Amnesty International calls for SEF reform after complaint // Have new cases peaked?
Portuguese news in English on November 30, 2020.
By the numbers
It’s a Monday and a long weekend so we should probably take this with a grain of salt, but the good news is that this is the lowest number of new cases in a day since November 3. The 14-day average has dropped to just over 700 cases per 100,000 people (the lowest since November 15) and you can even see the curve starting to flatten a bit in the graphs below. Infectious diseases expert António Silva Graça told Público last week it was “possible” we had reached the peak of this wave but it was too early to relax. He said we would need two or three weeks of data to be sure, especially given the stress already on the National Health System.
Don’t forget the local travel ban remains in place today and tomorrow in very high and extreme risk council areas. More information here in my November 22 newsletter. And, The full set of state of emergency measures have finally been translated into English, available at Estamos On.
Amnesty International calls for SEF reform
Amnesty International has called for the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) to be reformed, after an investigation was ordered into the treatment of another foreign citizen, Diário de Notícias reports. A Brazilian woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told the newspaper agents coerced her into signing deportation papers and left her in the same clothes for 17 days. The woman had lived with Ihor Homeniuk (More details in November 16 newsletter), the Ukrainian allegedly murdered by three SEF inspectors on March 12. The Brazilian woman alleged Mr Homeniuk was not the only person to be assaulted in the room where he died. After her claims were published on the weekend, Home Affairs Minister Eduardo Cabrita ordered the Inspectorate General of Home Affairs (IGAI) to investigate. Amnesty International Portugal president Pedro Neto said this wasn’t enough, the IGAI being an internal body and not a mechanism of justice.
Nine in 10 teachers worried about school safety
Roughly 90% of teachers are worried about or scared of getting sick at work, according to a teachers’ union survey reported by Lusa. Of the more than 5000 who responded, about two-thirds were concerned, 23% were scared and 9.5% felt safe from the virus at school. The government has repeatedly assured us schools are safe. At the start of this month, Director-General of Health Graça Freitas said schools, primary school and pre-schools, were among the settings where the virus was most controlled, Diário de Notícias reported. The biggest concerns among teachers were class sizes not having been reduced to allow greater physical distancing, the regularity of cleaning and the number of teacher aides. The union, Fenprof, has called for better health safety, preventative measures such as testing and transparency over the epidemiological situation in schools.
Click here for interactive version.
Human rights court gives green light to climate complaint from young Portuguese
The European Court of Human Rights has ordered 33 countries to respond to a climate change case brought by six young Portuguese, the Associated Press reports, in English. The complainants, two young adults and four children, are trying to hold the 27 European Union members (plus the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine) accountable for allegedly inadequate greenhouse-gas-reduction efforts. The court granted the case priority status because of the “importance and urgency of the issues raised.” The Global Legal Action Network, which is supporting the complainants, said it was “highly significant” because only a “tiny minority” of cases got such treatment. A win would force the countries to meet Paris 2015 targets and account for overseas emissions by multinational companies. Público pointed out the case was filed after Portugal’s hottest July in 90 years and an expert report warned the country would face increasingly fatal extreme heat.
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In Brief
Moderna applies for US FDA approval of its coronavirus vaccine. Some Americans could receive their first shots as early as December 21, if approved. (New York Times, in English)
Portugal's main telcos sign up for 5G auction amid legal dispute. Altice, Vodafone and NOS will have to share their infrastructure and offer national roaming to customers of new competitors, which the regulator has reserved spectrum for. (Reuters, in English)
New buses to hit the road in greater Lisbon late next year or early 2022. The Margem Sul (south bank) should have the biggest increase in services as new lines are added and connections improved. (Público)
Economy recovered 13.3% in summer Third-quarter GDP improved along with the gradual reopening of the economy but was still down 5.7% on the same period last year. (Público)
On a lighter note
Nothing says desconfinamento (deconfinement isn’t technically a word in English but you get the picture) quite like walking 208 kilometres along Portugal’s spectacular Atlantic coastline. At least that’s the proposition from Caminhos da Natureza, who are offering six weekends of guided hikes along the Rota Vicentina, all the way from Porto Covo to Sagres. You’ll be walking between 11 and 25 kilometres a day and cost €215-275 per weekend, including two nights of accommodation, breakfast and a picnic for the road, Público reports. The first hike starts on January 29 and there are discounts for early booking.
The first stop after Porto Covo is Vila Nova de Milfontes. Photo: Jorge Branco
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