Azores Situation Report Azores – Saturday 7th August 2021

 From our colleague in the Azores

Open House 

Hundreds of young people flocked to the Ponta Delgada Vaccination Centre, Azores, to take advantage of the first day of the “Open House”, an inoculation against Covid-19 without an appointment for adults on the island of São Miguel.

The USISM’s is aiming to vaccinate two thousand people a day and will be supported by 120 professionals, including nurses, doctors and operational assistants and technicians.

Ryanair 

Ryanair airline revealed that it will increase the number of weekly flights between Lisbon and Ponta Delgada and Terceira during the winter.

The company revealed that, to Ponta Delgada, it will make 14 weekly flights to Lisbon, one more than before, and, for Terceira, seven weekly flights to Lisbon (three more).

Covid-19 

3^rd August 2021 

17 new covid-19 positive cases were diagnosed in the Azores, 11 in São Miguel, four in Terceira, one in São Jorge and one in Pico, resulting from 2,215 tests carried out in the reference laboratories of the Region and one in non-agreed private laboratory.

In São Miguel, one of the cases corresponded to a traveller, residing in the parish of São Pedro, in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, who obtained a positive result on arrival. All other cases correspond to community transmission. By municipality, Lagoa registered a new case, the municipality of Ponta Delgada registered four new cases, the council of Vila Franca do Campo registered one new case and the council of Ribeira Grande registered five new cases.

In Terceira, a non-resident traveller, in the parish of Santa Cruz, municipality of Praia da Vitória, obtained a positive result, after taking a test on the 6th day with a negative result. The remaining cases corresponded to community transmission. Thus, the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo registered two new cases and the municipality of Praia da Vitória also registered two new cases.

In São Jorge, a resident traveller, in the parish of Santo Amaro, in the municipality of Velas, made an inter-island trip, obtaining a positive result upon arrival on the island.

In Pico, a non-resident traveller, in the town and municipality of Madalena, performed a test due to the presentation of symptoms, obtaining a positive result.

90 recoveries were recorded.

4^th August 2021 

67 new covid-19 positive cases were diagnosed in the Azores, 58 in São Miguel, five in Terceira, two in Pico, one in Faial and one in Santa Maria, resulting from 2,426 tests carried out in the reference laboratories of the Region and one in a non-agreed private laboratory.

In São Miguel, all the remaining cases correspond to community transmission. By municipality, Lagoa registered seven new cases, the municipality of Ponta Delgada registered 22 new cases, the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo registered four new cases and the municipality of Ribeira Grande registered 25 new cases.

In Terceira, all the cases are also in the context of community transmission and were fully registered in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo.

In Pico, two travellers residing in the parish of Ribeiras, municipality of Lajes, obtained positive results on the 6th day.

In Faial, a traveller residing in the parish of Conceição, municipality of Horta, made an inter-island trip, obtaining a positive result on the 6th day.

In Santa Maria, a non-resident traveller obtained a positive result on the 6th day, causing the appearance of a primary local transmission chain in the town and municipality of Vila do Porto.

48 ​​recoveries were recorded

5^th August 2021 

52 new covid-19 positive cases were diagnosed in the Azores, 46 in São Miguel, three in Terceira, two in Faial and one in Santa Maria, resulting from 2,233 tests carried out in the reference laboratories of the Region and five in non-agreed private laboratory.

In São Miguel, a non-resident traveller in the parish of São Pedro, municipality of Ponta Delgada, obtained a positive result after having already performed a negative 6th day test. A non-resident traveller, in the parish of São Sebastião, municipality of Ponta Delgada, obtained a positive result on the 6th day. A resident traveller, in the parish of Rosto do Cão (Livramento), municipality of Ponta Delgada, also obtained a positive result on the 6th day. All other cases correspond to community transmission. By municipality, Lagoa registered four new cases, the municipality of Ponta Delgada registered 19 new cases, the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo registered 10 new cases and the municipality of Ribeira Grande registered 13 new cases.

In Terceira, a traveller residing in the parish of Altares, municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, obtained a positive result on the 6th day. The remaining cases correspond to community transmission. In the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo there were two new cases and in the municipality of Praia da Vitória one new case was registered.

In Faial, two resident travellers, one in the parish of Angústias and the other in the parish of Praia do Norte, obtained positive results on the 6th day.

In Santa Maria there was also a new case, the origin of which has yet to be determined.

51 recoveries were recorded.

6^th August 2021 

55 new positive cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the Azores, with 38 on São Miguel island, eight on Terceira island, six on Faial island , two on Pico island, and one on São Jorge island, arising from 1,936 tests carried out in reference laboratories of the region, and one in a private non-contracted laboratory.

On the island of São Miguel, one traveller non-resident in the civil parish of São Sebastião, municipality of Ponta Delgada, tested positive on arrival. All the other cases are the result of community transmission. By municipalities, three new cases were recorded in Lagoa, 18 in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, two in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, and 15 in the municipality of Ribeira Grande.

On Terceira, one traveller non-resident in the civil parish of Santa Cruz, municipality of Praia da Vitória, tested positive on arrival. Another traveller resident in the civil parish of Fonte do Bastardo, municipality of Praia da Vitória, tested positive on day 6. The remaining cases are the result of community transmission chain. There were two new cases in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo and six in the municipality of Praia da Vitória.

On the island of Faial, one traveller resident in the civil parish of Angústias, municipality of Horta, tested positive on day 6, one resident inter-island traveller tested positive on day 6 and started a new primary local transmission chain in Horta. The other cases are the result of a previous chain.

On the island of Pico, one traveller non-resident in the town and municipality of Madalena, tested positive on day 6, one traveller resident in the town and municipality of Lajes tested positive on day 6 and started a new primary local transmission chain

On the island of São Jorge, one non-resident inter-island traveller tested positive on arrival in Santo Amaro, municipality of Velas.

47 recoveries were recorded.

As of today, eight patients are hospitalised: four in Divino Espírito Santo Hospital, in Ponta Delgada (one of which in ICU), three in Santo Espírito Hospital, in Angra do Heroísmo (one of which in ICU), and one in the Hospital of Horta.

Currently, there are 541 active positive cases the archipelago, with 410 on São Miguel, 91 on Terceira, 13 on Santa Maria, 10 on Faial, eight on São Jorge, eight on Pico island, and one on Flores island.

With the emergence of three new primary local transmission chains in the past 24 horas, there are seven now: two on Pico, two on São Jorge, one on Santa Maria, one on Faial, and one on Flores. To date, 222 have been extinguished on all islands. There are 1,627 people under active surveillance today.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 7,915 positive cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in the Azores, 7,181 people have recovered from the disease, 38 died, 89 left the archipelago and 66 provided evidence of previous cure. To date, 653,675 tests have been carried out for SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease.

From 31st December 2020 to 2^nd of August, 145,562 people in the Azores have been vaccinated with the first dose (61.5 per cent) and 137,897 with complete vaccination (58.2 per cent), within the Regional Vaccination Plan.

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 4^th August 2021  

From our colleague in the Azores

Over 18 vaccinations

The Health Unit of São Miguel will carry out, tomorrow, August 4th, at the Vaccination Centre of Portas do Mar, in Ponta Delgada, an ‘open house’ for residents of São Miguel, aged 18 years old or over.

The ‘open house’ vaccination is intended for all citizens, residents of the island of São Miguel, aged 18 years or over and who have not yet been vaccinated against Covid-19.

They can go to the Vaccination Centre of Portas do Mar, in the Pavilion do Mar, in Ponta Delgada, between 10:00 and 18:00.

“The ‘open house’ is a simple vaccination process and does not require advance booking”, this activity is scheduled for six days with a daily assessment of adherence and 120 inoculations per hour/1000 day are planned.

Only residents or users with proof of residence with more than ninety days will be vaccinated.  If you travelled outside the Region and/or Terceira Island, you can only be vaccinated after the test result on the sixth day. Users with at risk, should not be vaccinated and users in prophylactic isolation should not be vaccinated either.

This vaccination is extended to the six municipalities on the island of São Miguel.

To expedite the process, USISM asks users to bring the citizen card and the completed questionnaire. This questionnaire can be found on the USISM website.

31^st July 2021

46 new positive cases of covid-19 were diagnosed in the Azores, 43 in São Miguel, two in Terceira and one in Faial, resulting from 2,139 tests carried out in reference laboratories in the Region and one in an unconventional laboratory.

In São Miguel, two non-resident travellers, one in the parish of Pico da Pedra, in the municipality of Ribeira Grande and the other in the parish of S. José, in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, obtained positive results on the 6th day. Another non-resident traveller, from the parish of Faial da Terra, municipality of Povoação, obtained a positive result on arrival. Still a resident traveller, in the parish of São José, municipality of Ponta Delgada, presented symptoms after a negative test on arrival. The remaining cases correspond to community transmission. By municipalities, in Lagoa there were three new cases, in Ponta Delgada 15 new cases were registered, in Vila Franca do Campo there were four new cases, in Povoação there is a new case and in the municipality of Ribeira Grande there were 20 new cases.

In Terceira, a resident traveller, in the parish of Lajes, municipality of Praia da Vitória, obtained a positive result on the 6th day, the other case corresponds to community transmission. Both were registered in the municipality of Praia da Vitória.

Faial registers a new case, of a non-resident traveller, in the parish of Angústias, Horta municipality, who obtained a positive result on the 6th day.

72 recoveries were recorded.

1^st August 2021

44 new covid-19 positive cases were diagnosed in the Azores, 35 in São Miguel, three in Terceira, two in São Jorge, two in Pico, one in Faial and one in Santa Maria, resulting from 2,064 tests in reference laboratories and two in a non-agreed laboratory.

In São Miguel, two non-resident travellers obtained positive results, one in the screening analysis on arrival and the other in the test prior to boarding abroad, one from the parish of S. Pedro and the other from the parish of S. José, both from Ponta Delgada municipality. The remaining cases correspond to community transmission. By municipality, Lagoa registered five new cases, the municipality of Ponta Delgada registered 17 new cases, the council of Vila Franca do Campo registered five new cases and the council of Ribeira Grande registered eight new cases.

In Terceira, a resident traveller, in the parish of Santa Luzia, municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, had a positive result on arrival. The remaining cases correspond to community transmission. Thus, in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo there were two new cases and in the municipality of Praia da Vitória there was a new case.

In São Jorge there were two new positive cases that are part of the active primary local transmission chain in Velas.

In Pico, two non-resident travellers, in the town and municipality of Madalena, registered positive results on the 6th day.

In Santa Maria, a resident traveller, from the parish of Santo Espírito, municipality of Vila do Porto, revealed a positive result on arrival.

40 recoveries were recorded.

2^nd August 2021

49 new covid-19 positive cases were diagnosed in the Azores, 43 in São Miguel, three in Santa Maria, two in Terceira and one in Pico, resulting from 1,186 tests carried out in reference laboratories in the Region.

In São Miguel, all cases correspond to community transmission. By municipality, Lagoa registered four new cases, the municipality of Ponta Delgada registered seven new cases and the municipality of Ribeira Grande registered 32 new cases.

In Santa Maria, three non-resident travellers, in the parish of Santa Bárbara, municipality of Vila do Porto, obtained positive results, after having already performed tests on the 6th day with negative results.

In Terceira, a traveller residing in the parish of São Pedro, municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, obtained a positive result for presenting symptoms before taking the 6th day test. The other case corresponds to community transmission. Both cases were registered in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo.

In Pico, a non-resident traveller, in the town and municipality of Madalena, obtained a positive result on the 6th day.

20 recoveries were recorded.

3^rd August 2021

17 new covid-19 positive cases were diagnosed in the Azores, 11 in São Miguel, four in Terceira, one in São Jorge and one in Pico, resulting from 2,215 tests carried out in the reference laboratories of the Region and one in non-agreed private laboratory.

In São Miguel, one of the cases corresponds to a traveller, residing in the parish of São Pedro, in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, who obtained a positive result on arrival. All other cases correspond to community transmission. By municipality, Lagoa registered a new case, the municipality of Ponta Delgada registered four new cases, the council of Vila Franca do Campo registered one new case and the council of Ribeira Grande registered five new cases.

In Terceira, a non-resident traveller, in the parish of Santa Cruz, municipality of Praia da Vitória, obtained a positive result, already after taking a test on the 6th day with a negative result. The remaining cases corresponded to community transmission. Thus, the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo registered two new cases and the municipality of Praia da Vitória also registered two new cases.

In São Jorge, a resident traveller, in the parish of Santo Amaro, in the municipality of Velas, made an inter-island trip, obtaining a positive result upon arrival on the island.

In Pico, a non-resident traveller, in the town and municipality of Madalena, performed a test due to the presentation of symptoms, obtaining a positive result.

90 recoveries were recorded.

As of today, 14 patients are hospitalized, seven in the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, in Ponta Delgada (one in the ICU), six in the Hospital de Santo Espírito, in Angra do Heroísmo (with one in the ICU) and one at the Hospital in Faial.

The archipelago currently has 518 active positive cases, 370 in São Miguel, 111 in Terceira, 12 in São Jorge, 11 in Santa Maria, seven in Pico, four in Faial, two in Flores and one in Graciosa.

Six chains of primary local transmission are active in the archipelago, three in Pico, one in Faial, one in São Jorge and one in Flores. So far 219 have been extinct on all the islands. There are currently 1,313 people under active surveillance.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 7,745 positive cases of covid-19 have been diagnosed in the Azores, with 7,035 people having recovered from the disease, 38 died, 89 left the archipelago and 65 presented proof of previous cure. To date, 647,080 tests have been carried out to screen for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes covid-19 disease.

From December 31st, 2020 to August 2nd, 145,562 people were vaccinated in the Azores with the first dose (61.5%) and 137,897 with full vaccination (58.2 percent), under the Regional Vaccination Plan.

 

Azores Situation Report Saturday 31 July 2021

 

From our colleague in the Azores

Population Decreases 

The Azores have registered a drop in the resident population of 4.1% since 2011, according to preliminary data from the 2021 Censuses, with the municipality of Madalena, on the island of Pico, being the only one to register growth (4.7%).

The archipelago had 246,772 inhabitants in 2011 and lost 10,115 within 10 years, equivalent to 4.1%, and now has 236,657 residents.

The region was the fourth in the country to lose more population, after Alentejo (6.9%), Madeira (6.2%) and Centro (4.3%).

The sharpest decreases in population were registered in the municipalities of Santa Cruz das Flores (11.7%), Nordeste, on the island of São Miguel (11.4%), and Corvo (10.2%), the smallest island. of the Azores.

Corvo is also the least populated island (and the municipality) of the nine in the archipelago, now with 386 inhabitants, 44 fewer than in 2011, according to preliminary data from the 2021 Census.

The municipality of Madalena, on the island of Pico, was the exception, with a growth of 4.7%, from 6,049 residents to 6,332.

Madalena was also the municipality in the country that registered the largest increase in the number of accommodations for housing (13.5%).

On the island of Pico, which integrates the municipalities of Madalena, Lajes do Pico and São Roque do Pico, there are currently 13,895 people.

Lajes do Pico lost 7.8% of the population, from 4,711 residents in 2011 to 4,342 in 2021, based on provisional data.

São Roque do Pico registered a population reduction of 4.9%, from 3,388 residents to 3,221.

The municipality of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, remains the most populated in the Autonomous Region: 67,287 residents, with a loss of 1,522 (less 2.2%) compared to 2011.

The group of six municipalities on the island of São Miguel recorded a loss of 3.2% of its inhabitants, having increased from 137,856 inhabitants in 2011 to 133,390.

In the municipality of Ribeira Grande, the loss was 2.2% of the population, with 31,414 residents now registered.

Lagoa lost 1.7%, with 14,194 inhabitants according to the provisional results of the 2021 Census.

Povoação registered a decrease of 8.4% and Vila Franca do Campo of 8%.

These municipalities have, in 2021, 5,796 residents and 10,326, respectively.

In the Northeast, where the reduction was 11.4%, the population dropped from 4,937 to 4,373.

In the list of municipalities with the most residents in the Azores continues Angra do Heroísmo, on Terceira Island, with 33,829 people.

According to provisional data released today, this represents a reduction of 1,573 people (4.4%) compared to the 2011 Census.

Adding these data to those of the municipality of Praia da Vitória, where the population reduction was 7.4% in the last ten years, Terceira island has, in 2021, 53,311 residents, 5.5% less than in 2011.

As for the municipality of Horta, the only one on the island of Faial, it presents a loss of 4.3% of the resident population, having increased from 14,994 people in 2011 to 14,356.

In Vila do Porto, Santa Maria island, there are currently 5,414 people, 2.5% less than in 2011.

On Graciosa Island, another of the nine islands in the Azores that has only one municipality, there are currently 4,095 residents, 6.7% less than in 2011.

Regarding the island of São Jorge, its two municipalities record approximate population losses (Calheta recorded a reduction of 8.8% and Velas of 8.5%), which corresponds, according to provisional data from the Census, to a overall reduction of 8.6%.

Thus, on the island of São Jorge, residents increased from 9,171 in 2011 to 8,381.

The provisional results of the 2021 Census indicate the existence of 3,4029 residents on the island of Flores, which corresponds to 9.6% less than in 2011.

The sharpest decline was registered in the municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores (11.7% less, from 2,289 residents to 2,021).

In the municipality of Lajes das Flores, the reduction was 6.4%: from 1,504 inhabitants in 2011 to 1,408.

The Azores are the region of the country that recorded the largest increases in the number of buildings and accommodation for residential use (2.8%).

It was also in the archipelago that the highest average size of households was found (2.8 people).

Despite the population reduction, the region registered the second largest increase in the number of households (4.5%), now having 85,514.

The average number of accommodations per building in the Azores is one of the lowest in the country (1.1), after the Alentejo.

Between 2001 and 2011, the Azores had registered a growth in the resident population of 1.79%, although this increase only occurred in seven of the 19 municipalities in the archipelago.

 

28^th July 2021 

60 new positive cases of covid-19 were diagnosed in the Azores, with 37 on the island of São Miguel, 10 on the island  of Terceira, five on the island of Santa Maria, four on the island of São Jorge, two on the island of Pico, one on the island of Flores and one on the island of Faial, following 2,119 tests carried out in the reference laboratories of the Region and five in private non-contracted laboratories.

47 recoveries were registered.

18 patients are hospitalised, with 10 at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada (with two in intensive care unit), seven at the Santo Espírito Hospital in Angra do Heroísmo (with one in intensive care unit) and one in Horta Hospital. 

29^th July 2021 

73 new positive cases of covid-19 were diagnosed in the Azore, with 43 on the island of São Miguel, 29 on the island of Terceira and one on the island of São Jorge, following 3,155 tests carried out in the reference laboratories of the Region and one in a private non-contracted laboratory.

28 recoveries were registered.

As of today, 15 patients are hospitalised, with seven at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES) in Ponta Delgada (with two in intensive care unit), seven at the Santo Espírito Hospital in Angra do Heroísmo and one at the Horta Hospital.

30^th July 2021 

39 new positive cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the Azores, with 28 on São Miguel island, 10 on Terceira island, and 1 on São Jorge island, arising from 2,852 tests carried out in reference laboratories of the region, and one at a pharmacy by a healthcare professional.

On the island of São Miguel, three cases concern travellers: two residents in the civil parish of Ribeira Seca, municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, tested positive on day 6 and a non-resident in the civil parish of Capelas, municipality of Ponta Delgada, tested positive on day 6. The other cases are the result of community transmission. Thus, 10 cases were recorded in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, there were eight new cases in the municipality of Lagoa, eight new cases were diagnosed in the municipality of Ribeira Grande, and two new cases were registered in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo.

On Terceira, one of the new cases concerns a non-resident traveller, who is in the civil parish of São Mateus da Calheta, with a positive test on arrival, and the remainder are the result of community transmission. Thus, four new cases were recorded in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo and there are six new patients in the municipality of Praia da Vitória.

On the island of São Jorge, a new case was diagnosed in Velas, which is part of the local primary transmission chain identified in that municipality.

26 recoveries were recorded.

One positive case identified on São Miguel, in the civil parish of São Sebastião, municipality of Ponta Delgada, provided documentation demonstrating a previous infection and the respective cure.

One positive case, which was in the civil parish of Fajã de Baixo, municipality of Ponta Delgada, has left the Region, ceasing to count as an active case in the Azores.

On Terceira, two positive cases identified, one in the civil parish of Santa Luzia, municipality of Angra, and one in the civil parish of Santa Cruz, municipality of Praia, as reported in the press release of 29th July 2021, has proved to be false positive and, therefore, ceased to count as active cases.

As of today, 14 patients are hospitalised, seven on São Miguel (two in intensive care), six on Terceira island and one on the island of Faial. 1,473 people are under active surveillance.

Presently, seven primary local transmission chains are active, with three on Pico, one between the island of Pico and the island of Flores, one on Faial island, one on São Jorge island and one on Flores island. To date, 218 have been extinguished and 639,476 tests have been carried out for SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 disease.

Currently, there are 588 active positive cases the archipelago, with 361 on São Miguel, 188 on Terceira island, 12 on São Jorge island, 11 on Pico island, seven on Santa Maria island, four on Flores island, three on Faial island and two on Graciosa island.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 7,589 positive cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in the Azores and 6,813 people have recovered from the disease, 30 died, 86 left the archipelago and 64 provided evidence of previous infection and of the respective cure.

From 31st December to 29th July, 275,806 doses of the vaccine against COVID-19 have been administered in the Azores: 142,045 for the first dose and 133,761 completed vaccination.

This and other detailed information, by island, can also be found at https://vacinacao-covid19.azores.gov.pt .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 28^th July 2021  

 

From our colleague in the Azores

Herd Immunity 

The target to achieve herd immunity in the Azores has been extended until the end of August, but the regional coordinator of vaccination against Covid-19 said that there is now “a very high degree of predictability”.

15,000 Janssen vaccines have arrived in the region, they will allow a substantial increase in the vaccination cycle here, on the island of São Miguel, one of the great difficulties that was felt in the Azores is the degree of predictability of the arrival of vaccines.

Between the 21st of July and the 17th of August, around 100,000 vaccines will arrive in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, of which 72% will be allocated exclusively to the island of São Miguel.

On the possibility of starting to vaccinate children from 12 years of age, “it will be up to the monitoring committee to make its recommendation to the Regional Government”.

Pedro Monjardino believes that, “at the right time, they will do this, because, in fact, we have the school year to start and this is an issue that will have to be resolved during the month of August, so that the measures that must be taken can be.

For the island of São Miguel, which is currently the priority in vaccination.  We are preparing to vaccinate about 2,500 people a day.

Restaurant opening hours extended 

The Regional Government of the Azores changed the restrictive measures to combat Covid-19, extending the restaurant’s opening hours and reducing the ban on circulation, even in high-risk municipalities, revealed the regional director of Health.

In a press conference, Berto Cabral, who is also the head of the Azores Regional Health Authority, justified the decision because of the advancement of the vaccination process against Covid-19 in the region and the importance that this time of year “is for many sectors of economic activity”.

As of 00:00 on Monday, the municipalities of Ponta Delgada and Lagoa, on the island of São Miguel, and Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória, on the island of Terceira, with a high risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, are in a situation of public calamity.

Even so, the restrictions are lessened: in medium-high and high-risk municipalities, restaurant hours are extended from 22:00 to 23:00, but in high-risk districts, cafes have to close at 20:00.

From 00:00 on Monday, restaurants, drinks and similar establishments in the lower and very low risk counties are no longer obligatory to close at midnight.

In medium-risk municipalities, these spaces can now close at midnight, when they had to close at 10 pm, according to the changes introduced in the resolution of the Council of Government, already published in the Official Journal.

Another change concerns the reduction of the time of prohibition of circulation on public roads in high-risk municipalities, which is now between 00:00 and 5:00, and is no longer between 23:00 and 5:00.

The exceptions provided for by law are maintained.

Commercial establishments in high-risk municipalities are required to close at 23:00, with the exception of pharmacies, clinics and fuel stations.

Also in high-risk councils, wakes can now take place until 22:00, whereas before they could only take place until 20:00.

Gatherings on public roads are limited to 10 people in very low risk municipalities, eight in low risk, six in medium risk and four in medium-high risk.

Restaurants can only occupy a capacity of three quarters in very low risk counties, two thirds at low risk, half at medium risk and one third at medium-high and high risk.

In cultural and sporting events, the maximum capacity allowed is half in municipalities at very low risk, a third in low risk and a quarter in the highest levels.

The new measures will come into effect “exceptional” at 00:00 on Monday and not at 00:00 on Saturday.

This is due, according to Berto Cabral, to the need for logistical preparation for the obligation to carry out screening tests on inter-island trips departing from Terceira Island, where community transmission was declared.

“It requires that both the laboratories, the passengers, and the teams that will be on each of the islands to control these passengers, have the logistics set up so that things work”, he explained.

The resolution states that the current measures are “in effect until 23:59 hours on the 25th of July”, Sunday.

From 00:00 on Monday, on the island of São Miguel, Ribeira Grande and Vila Franca do Campo will be at medium-high risk and in a contingency situation.

The remaining municipalities of the Azores will be on alert, with the measures planned for very low risk municipalities, with the exception of the islands that have already reached 70% vaccination (Corvo, Santa Maria, São Jorge, Pico and Graciosa), where the restrictive measures have already been eased.

The assessment of risk levels in the region is based on a German model of traffic lights and is calculated as a function of the number of new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants in a seven-day period.

There are five risk levels: very low (less than 25 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), low (between 25 and 49 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), medium (between 50 and 74 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), medium high (between 75 and 99 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) and high (more than 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants).

Covid-19 

Since the last Situation report Azores on the 21^st July there have been 111 new cases of Covid-19

27^th July 2021 

43 new positive cases of covid-19 were diagnosed in the Azores. 29 on the island of São Miguel, 11 on the island of Terceira, two on the island of São Jorge and one on the island of Pico, following 2,123 tests carried out in the reference laboratories of the Region.

On the island of São Miguel, five of the new cases concern travellers: three are residents, one in the parish of Ribeirinha, municipality of Ribeira Grande, and one in the parish of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, municipality of Lagoa, who tested positive on the 6^th day, and one in the parish of São Pedro, municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, who tested positive upon arrival. Two are non-residents, one is a crew member of a vessel that stopped over at Ponta Delgada and the other, in the parish of Santa Cruz, municipality of Lagoa, who tested positive on the 6^th day. All the other cases are related to community transmission. In terms of municipalities, in Lagoa, there were six new cases, in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, 16 new cases were registered, in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, there was one new case and in the municipality of Ribeira Grande, there were six new cases.

On the island of Terceira, one of the cases concerns a traveller, resident, who presented symptoms after the 6th negative day test. All other cases are related to community transmission. Thus, two new cases were registered in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo and in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, there were six new cases.

On the island of Pico, the case now diagnosed was related to a travel from outside the Region and originated a new primary local transmission chain in Madalena.

On the island of São Jorge, one of the cases diagnosed concerns a person with a history of travel from outside the Region, creating a new primary local transmission chain in the municipality of Velas, related to the other case now diagnosed.

66 recoveries were registered.

As of today, 18 patients are hospitalised, with 10 at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada (with two in intensive care unit), seven at the Santo Espírito Hospital in Angra do Heroísmo (with one in intensive care unit) and one in Horta Hospital.

The archipelago currently has 523 active positive cases: 324 on the island of São Miguel, 169 on the island of Terceira, 11 on the island of Pico, three on the island of Flores, five on the island of Faial, six on the island of São Jorge, three on the island of Graciosa and two on the island of Santa Maria.

With the emergence of two new primary local transmission chains in the last 24 hours, five chains are now active in the archipelago, two on the island of Pico, one on the island of Faial, one between the island of Pico and Flores and one on the island of São Jorge. To date, 218 have been extinguished on all islands. There are 2,005 people under active surveillance today.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 7,420 positive cases of covid-19 have been diagnosed in the Azores and 6,712 people recovered from the disease. There were 37 deaths, 85 people who left the archipelago and 63 cases with history of previous cure. To date, 631,350 tests have been carried out for SARS-CoV-2, which causes covid-19 disease.

From 31st December 2020 until July 8th, 250,705 doses of covid-19 vaccines have been administered in the Azores, with 129.190 people who received the first dose (53.21 % of the population) and 121.515 people with complete vaccination (50.05 %), under the Regional Vaccination Plan.