of the integrated program of the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security to support care homes. This is a project to allow permanent monitoring of the institutions, monitoring and responding to their needs.


Water reserves

The water reserves in the Algarve are sufficient to ensure public supply

The water reserves in the Algarve are sufficient to ensure public supply and although the levels of the dams are low, there are no restrictions on consumption, a source from Águas do Algarve told Lusa.

The absence of rain has contributed to accentuate the drought, especially in the eastern (eastern) Algarve, however, the existing water reserves allow to give the “guarantee” that there will be no restrictions on supply, said the spokesperson of the company that manages the multi-municipal public water supply system in the Algarve.

“The data we have regarding the water needs to supply the population of the Algarve, which is in the order of 72 million cubic meters, and what the current reserves are, plus underground abstractions, allows us to guarantee that for now, there is no forecast of any type of constraint to supply, either in quantity or in quality”, assured Teresa Fernandes.

That official acknowledged, however, that “the water reserves available this year in the Algarve region are below what would be desirable for this time of year”.


Faro and GNR unite to guarantee quality of life for the elderly

The monitoring and improvement of the quality of life of the elderly in Faro will now be guaranteed by a team that will bring together technicians from the Faro Council and elements from the GNR.

The local authority of Faro and the GNR signed yesterday, October 1, the International Day of the Elderly, the protocol for the formalization of the GPSS Program in Faro – Proximity Group for the Promotion of Social Rights and Security, «with a view to monitoring and promoting the improvement of quality of life of the elderly, in particular those who are most isolated or in the most vulnerable situation”.

This is a «pioneer decentralized intervention program in Portugal», which involves the Municipality’s Elderly Support Office and the GNR Faro Territorial Command (CT) Elderly Support Team, which «intends to carry out an intervention and assistance of excellence, meeting the elderly identified by GNR, through the survey carried out within the scope of the “Senior Censuses” operation », according to the Chamber

The objective is that «all the elderly can be informed about their social rights and the promotion of safety measures, promoting differentiated service, door to door, in which each case is analyzed and monitored, with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life of the identified elderly. After an assessment of the situation of the citizen, there will be an appropriate intervention with specific responses taking into account the needs detected.“


Situation Report Algarve – Wednesday 30th of September

Covid-19: There are 3 outbreaks in nursing homes in the Algarve

The Director-General of Health revealed today that there are currently 51 active outbreaks in nursing homes, the largest number in the region of Lisbon and the Tagus Valley.

“In residential structures for the elderly there are 51 active outbreaks at this moment,” said Graça Freitas, at the press conference to update information on infection with the new coronavirus in Portugal.

According to the director-general of Health, 10 outbreaks are active in the North, two in the Center, 33 in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region, three in the Alentejo and three in the Algarve – Loulé (Quarteira), Olhão and Tavira.

Algarvian nurses deliver petition with 4600 signatures to the Assembly of the Republic

The SEP’s Regional Directorate of Faro says in a statement it will deliver on Wednesday 30th September at 10 am to the Assembly of the Republic, a petition with more than 4600 signatures, demanding that the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve – CHUA and the Regional Health Administration of the Algarve – ARS, “comply with the commitments they have assumed”, in the sense that 500 nurses with 10 and 20 years of work, earn the same as a newly graduated nurse, because they are not counted with the length of service.

Union members make it known that CHUA does not progress nurses with Individual Employment Contract and ARS Algarve does not progress those who had a salary adjustment for the first remuneration position of the new career. But both institutions, according to the SEP, signed these commitments in 2019.

The same communiqué from the Portuguese Nurses Union advances that this non-compliance determined a clarification campaign with the population and political leaders, as well as the collection of signatures for the public petition “Support the Nurses of the Algarve”. Copies of the more than 4600 signatures of thousands of solidary citizens with the nurses, were handed over to the CHUA administration, will be sent to ARS Algarve, Prime Minister, and Minister of Health and will be delivered to the Assembly of the Republic, underlines the same document.

In a meeting with deputies elected by the Algarve from the PS, PSD, BE and the deputy of the European parliament of the PCP, it was assumed that the written commitments are to be fulfilled, but the SEP says that, within the scope of other petitions delivered by the union, precisely around this problem, the PS and PSD have not yet presented any proposals for draft law decrees to resolve them.

In the same publication, he recalls that nurses continue to be at the forefront and at risk. “There is a lack of material for clinical consumption in some Health Centres in the region and recent reports have come from professionals and users to buy some material to carry out treatments”, they refer.


Ryanair makes a new donation of 250 thousand euros for the renaturalization of the Monchique Mountains

The airline Ryanair, made for the second consecutive year a donation of 250 thousand euros for the renaturalization of the Serra de Monchique as part of its initiative to offset carbon emissions, thus adding 500 thousand euros in contributions to the project.

This new budget, which, like last year, was obtained through donations from passengers, will finance the planting of over 75 thousand trees destroyed by the 2018 fires in this Algarve area. In the first year of the project, 62 thousand indigenous trees were planted and around 90 owners were supported. It is expected that in the future the set of trees planted may be responsible for the sequestration of 1000 tons of carbon per year.

Ryanair’s Sustainability Director, Thomas Fowler, entrusted another check for 250,000 euros to the project partners – Algarve Tourism Region, Territory and Environment Planning Study Group (GEOTA), Nature and Forest Conservation Institute and Monchique City Council.

Ryanair is the greenest airline in Europe, operating the youngest fleet with the highest occupancy rates and the most efficient fuel consumption per passenger. Likewise, Ryanair has industry-leading CO2 emissions per passenger-km of just 66 grams, up to 50% lower than the other four major European airlines.


Turismo do Algarve went by bicycle, donkey and buggy to honour health professionals

This September 27, World Tourism Day, was celebrated differently by the Algarve Tourism Region. It is that those responsible for the RTA decided to promote, in Silves, activities that brought together the health officials of the region in an outdoor program that led them to ride on the road on an electric bicycle or to ride on a buggy or donkey, as a way to thank them provision in the prevention and control of the pandemic in the Algarve.

At Quinta de Santo Estêvão, on the outskirts of Silves, the moment reflected the theme defined by the United Nations for the World Tourism Day in 2020 (Tourism and Rural Development), through which the sector’s capacity to create opportunities outside the great cities and the need to preserve cultural and natural heritage worldwide, in the face of the current public health crisis.


Situation report Algarve 26th of September

Covid 19 situation

There are 450 active cases of Covid-19 in the Algarve, according to data from the Regional Health Authority, which have just been released by the District Civil Protection Commission.

This total of active cases results from the increase in the number of new infections confirmed in the region in the last 24 hours (plus 48, according to the Regional Health Authority), which was not offset by the increase in cases of recovered patients (plus 22).

There are a total of 11 people in hospital including four in ICU. Of the 1510 confirmed cases to date 1039 have recovered – 68.8%

Covid.19: Twelve employees of the ACASO home in Olhão under active surveillance

Three positive cases of covid.19 were recorded last weekend at the ACASO nursing home in Olhão. The cases are linked to two employees and an 88-year-old patient. All the other 32 elderly people at the institution were negative.

Photo: LinkedIn

João Calão, Director of Services at ACASO, confirmed that the elderly woman is hospitalized, “she is asymptomatic and stable and there has been no increase in cases”. Under active surveillance there are 12 employees out of a total of 25.

The official explained that the first cases were registered following a testing operation at home, by the Public Health authorities, who hope to carry out new tests this weekend.

The infected workers are also stable, “one is without symptoms and the other with mild symptoms, which looks more like a cold”. João Calão explained that the health entities, understood to test the first employee who was asymptomatic, for having other relatives with covid: “the entities were relentless, on Saturday the first case was confirmed, and on Sunday, we already knew the results of all tests to users and employees and the measures to be taken, namely the internment of the user and the isolation of the employees”, he stressed.


Southern Branch of Doctors’ Union criticizes ARS Algarve for hiring doctors “without specific training”

According to the union, the Regional Health Administration (ARS) of the Algarve published, on the 4th of September, a notice for the recruitment of 9 non-specialist doctors for the performance of functions in the field of Public Health, whose employment contract will have a duration of 4 months and a monthly remuneration of 1859 euros gross (ie, approximately 1200 euros net).

For the union, “this is proof of a deliberate governmental intention to create a class of doctors without access to specialized training and thus precarious medical work, has serious repercussions in terms of the quality of care provided”. The same union gave as an example what happened at Hospital Garcia de Orta, which opened a tender for the hiring of doctors without specialization in specific services such as Intensive Care, Anesthesiology or Orthopaedics, for which they do not have skills, he said.

In the union’s position, this type of hiring corresponds to a complete “subversion of the principles of the medical profession”, that is, the doctor is prohibited from exercising in an area for which he has no competences, and respect for the citizens who use the Service. National Health.


COVID-19: Monchique statues wear masks to raise awareness

Municipality of Monchique puts masks on the village’s statues to sensitize the population and tourists to the protection measures against the new Coronavirus.

At the moment when the spread of the disease by the new coronavirus registers significant numbers in our country, and even without active cases in the municipality of Monchique at this moment, the municipality decided to promote this action through its sculptural ensemble spread a little throughout this mountain village. It is important to reach everyone with the message that it is necessary to act to stop the new coronavirus and that this path goes mainly through pedagogy and by increasing the collective awareness that everyone must protect themselves and adopt the protection measures already spread by the municipality of Monchique and by the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).

For Rui André, Mayor of Monchique, “the population of Monchique has been exemplary, as well as the institutions and companies that have adopted protective measures in their establishments / spaces that have contributed decisively to combat the spread of this disease in our country.

Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 23rd September 2020

Covid-19: Louletano has resumed training but there are still eight infected footballers

Louletano’s football team remains with eight players infected with Covid-19, who are due to undergo further diagnostic tests today, to see if they can resume training with the rest of the team, said the president.

“We already have some players training, there are only eight at home, who should do new tests today,” the president of Louletano Desportos Clube, António do Adro, told the Lusa agency, saying that the other players resumed training earlier in the week.

The same source added that, “as they only started training now”, the club “asked for the postponement of three games” of the Portuguese Championship “and one of the Portuguese Cup” to “be able to train for at least three weeks before starting competing” in official games.

“There is already an agreement between the clubs, all that remains to be decided is the date” on which the games will be played after this postponement, added António do Adro, in a reference to the games of the second and third rounds of the championship with Lagos and Olhanense, respectively, and of the Portuguese Cup with Ferreiras, which should take place between the 4th and 18th of October.

The official stressed that the first match against Moncarapachense has already been rescheduled for November 15th and, with this solution, the Algarve team should only start the competition in the third or fourth week of October.

Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim outline common strategy to prevent the spread of Covid-19

Following the epidemiological evolution of Covid-19 in the municipalities of Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim, and in order to minimize the chances of contagion, the two municipalities decided to implement, by mutual agreement, a set of more restrictive measures of isolation and protection of the population.

In a note sent to the media, the Municipality of Vila Real de St António states that the two municipalities decided to apply some measures in order to minimize the likelihood of contagion.

There are 7 measures, which go through the suspension of all sporting, cultural and social events held in municipal facilities and in public spaces involving crowds of people, and the ban on the use of all municipal sports equipment for the practice of sports, including training and competition games, with the use of municipal sports equipment only being permitted by groupings of schools, under the terms of their contingency plans, for physical education classes, with the group itself being responsible for determining the performance of classes.

Another measure has to do with the recommendation to use an individual protection mask in all situations of contact with other people, including on the street.

The alert for the prohibition of private parties, under the terms already foreseen by the General Directorate of Health (DGS), and reinforcement of the inspection, as well as the request for the collaboration of the police forces “for a rigorous implementation” of the national and municipal regulations related to the combating the pandemic, are other measures that are in place until the 15th of October, which were announced today by the two Municipalities.


Secretary of State Jorge Botelho is the new regional coordinator to combat Covid-19

The Algarvian Jorge Botelho, Secretary of State for Decentralization and Local Administration, is the new regional coordinator of the fight against Covid-19, succeeding José Apolinário, who left the government last week.

Botelho will already participate, this morning, in the meeting of the District Civil Protection Commission, which will take place via VTC.

Jorge Botelho was mayor of Tavira and president of the Intermunicipal Community of Algarve (AMAL), until he was appointed to the current government functions by Prime Minister António Costa.

Interestingly, José Apolinário, who preceded him in regional coordination, left the Secretariat of State for Fisheries to run for president of the Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) of the Algarve, in the first indirect elections for this position, which result from the recent legislation which was largely conceived by Secretary of State Jorge Botelho.


Algarve Saturday 19th September

Covid-19 Statistics

A total of 971 people have recovered from Covid-19 in the Algarve, according to data from the Regional Health Authority released recently by the District Civil Protection Commission. This means that, since yesterday, there were 13 more patients recovered in the Algarve region.

Even so, taking into account that, in the last week (from 11 to 18 September) there were 122 new cases of Covid-19 in the Algarve, this means that the percentage of people recovered in relation to the total accumulated cases decreased from 76.37% to 73.12%.

On the other hand, the Regional Health Authority announces that, in the last 24 hours, 27 new infections were confirmed, bringing the total accumulated since the beginning of the pandemic to 1328.

There are currently 336 active cases in the region, that is, an increase of 21.1% over last Friday. Over the past week, there was also one more death, on Monday, that of an 80-year-old Italian, residing in the municipality of Loulé, who had been hospitalized in critical condition for intensive weeks at the Hospital Intensive Care for many weeks. from Faro .

At the moment, according to the data revealed today, there are 7 persons in hospital, one of them in the ICU. There was a significant increase in the number of people who are under active surveillance, that is, who are at home, awaiting test results or the end of quarantines: there are now 789, compared to 580 a week ago.

https://www.sulinformacao.pt/2020/09/971-pessoas-ja-recuperaram-da-covid-19-no-algarve/


Albufeira – Mayor announces measures at start of school year.

The Salão Nobre dos Paços do Concelho hosted yesterday morning a meeting between all the bodies involved in the different dynamics of the start of the school year in Albufeira.

Health Delegate, National Republican Guard, Civil Protection, Presidents of Parish Councils, Directors of School Groups and Municipal Health and Education services responded affirmatively to the Mayor’s invitation to, jointly with ABC – Algarve Biomedical Center, to present the “Adaptation Strategy of the Educational Community” to minimize the possibility of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.

In a statement, the municipality took stock of what has been preparing for the beginning of the school year, which is “one of the most difficult and controversial moments of any political management” and this year “we have added difficulties”, José Carlos Roll said at the opening of the meeting.

The mayor continued: “it is necessary, more than ever, and given the pandemic context, to minimize all risks. It would be utopian to say that the problems do not exist or to imagine that there will not be occasional cases of Covid-19 in schools, but there is an urgent need for the whole community to know that concerted work is being done, networking with security and security and health authorities, together with the schools and the Municipality, in order to transmit confidence to the parents of the students and to the professionals involved, as the moment is one of uncertainty and perplexity”.


Alcoutim – Testing for teachers, and school employees and students upon request

The Alcoutim City Council is making available today, to all teachers and employees of schools in the municipality, the possibility of carrying out Covid-19 screening tests. Serological tests and molecular tests (RT-PCR) are being carried out in the Schools of Alcoutim and Martim Longo by ABC-Algarve Biomedical Center.

“For a good start to the school year, we decided to test teachers and staff and tests for students will be available if requested and authorized by parents. The interest in testing teachers and staff is based on the concern to do everything in our power to minimize the risk of contagion and guarantee the best conditions at the start of the school year”, says the Mayor, Osvaldo Gonçalves, in a note from the municipality.


Algarve Wednesday 16th September

Italian resident in Loulé is the new fatal victim of Covid-19 in the Algarve

An 80-year-old Italian, resident in the municipality of Loulé, is the latest fatal victim of Covid-19 in the Algarve, confirmed a source from the Regional Health Authority.

The man was “in a critical situation for some time, hospitalized in intensive care,” said the same source. He died yesterday at the hospital in Faro.

This is, according to data from the Regional Health Authority, the 21st death in the Algarve region, due to Covid-19, since the beginning of the pandemic.

This new death in the Algarve was revealed today by the daily epidemiological bulletin of the Directorate-General for Health. This entity accounts for 2 fewer deaths than the Regional Authority just because of the victims’ residence.

This Tuesday, according to DGS data, there are 15 new cases since Monday bringing the cumulative total of cases to 1259.


Algarve Covid-19 Transmission rate lowest in the country

The Algarve has one of the lowest transmission rates (Rt) of covid-19 in all regions on the continent, despite the increase in new cases in recent days, said today the president of the Regional Health Administration (ARS).

At the fortnightly press conference of the District Civil Protection, in Loulé, Paulo Morgado said that the Rt in the Algarve region is 1.07, which means that each infected person gets, on average, 1.07.

“The Rt of the Algarve is one of the lowest in all regions of the country”, he stressed, noting that the situation “is relatively controlled” in the region, despite the daily increase in new cases.

The regional health delegate of Faro, Ana Cristina Guerreiro, also considered that the situation in the Algarve “is comfortable, given the circumstances”, namely, the fact that there was a lot of mobility during the summer holidays.

According to the official, mobility, activities and family reunions – especially with emigrants or people from other regions – are the factors that have most contributed to the increase in the number of cases.

Currently, the biggest active outbreak in the Algarve is related to the senior football team of Louletano Desportos Clube, detected at the end of August and which caused a total of 47 cases, among members of the club and family.

Regarding a balance of the number of cases detected during the summer in the Algarve, Ana Cristina Guerreiro said that a “more in-depth technical analysis” is foreseen, but, however, in an “initial assessment”, the situation “went as smoothly as possible”.


Albufeira maintains commercial establishments closing hours during contingency situations

The opening hours of commercial establishments in Albufeira will not change, with the country entering into a contingency situation, as decided by the mayor of Albufeira.

José Carlos Rolo issued an order this Monday stating that in the municipality of Albufeira the schedules that were already in force will be maintained, despite the change from the alert situation to the contingency situation, a level with tighter preventive measures.

The Resolution of the Council of Ministers of last Thursday attributed to the presidents of the Chamber the responsibility to define the closing time of the commercial establishments, in the time window between 20h00 and 23h00.

“We are not going to change anything and I just call on everyone to have the flexibility and the good will to, in this extraordinary and difficult context, adapt and, as far as possible, do and do their best. Albufeira, I am convinced, will not stop and will go down in history regarding this terrible moment. But we are all going to be victorious”, considered the mayor of Albufeira.

“It is important to think about the community and give a vote of confidence to anyone who has thought of these measures, in order to prevent the spread of the pandemic,” he added.

Regarding the opening of establishments, and in line with the diploma approved by the Government, the establishments in Albufeira have to open after 10 am, “except the hairdressing salons, barbers, beauty institutes, restaurants and the like, cafeterias, tea houses and the like, driving schools and technical vehicle inspection centres, as well as gyms and gyms”.

As for the closing time, it remains at 11 pm, “except for those who have their own specifications considered in that Resolution”.

The Albufeira Chamber also stressed “that establishments that have never closed can continue to maintain the hours prior to this legal measure, that is, they are not covered by paragraph 1 of Article 10 of the aforementioned Resolution of the Council of Ministers”.


Monchique educational community tested Covid-19 serological tests

Teachers, employees, but also drivers, security guards and workers from other services related to education and sport in the municipality of Monchique underwent serological tests on Covid-19, before the beginning of another school year.

This initiative was carried out in close collaboration with the ABC – Algarve Biomedical Center and the Monchique Schools Group, and was the first of other initiatives of this nature that the Câmara de Monchique intends to carry out aimed at other groups as well.

“The realization of these serological tests to our workers, to all teaching and non-teaching staff who, due to the nature of their functions, will be in the first line of action and contact with students, will allow not only to obtain very interesting data about the real immune status of this population, as it will also be essential, in terms of human resources, so that we can refine initiatives and procedures to be adopted in the current scenario of worsening of the epidemic situation in our country, despite the fact that the municipality does not register any positive case at this moment”, said Rui André, Mayor of Monchique.


Algarve Saturday 12th of September

Covid-19 Situation update reported 11th September

The District Civil Protection Commission of Faro gave notice of the current epidemiological situation in the Algarve, based on data provided by the Regional Health Delegate, which points to 265 active cases in the region.

So far, 1206 infected people have been registered, 16 more in the last 24 hours with 921 recovered (cumulative), equivalent to 76.37%.

6 people are hospitalized, 2 in the Intensive Care Units. The same source reports 20 deaths in the region. Under active surveillance there are 580 people and 107 (cumulative) were discharged.

In relation to the bulletin of last Friday, September 4th, 21 less active cases and 58 new cases from Covid are confirmed.19. Another 78 people are recovered.

There is 1 more person hospitalized (6), and 1 less in intensive care (2). The number of deaths rose to 20 (+1), under active surveillance there are 45 more people.

One more patient was discharged from hospital.

The same source draws attention to the fact that since August 5, 166 follow-up visits have been made, through health, social security and civil protection technicians, in all municipalities in the Algarve region, with the aim of supporting Institutions in the implementation of appropriate measures, in a preventive and pedagogical nature, in order to reduce the risk of infection by COVID-19.

The following observations were made: Albufeira (11), Alcoutim (6), Aljezur (1), Castro Marim (3), Faro (18), Lagos (14), Lagoa (7), Loulé (27), Monchique (2), Olhão (7), Portimão (26), São Brás de Alportel (8), Silves (5), Tavira (19), Vila do Bispo (6) and Vila Real de Santo António (6).


ANA says number of passengers did not justify summer queuing system at Faro airport

The chairman of the Board of Directors of ANA Aeroportos, José Luís Arnaut, told Lusa yesterday that the summer queuing circuit at Faro airport has not opened because the number of passengers has fallen below the required amount.

Reacting to statements by the Minister of Internal Affairs, who criticized the lack of opening of the summer area at Faro airport, a situation that could increase the queues, José Luís Arnaut explained that, according to the concession contract, to increase circulation space is necessary to have 2,100 passengers per hour, but the maximum recorded in August was 1,029.

“The summer circuit is scheduled to start when there are 2,100 passengers per hour. Unfortunately, on the peak days in August, the maximum we had was 1,029 and, if in February, on the winter circuit, we had 140,000 passengers. and [the airport] functioned, naturally that in August, with 120 thousand, it can also work, if the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) has employees in the ‘boxes’ and these are not empty “, underlined the person in charge of ANA.

José Luís Arnaut stressed that it was “with some astonishment and even some institutional indignation” that he heard the Minister of Internal Administration, Eduardo Cabrita, having blamed ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal for the lines at Faro airport today, accusing him of “repeatedly” violated public service obligations “and” harmed the country “.


British nationals returning from the Algarve

Dozens of British tourists in the Algarve are anticipating their return to the United Kingdom today, to avoid fulfilling their quarantine on their return home, after the British Government announced the closure of the air corridor with mainland Portugal.

Several British citizens contacted by Lusa at Faro airport were unhappy with the British Government’s decision, but due to work commitments they were forced to expedite, some of them, their return to England by several days.

“I do not agree with my country’s decision to place Portugal [with the exception of the Azores and Madeira] in the air risk corridors, not evaluating the regions, as is the case in the Algarve, a region where I feel safe”, Carly Spencer told Lusa .

The surgeon, resident in the north of England, said that the measure “forced her to bring forward the return flight home by six days, which cost about 500 euros, to avoid quarantine on arrival in the United Kingdom”. “The vacation ends next week and I cannot, for professional reasons, subject myself to a two-week quarantine,” he said. Carly Spencer added that the situation in Portugal “may raise concerns in large cities like Lisbon and Porto, but the Algarve should be an exception for the British Government”.


Cultural facilities in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA) earn the “Clean & Safe” seal of Turismo de Portugal.

The cultural facilities in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António (Municipal Library, Cultural Centre António Aleixo and Municipal Historic Archive) obtained the “Clean & Safe” accreditation, attributed by Turismo de Portugal, thus guaranteeing their safety in the face of the COVID- 19.

To receive this seal, the spaces implemented a contingency plan that, according to the recommendations of the Directorate-General for Health, ensures social distance and the necessary hygiene to avoid risks of contamination with SARS-CoV-2 (new coronavirus).

In order to be able to affix the “Clean & Safe” seal, municipal cultural facilities also had to comply with the set of provisions contained in the “Declaration of Commitment”, provided by the Regional Tourism Authority of the Algarve, guaranteeing safe procedures for its operation.

The accreditation is valid until April 30, 2021 and can be posted either in physical facilities, or in the channels and platforms for dissemination and sale.


Algarve report Wednesday 9th September

Covid.19: Algarve without fairs until the end of the year

The decision of the municipalities in the Algarve was taken at the AMAL Intermunicipal Council Meeting. The mayors consider that the conditions are not met to allow annual fairs to be held.

In a statement, AMAL said that in the context of the current pandemic, the Municipalities of the Algarve decided, at the Council meeting that took place on the 5th, “not to hold the Fairs that take place, once a year, in different counties in the region “. The decision will be maintained at least until the end of this year, until further evaluation, read in the same note.

Despite the fairs being held outdoors, AMAL explains that they “would have to obey a set of guidelines from the General Directorate of Health (DGS), which mayors affirm that there are no conditions to be met, since they imply a great deal of concentration of people “.

Thus, the same source reports that the holding of, for example, the Feira de Santa Iria, in Faro, the Feira de São Miguel, in Olhão, the Feira da Praia, in Vila Real de Santo António, the Feira de São Francisco, in Tavira, from Feira de São Martinho, in Portimão, or from Feira Franca, in Lagos.

In addition to this assessment, AMAL reinforces that, according to what has already been announced by the Government, the entire country will, as of September 15, enter a State of Contingency.


Open call to recruit 42 doctors at the Centro Universitario Universitário do Algarve

The Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve (CHUA) reported today that it has 42 vacancies for hiring doctors, in various specialties, within the scope of the national competition published on September 4 in Diário da República with the aim of strengthening the National Health Service. Health (SNS) with over 950 medical professionals.

For CHUA, this contest launched by the Government, through the Ministry of Health, “will allow the creation of conditions to provide the Algarve hospital units with more specialist doctors, thus solving, if the vacancies are fully filled, some of the main constraints felt over the years “.

The dispatch with the distribution of the contingent of the 950 vacancies of the 1st season competition of the newly specialists in the hospital (911) and public health (39) areas was published last Friday in Diário da República.

The contest has a period of 5 days, counting from the date of publication in the Diário da República. For more information, see Notice No. 13200-E / 2020, of September 4, 2020.


Algarve Report Saturday September 5th

Covid 19

In the Algarve there are 1148 total confirmed cases to date including 286 currently active. On these there were 11 confirmed cases in the last 24 hrs.

Of the total to date 843 have recovered or 73.4%. The number of people in hospital is five and in ICU is three.

British and Portuguese help hotels achieve 60.5% occupancy in August

Algarve hotels had an average occupancy / room of 60.5% in August, a low figure when compared to previous years, but high in relation to the other months of 2020.

According to the Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve (AHETA), this month’s results had the positive influence of the British market, which increased demand by 3.5pp compared to July, «following the opening of the air corridor in 20 August between the United Kingdom and the Algarve ».

The increase in demand from the national market, which rose by 6.4%, in relation to the same month of 2019, also helped to achieve this occupancy rate. The Portuguese represented 67.7% of the total overnight stays.

Even so, despite the national “aid”, the occupancy rate of 60.5% was 35% below the value registered last year.

Despite the recovery in relation to July, the British market was the one that fell the most compared to last year (-18.4pp), followed by the Irish (-4.2%), French (-2.8pp) and the German (- 2.6%).

Sales volume also decreased 36.4%, compared to August last year.

In accumulated values, the bed occupancy registered an average decrease of -58.1% since January and the sales volume decreased by -56.8%.


José Apolinário is elected as PS for the CCDR of the Algarve.

José Apolinário and António Ceia da Silva are the candidates chosen by the PS for the presidency of the Coordination and Regional Development Commissions (CCDR) of the Algarve and Alentejo, respectively. And if, in the Algarve, there are no obstacles to the election of the current Secretary of State for Fisheries, in Alentejo the name of the acting president of the Regional Tourism Authority of the Algarve and Ribatejo is disputed, even within the PS.

According to the newspaper Público today, José Apolinário will be the socialist candidate in the first indirect elections for the presidency of the Algarve CCDR, which will take place in October. Bearing in mind that the electoral college is composed of mayors from the region, the vast majority of the PS, the election should be only pro-forma.

José Apolinário, who has already been a deputy and mayor of Faro, has been the regional coordinator of the fight against Covid-19 in the Algarve since April 8, first in the state of emergency, then in the state of Calamidade and now in the alert. A function that, in addition to his previous and current experience, as Secretary of State for Fisheries, has given him an in-depth knowledge of the Algarve situation.


Algarve

Situation report Wednesday September 2nd 2020

GNR operation against wild camping

A total of 200 infractions, of which 164 resulting from wild camping, as well as motorhome and illegal parking in non-permitted locations, and 36 for non-compliance with the traffic sign regulation, were detected by GNR, during an operation that took place from 26 to 31 August, in the municipalities of Aljezur and Vila do Bispo, especially in the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina.

The action, undertaken by the Territorial Detachment of Portimão, within the scope of the “Summer Safe 2020” operation, included the reinforcement of the Lagos Traffic Substation, the Portimão Coastal Control Substation, and the support of the Regional Directorate for Nature Conservation and Algarve Forests (ICNF) and the Lagos Maritime Police.

The objective was to monitor and combat “illegal caravanning and wild camping”, added the GNR, in a press release sent to newsrooms.

“Camping and wild caravanning is an identified problem that constitutes a factor in the destruction of habitats, some of which are protected, in addition to representing an illegal occupation, which results in a degradation of the places used, by uncontrolled deposition of waste, which are spread over the unduly occupied place ”, concludes the GNR.


Theft of carobs Loulé.

A 30-year-old man was identified this Monday, August 31, for theft of agricultural products in Loulé.

GNR said in a statement that it seized 870 kilograms of carobs, during a road inspection action, with the Guard military approached a vehicle that carried the transport of several bags of locust beans.

In the inspection operation, the driver stated that he was authorized to pick up the carobs that he was transporting, from several lands. However the GNR verified that the carobs had been stolen, “having been possible to identify the legitimate owner of part of the carob transported by the suspect”.

The individual was identified and constituted the defendant, the carob, valued at 683 euros, were apprehended and the facts forwarded to the Loulé Judicial Court.

GNR has been carrying out awareness and inspection actions since June 1, within the scope of the “Campo Seguro 2020” operation, with the objective of preventing theft crimes, near agricultural properties. Since at this time of the year, the focus in the Algarve region is on carob, due to the commercial value it represents and the ease in both picking and selling, Guarda increased policing in order to deter and repress the practice of theft of carob.


Câmara de Lagoa to create a Municipal Police

The Câmara de Lagoa started the process to create a Municipal Police and expects to have it completed in 2021, after approval by the Municipal Assembly, by the end of the year, the municipality announced today.

The municipality approved “unanimously”, in the last Chamber session, on August 25, a proposal that foresees to start the elaboration of a regulation on the functioning of the Municipal Police, which will later be subject to the vote in the Municipal Assembly, and considered that this it is “the first step” of a process that “should be completed during the next year of 2021”.

“Drawing up a regulation for the operation of the ‘Municipal Police of the municipality of Lagoa’ is the first step on a path that should lead to the creation of this specialized police service. The decision to start the process was taken unanimously at the last public meeting of the Câmara de Lagoa ”, the municipality welcomed in a statement.

The same source justified the decision to move towards the creation of a Municipal Police with the “need to adapt resources to the challenges and responsibilities of the municipality of Lagoa in the areas of inspection”.

The “protection of the environment, commercial establishments, occupation of public space, traffic and parking, advertising, monitoring of sporting and cultural events, without forgetting the pedagogical aspect, in a logic of proximity to the citizen”, are areas of supervision that will pass to the tutelage of the Municipal Police, according to the proposal of the municipal executive chaired by Luís Encarnação.


Covid-19 Situation Report Saturday 29th August 2020

The Algarve has, since Thursday until yesterday, 10 new cases of Covid-19, according to the regional health delegate, in a press conference. The number of recovered people has also increased (three more) and the epidemiological situation in the region “remains stabilized“.

According to Algarve Health authority statistics, there were a total of 245 active Covid-19 cases in the Algarve with eight in hospital and none in ICU. To date there have been 1045 cases of whom 790 have recovered e.g. a recovery rate of 74.9%. Of those contracting the disease 19 have died according to regional figures.

There are now 264 active cases. These data mean that the situation in the Algarve is “stabilized, despite the number of visitors present in the region, which should be around one and a half million”, considered Ana Cristina Guerreiro. Proof of this is that “we do not have a large active outbreak”. “We have some outbreaks, between 13 and 15, basically of family or work transmission. We also have imported cases or of Portuguese who were on vacation, basically in Spain, or of foreigners who get sick here in the region”, explained Ana Cristina Guerreiro.

Of the active cases, of which only 40 are imported cases – referring to Portuguese who arrived from abroad or tourists.

“[These are] Portuguese who were on vacation in Spain or foreigners of various nationalities who fall ill in our region”, she exemplified, adding that imported cases represent 17% of active cases in the region.

According to Ana Cristina Guerreiro, many of the tourists who arrive in the Algarve come from areas that are considered affected areas. Questioned by journalists about their countries of origin, the official said they were of “dispersed nationalities”.

The president of the District Civil Protection Commission, António Miguel Pina, took the opportunity to devalue the number of imported cases, taking into account that the population in the Algarve triples during the summer months.


Covid-19: More than 30 athletes and members of the Louletano football team infected

A total of 33 athletes and members of the senior football team at Louletano Desportos Clube tested positive for covid-19, a source from the Algarve Regional Health Administration (ARS) told Lusa today.

According to the same source, the first case was diagnosed on Wednesday and during Thursday “the team was studied”, and it was decided that “everyone should be tested” today.

All professionals were “placed in isolation”, as well as “all direct contacts, both positive and negative”, he added,

Louletano Desportos Clube’s senior football team is playing in the Senior Portuguese Championship.


Algarve Summer Situation

At a time when summer is coming to an end, José Apolinário, Secretary of State coordinating the implementation of the Declaration of the Situation of Alert in the Algarve, made a point of hghlighting the “great commitment of beach entrepreneurs and concessionaires”.

“Two months ago, we often discussed the conditions of access to the beaches, with huge doubts. We can say, at the end of August, that there was a great involvement, commitment and spirit of articulation between everyone and that shows a safe and open region to the world”, he considered. For what is yet to come – September and October – Apolinário expects “a long summer”.

“We are committed, over the next two months, from September to October, to make it a long summer with great events, such as golf Masters, Formula 1 and Moto GP”, he said. Regarding the response of the National Health Service, Josélia Gonçalves, member of the ARS Algarve Board of Directors, said that the current scenario “gives confidence”.

“We continue to strengthen the response capacity. Today we are going to sign 17 more nursing contracts, for example, to reinforce primary health care and this reinforcement has been a constant in recent months. Right now, we have five areas dedicated to Covid and we have the capacity to create five more », he explained.


Algarve arrivals

The opening of the travel corridor with the United Kingdom is already having a positive effect on the Algarve’s economy, with the increase in new reserves and the reactivation of those that had been cancelled, especially for September and October. At Faro airport, the increase in passengers is already noticeable, with British tourists telling Lusa that they were waiting for the lifting of the quarantine requirement imposed by the British government to be able to travel to Portugal.

“We had nothing prepared. As soon as they said we could go on vacation, we booked the plane trip and then looked for a hotel”, said James Meakin, just arrived from London.

Other passengers on the flight from the British capital reveal that it was only after lifting the quarantine requirement on their return to the country that they decided to travel, with a tourist considering that “it would be disrespectful for people from the other country to travel against travel advice”. Also just arrived on a “completely full” flight, Soraya Halabi highlighted the “orderly and respectful” way in which “all passengers wore a mask”, on a trip where “families with children” predominated.

Amanda Reverten, on the other hand, revealed that her “first time in Portugal” happens after having cancelled her vacation in “Spain, then in France and Croatia” due to the imposition of the British government, on a trip that was “scheduled a few hours later” from the announcement of the removal of the country from the ‘black list’ ”.