Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 24^th November 2021

 

Introduction

Good morning – We are now seeing an emerging increase in the number of hospitalisations due to Covid-19 as well as those in ICU, compared to the last few weeks where the figures were marginal increases in hospitalisations and a stabilisation in the numbers in ICU. Regretfully deaths, which had been fairly stable below 10 a day, are also showing signs of increasing.

However, we are nowhere near the situation in many other European countries and there are no indications of liniment lockdowns (as some have suggested), but we can expect the government to adopt measures to try and contain the situation at the Council of Ministers meeting tomorrow. The Prime Minister, António Costa, yesterday refused to anticipate new measures to contain the covid-19 pandemic, sending a possible announcement to Thursday, when the Council of Ministers meets as well as consulting the parties.

There is of course much speculation on what these measures maybe, but it is expected that it will take into account the proposals made at the recent Infarmed meeting, which we covered on this Facebook page, the fact the at the current Situation of Alert is due to finish on 30^th November, as well leading the way for measures that may need to be put in place over Christmas and New Year. The latter is more difficult as much can change in the intervening period.

We wait and see and as usual we will closely monitor and report on developments.

One thing is for certain however, and that is the importance of the Covid-19 booster vaccination coupled together with the flu vaccination. Government is rolling these out as quickly as supplies permit, and I would urge people who are now eligible to have these vaccinations as soon as possible. If you are over 65 years and have made a self-scheduling appointment but did not receive an SMS but the scheduled date go to the vaccination centre at the times open for “casa aberta” (Open house) and they should vaccinate you. I did this on Monday and had both vaccinations.

We are now well into the lead up period to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, where there are not only many bargains available, but unfortunately many scams. Whereas Black Friday was mainly a physical affair where people jostled other in large queues to grab bargains, the two have now become somewhat blurred, with most of the shopping being conducted on-line

Black-Friday-and-Cyber-Monday-shopping-scams This development has increased opportunities for scammers, through the use of false websites often closely replicating well know companies and brands. It is very important at this time of year in particular to research carefully before deciding what to buy and in particular, whom to buy it from. Check websites closely – does it look genuine? – avoid clicking on links from companies or persons you have never heard of; pay by secure means and do not pay for items using public Wi-Fi, are some of the tips to ensure you are not a victim of crime.

The bottom line if a bargain seems too good to be true then it usually is!

We are seeing, or should I say feeling some changes in weather conditions. On Monday night temperatures in some central and norther parts of the mainland dropped to below OC, and even in the Algarve minimum temperatures were around 7C to 8C. A reminder therefore to take extra care on the roads especially if you are not used to driving in icy conditions, and also take steps to remain warm.

The winter is generally flu time and wet and cold conditions do not help.

Have a cold but pleasant day

 

Headlines

Unvaccinated people are fuelling pandemic and increasing “vaccination hesitation”, says European commissioner

Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said that “the entire European Union” is faced with “a worryingly growing number of cases” and stressed that “I would like to start by sending a very clear message about the role of vaccines, because the evidence is clear”.

The covid-19 pandemic is currently being driven mainly by the unvaccinated and the growing number of cases is, in turn, increasing the “vaccination hesitation”, warned this Monday the European Commissioner for Health in the European Parliament.

Speaking at a debate in the Strasbourg hemicycle on covid-19, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides began by assuming that “the entire European Union” is faced with “a worryingly growing number of cases” and underlined that “I would like to start by sending a very message, about the role of vaccines, because the evidence is clear.”

“Vaccination works and remains the most effective tool we have to keep people safe. There is no doubt that our vaccines are effective against severe forms of the disease […] and even with the dominant Delta variant, with the highest transmissibility and severity, deaths are still prevented thanks to effective vaccines authorized for use in the EU.” he argued, stressing that this is supported “by all the scientific evidence”.

The European Commissioner for Health then noted that, currently, “the pandemic is mainly driven by the unvaccinated, and the growing numbers are unfortunately fuelling vaccine hesitation “, and argued that it is necessary to “take a firm stand”, fighting misinformation (or fake news) and raising awareness that “vaccination remains a fundamental weapon” in the “arsenal” against the pandemic.

The commissioner admitted that, “at the same time, until sufficiently high vaccination rates have been achieved and the situation is under control, relevant non-pharmaceutical interventions must remain in place where necessary”, and noted that “many States -members have already started to reintroduce certain restrictive measures, often relying on the EU’s covid-19 digital certificate to allow secure access to public areas”.

 

New measures to fight the pandemic: Costa continues to hear from the parties this Wednesday and speaks to the country on Thursday

The prime minister continues to receive today, the parties with parliamentary representation on the epidemiological situation in Portugal, at a time when the country registers an increase in the incidence and transmission rates (Rt) of covid-19, before for the Government to approve measures against covid-19, which could happen at the Council of Ministers on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the prime minister met with the Liberal Initiative, Chega, PEV, PAN, CDS-PP, PCP and BE.

At the end of Friday’s Infarmed meeting, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, stated that there is still a “total combination of political power bodies” in the response to covid-19, but declined to talk about measures , forwarding this decision to the Government, after consulting the parties.

As for the measures to be adopted, the head of state said that “the experts presented what they considered essential for this phase” and that “the decision on this matter will naturally belong to the Government”, which “will listen to the political parties and will decide”.

On Tuesday, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa rejected the idea of ​​a new confinement to respond to the increase in covid-19 cases, saying that the “situation does not point to that” and “there is no comparison” with that of “a year ago”.

 

Covid-19

Confirmed Cases: 1,126,318 (+2560)

Number of admitted: 649 (+21)

Number of ICU admitted: 93 (+0)

Deaths: 18,353 (+14)

Recovered: 1,062,195 (+2535)

Active cases: 45,770 (+11)

Today you have side by side the figures of 2021 and 2020 on the same exact day.

TRENDS

The number of new cases on Tuesday is the highest since Aug. 25.

The deaths were in people over 80 years old (+4), between 70 and 79 years old (+7), between 60 and 69 years old (+2) between 50 and 59 years old (+1)

Health

Lisbon: Carlos Moedas promises to inaugurate the “largest vaccination centre in the country” on the day of the Restoration of Independence

On December 1st, a new space for vaccination against covid-19 and against the flu will be opened at the Lisbon International Fair (FIL), in Parque das Nações, announced this Monday the president of the CML. The perspective is to inoculate at least “six thousand people a day”

On December 1, the FIL will open – predictably in pavilion 4 – what Carlos Moedas says is “the largest vaccination centre in the country”, in response to the increase in the number of infections in the metropolitan area of ​​the capital, said this Monday the Mayor of Lisbon to CNN Portugal, at the entrance to the launch party of the new cable channel.

“We will have the capacity to double the number of vaccines that we give each day”, Coins told CNN, which will mean vaccinate 6 thousand users daily at a time when booster vaccinations are administered, namely, the so-called 3rd dose for older and for risk groups, or the 2nd dose for those who received the Janssen vaccine for more than three months.

“If we add the flu vaccine we can reach 9,000 people a day,” added Moedas. “We are working day and night” so that the centre can open on the scheduled date, said the mayor.

 

Social sector professionals and firefighters are starting to be vaccinated today

Social sector professionals and firefighters involved in the transport of patients will begin this Monday to be vaccinated with the third dose of the vaccine against covid-19.

After health professionals began to be inoculated last week, about 28,000 firefighters who perform the operational function of pre-hospital transport will receive a booster dose of the vaccine. According to the Ministry of Internal Administration, the selection and order of vaccination is the responsibility of the respective commander of each fire brigade, having as reference the operational criteria defined by the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority.

In addition to firefighters and health and social sector professionals, people over 65 are currently being vaccinated in Portugal with the third dose of the vaccine

 

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Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 17^th November 2021

Introduction

Good morning – At the weekend, in these first weeks of November, when many people are already shopping for Christmas, it is easy to forget that there is a highly contagious virus that continues to infect hundreds of people every day in Portugal and thousands in several European countries.

As my colleague Mike Evans states in his overseas report yesterday, the past week has seen a rise in infections across many parts of the world. Leading this rise is Europe where we are seeing large increases in new infections across many countries with some bringing back lock down restrictions in the hope of keeping the rates low enough to allow citizens to enjoy the Christmas celebrations.

As far as Portugal is concerned although the number of infections has increased the number of hospitalisations, those in ICU and deaths has so far not seen the dramatic rises as many other countries. Much of this is due to the high levels of vaccinations administered. It is important that all those eligible for their booster and flu jabs do so as soon as possible. The self- scheduling for those 70 and over can be made through the link here.

 

A meeting at Infarmed will be held this Friday to examine the current situation concerning Covid-19 in Portugal, as well as trends overseas. This is the first meeting since September. This an important and timely meeting to present information and analysis which will enable the Government to determine whether there is a need for measures to be introduced in the lead up to and over the festive season.

Yesterday the Prime Minister António Costa stated “will not hesitate, as we have not hesitated in the past, to take the necessary measures to protect the health and lives of the Portuguese”, when answering a question from a journalist, who questioned the prime minister about the possibility of applying new restrictions, given the increase in covid-19 cases in the country. Tuesday that “it is not foreseeable that measures will be taken again on the scale that we had in the past”, thanks to the vaccination against covid-19, but that “we cannot ignore the signs”: “The later we act, the greater the risks”, he concluded. We wait and see.

An item that drew my attention yesterday was concerning the forecasting of earthquakes. Unlike the sky, the Earth’s interior is not transparent. And that’s why a seismologist like Fernando Carrilho faces very different challenges from colleagues from other departments at the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA), who can relate the previous day’s forecasts to the clouds they see on the horizon. “There are earthquakes originating from depths of 10, 20, and 100 kms or more… and the existing technologies do not allow us to know what is happening in these places”, according to the head of the Geophysics Division at IPMA.

Clearly any pre-warning of earthquakes occurring, could allow time for public announcements to be made and potentially therefore save lives. This very interesting article and what could be done using new technology can be downloaded in English here.

We once again remind people to take care when going for a swim or venturing into the sea at this time of the year, when there are no lifeguards at beaches. A case on Monday when two women aged 83 and 56 (mother and daughter) were swept into the sea by a large wave, whilst paddling in the sea near Praia de Mira. Thankfully an off duty fire fighter, who visited the area to take photographs of sunsets saw their plight and dived into the sea and rescued them.

We remind people living in rural areas, that apart from general land cleaning around your house to protect against rural fires, now is a good time to consider other measures to limit the risk to your property. A survey undertaken of properties destroyed during the Pedrógão Grande fire in 2017 found that the most common way fires entered properties was through the roof, in about 60% of all instances.  For those living in older properties, therefore, which may have traditional tiled roofs that have been in place for many years, it makes sense to start in this area. Often vegetation, including leaves accumulate in these roofs and can catch fire either through burned leaves or embers carried by the wind that settle on roof tops. Some of burned leaves and small branches can travel considerable distances in worst case situations when the wind is high.

At the same time examine guttering. Now is a good time as blocked gutters restrict water flow in what is traditionally the wettest time of the year.

With that please have a Safe Day.

 

Covid-19 Situation 16^th November

Confirmed Cases: 1.110.155 (+ 1693 / + 0.15 %)
Number of admitted: 486 (+ 16 / + 3.40 %)
Number of ICU admitted: 80 (+ 4 / + 5.26 %)
Deaths: 18,274 (+ 9 / + 0.05 %)
Recovered: 1.053.609 (+ 1770 / + 0.17 %)
Active cases: 38,272 (-86 / -0.22%)

Trends

A small but welcome decrease in active cases after several days of increases. A growing trend is also visible in daily new cases if we recall that eight days ago, on 9 November, 1182 cases had been registered, 511 fewer than today. The number of deaths, nine, is similar to that of recent days, with the exception of Sunday, when 15 people died of the disease. The nine deaths were registered in the Centre (three), in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo (three), in the Algarve (one) and in Madeira (two). According to the DGS, the fatal victims are aged between 50 and 59 years (two), from 70 to 79 years (one) and the elderly aged 80 or over (six).

 

Health

Vaccines

Vaccines that block transmission of the new coronavirus ready by 2022

Second-generation vaccines that already allow blocking the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 should arrive within the next year.
According to Manuel Santos Rosa, immunologist and full professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Coimbra, only blocking vaccines can save time and win the battle against covid-19.
In an interview with Diário de Notícias , Manuel Santos Rosa says that these new vaccines are already at an advanced stage of development in the United States but also in Europe, namely in Germany and the United Kingdom. New vaccines based on micro-spikes that work as a kind of adhesive seal and which will already have the ability to block the transmission of the disease will also be effective in enhancing cellular immunity.

Covid-19: Public health doctors warn you can’t let your guard down

Lisbon, 16 Nov 2021 (Lusa) – The president of the Association of Public Health Doctors today considered that it was “virtually impossible” to repeat the pandemic situation experienced at the beginning of the year due to the high vaccination coverage, but warned that “it is not to let your guard down.”
Speaking to Lusa news agency about the epidemiological situation in Portugal, Ricardo Mexia stated that the increase in the number of covid-19 cases “was predictable” as a result of the winter and the resumption of a set of activities. “Fortunately this increase is mainly at the expense of the incidence, the number of new cases. Regarding mortality and severity (demand for health care and hospitalization), despite everything, they are not growing as fast as the incidence, which is also to be expected as a result of the high vaccination coverage of the population”, he said.

According to the public health doctor and epidemiologist, vaccination coverage and the “better knowledge” of the disease allow for “some confidence” in relation to what is happening.
“But it is not to let our guard down and reach a situation as we had in January and February this year, which seems virtually impossible to repeat, given the vaccination coverage we have, but which on a smaller scale may still have an important impact both on the demand for health care and on mortality”, he warned.

To stop the increase in cases, he defended several measures such as accelerating the pace of vaccination of the “most vulnerable”. On the other hand, people have to realize that the pandemic is not over: “Although we have resumed almost all of our normal activities, in fact, the situation is not resolved”. It is necessary to continue to maintain some precautions, such as avoiding large agglomerations of people, particularly in closed spaces, using the mask “as long as possible” and continuing to sanitize hands, measures that allow to “reduce the risk significantly”.

Covid-19: Portugal registers more deaths and fewer births in 2020

Last year, mortality increased more than 10% and births dropped 2.5% compared to 2019, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics.
The birth of close to 86,500 babies last year reveals a 2.5% drop in births compared to 2019. The Algarve and the Lisbon Metropolitan Area were the regions where there were more births.
The natural balance, that is, the difference between birth and mortality, was aggravated by the pandemic.
Last year, more than 11,565 people died, most of them over 85 years of age. In the unusual year, marked by confinement and many restrictions, the number of marriages dropped by more than 40%. Divorces also declined last year, with less than 17,300.
Average life expectancy was estimated at 84 years for women and 78 years for men.

 

Incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing and being detected in more young people

A cancer that “was rare”, is becoming “more frequent” and has registered a “30% increase” in the last decade.
The incidence of pancreatic cancer has increased and is being detected in a population younger than usual, Ricardo Rio Tinto, president of the Clube Português do Pancreas (CPP), told Lusa. Pancreatic cancer, a disease that mainly affects people aged 70 or over, has increased significantly in patients between 40 and 50 years of age and also in those in their 30s.
“Not only has the global incidence increased significantly, as there has been a shift in diagnosis to younger ages”, the president of the CPP, section of the Portuguese Society of Gastroenterology, told Lusa, on the occasion of World Pancreas Day, marked on 18 from November.
A cancer that “was rare”, is becoming “more frequent” and has registered a “30% increase” in the last decade, a period during which it went from 1,200 to 1,300 cases annually to “close to 1,800 cases, and it could be more”, according to Ricardo Rio Tinto.

Smoking and alcoholism continue to be risk factors, as does family history, but the doctor who chairs the CPP underlined that there is evidence that changes in the pattern of pancreatic cancer are related to “environmental factors”, such as exposure to “carcinogenic substances”, from fertilizers and pesticides to plastic components, although “the molecular aspects that lead to the appearance of the tumour” have not yet been determined.

 

Travel

TAP has not been offering meals on board in medium-haul economy class for over a year. Measure will have come to stay

Flying to Milan, London or Berlin on TAP no longer entitles you to a sandwich or a pastel de nata and a drink in economy class. For more than a year, the Portuguese air carrier stopped offering light meals, snacks or snacks and drinks free of charge in economy class on medium-haul trips.
The changes in TAP’s on-board service began to affect the management of the American private shareholder, David Neleeman, with on-board meal offers being more frugal and replaced by paid service, as usual in companies low cost, low cost calls.

With the pandemic, TAP put an end to complimentary snacks and drinks and now the only thing it offers on medium-course economy class is a glass of water. The rest is paid. The carrier clarifies that it is following a general trend in the industry, even practiced by the former flag companies. “TAP has adopted this practice [on board sales service (On-board Retail)] for over a year, which has become widespread in the industry, which brings not only a wider range of choices, but also a reduction in food waste,” he explained to Express the company’s official source.

The menus available on board, explains TAP, “were designed around the passengers’ most frequent preferences and requests”. There are sandwiches, mixed toast and hamburgers. TAP also clarifies that the in-flight sales service is available on European flights from Lisbon, except for Porto, Faro, Madrid, Malaga and Seville, and on connections to North Africa and Cape Verde. On these seven flights, TAP does not have any type of service on board for economy classes.

Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 3^rd November 2021

Introduction

Good morning – We start with some good news and that is that is the announcement that until the end of October, Portugal had the lowest number of rural fires and the second lowest level in burnt area, since 2011.

The Minister of Internal Administration said yesterday that it was thanks to the initial muscular and effective intervention in the vast majority of cases, of the Fire Department, of the heli-transported teams of the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) and of the Sapadores Florestais teams, that in more than 80% of the recorded occurrences, the burned area was contained to less than 1 hectare.

As we have previously said in our reports it is the combined team efforts of the various emergency services that are containing many of these fires at the initial stages. Great work to all the emergency services involved.

Another topic coming under the broad heading of civil protection is the forthcoming A Terra Treme Earthquake awareness exercise, on Friday 5^th November. We urge everyone to become involved in this. Does your business have an earthquake emergency plan? If not why not? Do you and your family know what to do in an earthquake? If not why not? If you are a school principal or teacher, is your school participating? If not why not?

Unfortunately there are many casualties in major earthquake because people were unaware of the correct action to take. The simple measure of “Drop, Cover, Hold On”, could save many lives. By caring for those you have responsibility for, please become involved, through the many ways of doing so.

The A Terra Treme website is here:  http://www.aterratreme.pt/o-exercicio/   and we have put this altogether in English here:  https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/find-information/environment-and-weather/earthquake-tsunami/  Please read, get involved and help keep yourself and others safe should a major earthquake take place. To make it even easier we have put together a PowerPoint which you can download here: https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/A-Terra-Treme-Earthquake-Awareness-Exercise.-2021-pptx-1.pdf

Well we had a taste of some bad weather recently with 5 days of rain in most areas of the mainland. The emergency services were out and about attending to over 1300 occurrences during this period. There were plenty of warnings beforehand and I hope that everyone took heed of these. However, some clearly did not do so and we saw from photos and reports of the number of cars damaged by fallen trees. The winter season officially starts at the end of this month and we can expect further rain and winds as is normal during this period.

However we are in a period of climate change and extreme weather conditions are becoming more frequent. If you live in an area prone to flooding and exposed to high winds, it is the right time now to start clearing blocked drains and gutters, cleaning trees in poor condition and in particular removing branches that may overhang your property. This will greatly reduce the risk of property damage in case of bad weather.

Related to this Tropical Storm Strom Wanda is heading in the general direction of the Azores, if the current forecasts are direct. This is the first of this season but in the past the Azores, Madeira and even the mainland of Portugal have been affected by these storms. When they progress to hurricane level they cause immense damage, so it is important to monitor their track and be prepared.

You may notice that yesterday our Facebook page reached a milestone of 50,000 followers. We thank those who are following and sharing our work which is undertaken by volunteers.

Given our remit of safety and security, inevitably we have to sometimes deal with, and communicate, difficult and challenging topic, which do not always make happy reading. We are conscious of this and therefore, we try to balance this with positive and good news, which is important during challenging times. Some examples in the last two days were our posts concerning: the “Portuguese tradition to ask for Pão Por Deus”, and “Big wave surfing at Nazaré”, which have so far reached around 26,400 and 33,600 respectively, as well as the “1755 Tsunami Simulation post, with an engagement of nearly 3,000 reach over 17,000 so far”.

We do monitor this figures closely so we can see what sort of topics people are finding most useful and informative.

Out Team at Safe Communities wish you a Safe and Happy day 

Headlines

Covid-19: five million dead is “a global shame”, says António Guterres

These are not numbers on a page. They are mothers and fathers. Brothers and sisters,” Guterres said in a statement in which he stressed that while rich countries are already administering a third dose of the vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes the disease, “only about 5% of the population of Africa is fully vaccinated”.

“This is a global shame,” Guterres said, adding that the fact that the pandemic has already left five million dead is also a “clear warning” that it is not possible to “lower our guard”.

The head of the United Nations also indicated that there are several factors that could contribute for the coronavirus to continue to spread, including misinformation, the concentration of vaccines and the lack of global solidarity.

“We have to inject vaccines into the arms of 40% of people in all countries by the end of the year, and 70% by mid-2022,” urged Guterres, urging world leaders to support the Organization’s Global Vaccination Strategy.

“The best way to honour these five million people we’ve lost, and to support health workers who struggle with this virus every day, is to make vaccine equity a reality by accelerating our efforts and ensuring maximum vigilance to win against the virus”, the UN secretary general added.

Covid-19 has already caused more than five million deaths worldwide, among more than 246.62 million infections by the new coronavirus recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the latest report by the Agence France-Presse, based on data officers. 

Covid-19

COVID-19DGS Situation Report from Tuesday 2^nd November 2021

Confirmed Cases: 1.091.592 (+450)

Number of admitted: 372 (+12)

Number of ICU admitted: 59 (-1)

Deaths: 18.171 (+9)

Recovered: 1.041.385 (+345)

Active cases: 32.036 (+98)

Health

Covid-19: Câmara de Lisboa extends free testing plan until the end of the year

Lisbon, Nov 02, 2021 (Lusa) – The free and unlimited testing plan for covid-19 in Lisbon was extended until the end of the year, the City Council announced today, recalling that the program is open to the entire population, whether or not resident in the capital.

“The municipal testing plan, scheduled until the end of October, was extended by the new executive until the end of the year”, reads the website of the Câmara de Lisboa, now chaired by the social democrat Carlos Moedas.

The covid-19 testing program in Lisbon was implemented by the former municipal executive, under the presidency of the socialist Fernando Medina, who failed to be re-elected to the position in the municipal councils on 26 September.

“The Municipality of Lisbon provides a mass testing system, which allows monitoring the gradual de-confinement, preventing the transmission of the virus in the community and reducing contagion”, said the municipality.

Covid-19 tests are free and unlimited, for residents and non-residents, and can be performed at the network of participating pharmacies or at fixed posts in various parts of the city and markets, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Unilabs, National Association of Pharmacies and Lisbon City Council.

The municipality announced on April 14 that it was going to extend free testing in pharmacies to covid-19 to all residents of the municipality, leaving the program – which started on March 31 – to be limited to parishes with the highest incidence of the disease.

On May 19, the City of Lisbon decided to provide free tests to covid-19 to fairgrounds and merchants in municipal markets, workers from companies covered by the Lisboa Protege Program and to athletes from training levels registered in the council’s clubs and collectives. 

Covid-19: Montemor-o-Velho Chamber activates Municipal Emergency Plan

The Municipality of Montemor-o-Velho activated the Municipal Emergency Plan until Wednesday next week, with the possibility of renewal, in order to control the spread of covid-19, the municipality announced yesterday.

According to a statement, a situation was detected “of particular epidemiological vulnerability in municipal services, which has been exponentially worsening.”

Given this situation, the Municipal Emergency Plan was activated from 4:30 pm on Monday.

As long as the emergency plan is activated, the Paços do Concelho building is closed, with the suspension of face-to-face service, which will be carried out exclusively by telephone and digital means.

According to the municipal notice, the municipal buildings of the high-performance centre, the library, the municipal archive, the Balcão Único do Prédio (BUPI) and the municipal pavilion are also closed for the same period.

With regard to payments and compliance with deadlines, they are postponed for as long as this period lasts, so that there is no harm to residents and service users.

According to that municipality in the district of Coimbra, the evolution of the epidemiological situation will be analysed together with the health authority, so that, as soon as possible, the face-to-face reopening of services is made.

The notice for general knowledge is published on the municipality’s website.

Other news

Fenprof suspends teachers strike due for Friday 5^th November

Coimbra, 02 Nov 2021 (Lusa) – The National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) yesterday decided to suspend the Friday teachers’ strike, due to the ‘stalemate’ of the State Budget for 2022, but will join the administration strike public scheduled for November 12th.

The secretary general of Fenprof, Mário Nogueira, said today in Coimbra that as Friday’s strike was “intimately linked to the State Budget and the visit of the minister to parliament” for its discussion in the specialty, with the parliamentary committee, it was decided to suspend that fighting action.

Mário Nogueira stressed that this is a suspension of the strike, but not its annulment, noting that Fenprof will leave this fighting action “in portfolio for a moment in the near future”.

This moment could arise if “a State Budget proposal similar to the one that has now been rejected is presented by the next Government, on the day the future Minister of Education goes to the Parliamentary Committee on Education to hear about it”, he asserted.

Fenprof has a different understanding of the public administration strike scheduled by the Common Front for November 12th.

This “was not a strike associated with the visit of any minister to parliament, it was intended to convey to the Government and the country that public administration workers do not conform with the devaluation they have been subjected to nor with the degradation of public services that it was not started by the current Government, but continued by it”, said Mário Nogueira, at a press conference held this afternoon, after a meeting of the Fenprof secretariat that took place in the morning.

 

ASAE faces a “structural issue” of lack of means (it has fewer inspectors than when it was created) and a challenge: online commerce

The inspector general of the Authority for Food and Economic Security (ASAE), Pedro Portugal Gaspar, admits that the ASAE is going through “a structural issue”. In an interview with the newspaper “Público”, the inspector general highlights some problems that ASAE is experiencing, such as the “aging of staff, mobility to other organizations and the absence of new hires”.

The number of workers has fluctuated. In 2006, it had 251 inspectors, for a total of 595 workers. In 2021, it has 491 workers, of which 248 (51%) are integrated in the inspection career.

Leading the 2022 State Budget could jeopardize the budget targets set by ASAE for the next year. The budget was set at 20.5 million euros, 11% more compared to this year (18.479 million), of which “2% increase in transfers from the State Budget and 9% increase in the projection of own revenues”.

Pedro Portugal Gaspar also recognizes difficulties in the supervision of online commerce: “Let’s say that it benefits from some situation of greater difficulty in immediate supervision, despite the guarantee space and cooperation being made with other countries”.

Unemployment rate

Portugal registered an unemployment rate of 6.4% in September, according to the estimate put forward this Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

The INE also revised downwards the August unemployment rate, which had initially been estimated at 6.4% and which has now corrected to 6.3%, indicates the statement published this Tuesday.

According to the same source, the unemployed population (331.3 thousand) increased by 1.9% in relation to the previous month and decreased by 6% in relation to the three months before and 18.2% in relation to the same month of the previous year.

On the other hand, the employed population (4,817.8 thousand) decreased by 0.3% compared to August and increased by 0.3% compared to June and 3.7% compared to September 2020, according to INE.

“The unemployment rate stood at 6.4%, 0.1 pp (percentage points) more than in the previous month, 0.4 pp less than three months earlier and 1.6 pp less than a year earlier “, observes the institute.

Judicial Police seizes 430,000 doses of cocaine from Brazil at Porto airport

Porto, Nov 02, 2021 (Lusa) – The Judicial Police (PJ) seized enough cocaine for 430,000 individual doses and detained five people during an operation, centred at Porto Airport, to combat drug trafficking from Brazil to Portugal, revealed today police source.

In a statement, the Northern Directorate of the PJ indicates that the action took place on Sunday, following a control of the cargo of a plane coming from São Paulo, “as part of the investigation starting some 6 months ago, into the activities of a criminal group”.

The drug, a total of 43 kilos of cocaine, with a high degree of purity, would be enough to produce more than 430,000 doses, and that quantity could be expanded with the addition of so-called ‘cut products’, the police said.

The detainees are four men, aged between 34 and 44, and a woman, aged 31, all Portuguese and residents of the Greater Porto area.

An investigating judge ordered the preventive arrest of three of them and ordered the remaining two to report periodically to the authorities.

Two of the defendants are employees of companies operating at the said airport. Within the scope of the trafficking scheme, “they had the function of extracting the illicit cargo, proceeding with the collection of the volumes with the narcotic”, based on instructions received from a South American criminal network.

In addition to drugs, four high-end cars and a firearm that was loaded were seized, in an operation in which the PJ had the collaboration of the Customs Services of the Tax and Customs Authority of Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport and of the Airport Security Division of the PSP.

Comment

Brazil does not produce cocaine but it is one of the main exit points for trafficking into Europe.

 

Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 27^th October 2021

Introduction

Good morning – With the focus in the media firmly on the budget in Portugal and the political divisions concerning this, let us start with some good news.

It was announced yesterday that Vice Admiral Gouveia e Melo was the winner of the National Bioethics Award, a distinction made by the National Bioethics Association, with the support of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP). According to the note sent to newsrooms this Tuesday, the “choice was unanimous” and is a reflection of the coordination of the task force of vaccination against covid-19, which the jury considered to be “an example”.

Some may ask why this is particular good news.

The reason is simple, namely that in a crisis, such as what we have faced, sound leadership, establishing priorities, clear decision making, focusing on the outcomes and above all achieving these, are what we  as a community wish to see. In my opinion the Vice Admiral is a fine example of the qualities of leadership required in facing such a situation.

Confidence in government is vitally important in crisis situations. We never know what may lay ahead; it maybe another pandemic, a natural or man-made disaster, but having a government that can cope with such a challenge is essential. It could make the difference between survival or defeat, determining human, social and economic loss to the nation.

I feel we have been very fortunate in Portugal with having the right leaders in place at the right time. The fact that Portugal became and retains, the highest vaccinated country (full vaccinations) in the world is a remarkable achievement. This undoubtedly saved lives and avoided far higher rates of new cases per head of population, such as the UK and some other countries are currently experiencing.

Although Portugal has relaxed most of the measures previously in place, it is pleasing to see the generally high compliance by the population in terms of hygiene and the wearing of facemasks. As we head towards the winter months and colder weather, it will be particularly important to continue these measures, as well as obtaining the flu vaccination, especially for the elderly and those more vulnerable.

On the subject of vaccinations, complete vaccination against covid-19 already now covers 86% of the population and there are already more than nine million people who have at least one dose of the vaccine, according to official data released yesterday.

The weekly report of the General Directorate of Health (DGS) registers 8,862,628 people with complete vaccination, which corresponds to 86% of the population, which represents a slight advance compared to 85% of the previous week. According to Our World in Data Portugal retains its position with the highest rate of completed vaccinations per capita of population.

Changing the subject, the police have highlighted the theft of catalytic converters, which has soared not only in Portugal but also in the UK and USA. 2021 has seen the ‘new fad’ for stealing catalytic converters from petrol cars. Incidents have been flagged throughout the country, with police registering several thousand reports from north to south.

The reason is that old petrol cars – particularly Honda, Opel and VW – have metals (rhodium and palladium) that are now ‘more precious than gold’. Advice for anyone with an old petrol car is park it in an area where people are generally around, and likely to notice if someone gets underneath and starts working furtively often using a saw or even a grinder.

A reminder that the A Terra Treme awareness exercise will take place at 11.05 hrs on 5^th November. The aim of the exercise is to draw attention to the seismic risk in Portugal and the importance of simple actions that citizens shouldadopt in the event of an earthquake, which can save lives. It lasts only 1 minute, during which participants are invited to perform the 3 save gestures: DROP, COVER, HOLD ON. We encourage everyone to participate individually or in groups, wherever you are. In order that the ANEPC can follow the level of participation across the country, please register your participation in the dedicated area of this website. https://www.aterratreme.pt

Lastly please see our headline story concerning the UN’s latest warning regarding climate change. It makes sombre reading and something we should all pay particular attention to living in a hot climate, with the increasing potential of major wildfires this brings.

With that please have a Safe Day

Headlines

Flu has already arrived in Europe. And this year can be particularly severe for the older people.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned today that the next flu season could be particularly severe for the elderly, following the early detection of some cases, and called for vaccination.

In a statement, the ECDC explains that although the number of identified cases remains, for the time being, low in most countries of the European Union, the circulation of the flu virus is already above the seasonal limit in Croatia, “which is extremely early”.

In addition to the early identification of cases, the main variant detected among cases registered in the last month is influenza A, which, according to the ECDC, disproportionately affects the elderly and is associated with lower vaccine efficacy.

Unable to predict exactly what the next flu season will be like, ECDC specialist Pasi Penttinen stresses the need to take the necessary precautions in order to protect the most vulnerable.

“A sharp increase in flu infections during the covid-19 pandemic could have serious consequences for the elderly and those with weak immune systems and could pose an additional burden to health systems already affected by the pandemic,” he warned, quoted in a statement. .

According to ECDC, last year there was a significant drop, over 99%, in the number of cases of influenza virus infection in the European Union, potentially as a result of the rules and precautions imposed by the covid-19 pandemic.

“Following our experience with the covid-19 pandemic, we now have more evidence that non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing and hygiene measures can effectively limit the spread of the virus,” says the same expert.

ECDC calls for the maintenance of many of these precautions, highlighting the importance of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and against influenza which, according to Pasi Penttinen, “also offer good protection against serious illness.”

World faces disastrous 2.7C temperature rise on current climate plans, UN warns

Report says countries must strengthen climate ambitions after wasting chance to build back better after Covid

The world is squandering the opportunity to “build back better” from the Covid-19 pandemic, and faces disastrous temperature rises of at least 2.7C if countries fail to strengthen their climate pledges, according to a report from the UN.

Tuesday’s publication warns that countries’ current pledges would reduce carbon by only about 7.5% by 2030, far less than the 45% cut scientists say is needed to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C, the aim of the Cop26 summit that opens in Glasgow this Sunday.

António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, described the findings as a “thundering wake-up call” to world leaders, while experts called for drastic action against fossil fuel companies.

Although more than 100 countries have promised to reach net zero emissions around mid-century, this would not be enough to stave off climate disaster, according to the UN emissions report, which examines the shortfall between countries’ intentions and actions needed on the climate. Many of the net zero pledges were found to be vague, and unless accompanied by stringent cuts in emissions this decade would allow global heating of a potentially catastrophic extent.

Guterres said: “The heat is on, and as the contents of this report show, the leadership we need is off. Far off. Countries are squandering a massive opportunity to invest Covid-19 fiscal and recovery resources in sustainable, cost-saving, planet-saving ways. As world leaders prepare for Cop26, this report is another thundering wake-up call. How many do we need?”

Comment

Climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires. Evidence shows that extreme fire weather events including increased lightning and strong winds, are also becoming more common under climate change.

More here: https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2021 

Covid-19

Portugal Covid-19 DGS Situation Tuesday 26^th October

Confirmed Cases: 1.086.280 (+ 829 / + 0.08 %)

Number of admitted: 301 (+ 11 / + 3.79 %)

Number of ICU admitted: 62 (+ 3 / + 5.08 %)

Deaths: 18.141 (+ 3 / + 0.02 %)

Recovered: 1.037.261 (+ 1284 / + 0.12 %)

Active cases: 30,878 (-458 /-1.46%)

Trends

Daily deaths lower than last week’s daily average. All were over 80 years.

New cases higher than last week’s daily average.

The covid-19 cases diagnosed yesterday in Portugal (829) are slightly above the average of the last seven days (764.4) and also slightly above those identified on Tuesday of last week (832).

The number of deaths is the lowest number in the last six days.

Admissions either in outpatient clinics or in intensive care units rose for the second consecutive day – another 11 and three, respectively.

Health

Vice Admiral Gouveia e Melo distinguished with National Bioethics award

Vice Admiral Gouveia e Melo is the winner of the National Bioethics Award, a distinction made by the National Bioethics Association, with the support of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP). According to the note sent to newsrooms this Tuesday, the “choice was unanimous” and is a reflection of the coordination of the task force of vaccination against covid-19, which the jury considered to be “an example”.

“The Prize, awarded by the National Bioethics Association, with the support of the FMUP, distinguishes the vice-admiral for the ‘personal integrity with which he performed his duties, as well as for the ‘demonstrated organizational and planning qualities’. The award is also intended to be a recognition ‘for the example it has given to Portuguese society, an example of public service and dedication to common causes’”, can be read in the note. “Known for the decisive role he played in a critical phase of the pandemic, Vice Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo was, for the jury of this Award, “a natural and unanimous choice”.

The award ceremony is scheduled on November 3rd, at the FMUP premises.

The National Bioethics Award has been awarded since 2007 and aims to distinguish “personalities of high integrity and personal integrity, national or foreign, who have distinguished themselves in the academic, scientific world or in society in general”

Enforcement

PSP detained 712 people in inspections to fight the pandemic

The PSP has detained 712 people since March 2020 in surveillance actions to combat the covid-19 pandemic, a number that police considered this Tuesday to be small due to the extended period and enormous restrictions.

In a presentation on the performance of the Public Security Police during the fight against the covid-19 pandemic, the PSP national director stated that between March 19, 2020, when the state of emergency began, and September 30 of this year, they were 712 people were detained, 26,413 administrative offenses were registered and 1571 commercial establishments closed.

Magina da Silva considered that this number of arrests is not huge.

“We have been living for long months in a pandemic, with huge restrictions, with interactions that are somehow negative and from citizens who, for some reason, did not like the police intervention or felt that the restrictions were excessive. There were millions of interactions by the police imposing restrictive rules on rights and freedoms of guarantees to citizens”, he justified, in statements to journalists at the end of the ceremony.

The national director of the PSP stressed that these arrests “only happened because they were extreme situations”, having been made to citizens who “repeatedly ostensibly refused to comply with the restrictions imposed by the state of emergency”.

Magina da Silva also highlighted the performance of the Portuguese during the state of emergency, stressing that “they showed an enormous social discipline that was not seen in any other country in the European Union”.

Other news

Human trafficking, gold visas and corruption are weaknesses

Portugal is in 117th position among the 193 UN countries in the Global Index of Organized Crime of 2021, according to which the State is “sufficiently effective” in combating this phenomenon. Gold visas are seen as a gateway to corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. Fighting corruption is considered a weak point in the State’s resilience.

Portugal is a “transit country and destination for trafficking in human beings, one of the largest criminal markets in the country”, it is a “transit country for arms trafficking whose destination is Africa” ​​and also a “transit country and destination for cocaine trafficking” and a “cannabis production source”. According to the “Global Index of Organized Crime 2021”, these are the main factors that lead our country to have a score of 4.55 (scale of 1, best, to 10, worst) in organized crime rates.

This global assessment analyses the 193 countries that make up the United Nations. Portugal is in 117th place in relation to that total and 24th among 44 European countries. Among the eight countries in Southern Europe it is in 5th place.

The good news is that, according to this ranking, the State manages to be “sufficiently effective” in combating these phenomena, with Portugal being classified with a score of 6.46 (from 1, “non-existent” or “extremely ineffective” to 10, “highly effective”) with regard to “resilience”. It ranks 29th among the 193 UN countries, 21st in Europe and 2nd among southern European countries. Here the highest marks go to the police forces and the functioning of international cooperation (with 7.5 points), followed by “political leadership and government”, “national policies and legislation”, “support for victims” and “non-state actors”.

Even so, gold visas and anti-corruption mechanisms are seen as weak points in this same State resilience

Last week, at the ceremony to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the PJ, the Minister of Justice considered the Portuguese classification “honourable”, but pointed out that, despite this, it is still a transit and destination country for the trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of migrants, as well as for the trafficking of cocaine and other narcotics, with the record of the increase in the use of the dark web for the drug trade”. Therefore, Francisca Van Dunem stressed, “It is crucial to deepen and accelerate the Justice’s response, continuing to modernize and equip the Judiciary Police to combat these phenomena, which affect the lives of citizens, companies and public administrations”.

Globally, this index, developed by a non-governmental organization based in Geneva, concluded that “democracies have higher levels of resilience to crime than authoritarian states”. It was also found that “more than three quarters of the world’s population lives in countries with high levels of crime and in countries with low resilience to organized crime”. Four other conclusions are highlighted: Asia is the continent with the highest levels of crime; trafficking in human beings is the most widespread crime globally; state officials are the most frequent in actions to facilitate illicit economies and in hampering resilience to organized crime.