Dozens of infections from illegal party in the Algarve, and 10 Euro countries restrict entry from Portugal
Portuguese news in English on June 19, 2020.
The good news is the number of active cases keeps dropping slightly day-on-day and the death rate is staying relatively low. The bad news is that’s only because 300-500 people are being marked as recovered every day, just slightly more than the number of new cases being confirmed daily. Yesterday, more than 400 (417) cases were confirmed in a day for just the second time since May 8 and today’s figure isn’t that much better. Three quarters (76%) of today’s new cases are in Greater Lisbon and 8.5% are in the Algarve, Diário de Notícias reports.
‘Close the Algarve?’: The fallout from an illegal party with dozens of infections
An illegal party near the Algarve town of Lagos has caused a lot of concern this week, leading to dozens being infected and even talk of a potential move to “close” the region. As of today, 76 cases have been identified stemming from the party at a sports club in Odiáxere on June 7, Diário de Notícias reported. More than 1200 tests have been carried out, with more to follow in coming days, and 345 people are in home isolation. It’s particularly worrying because the Algarve, as a major tourist destination, is critical to the country’s economic recovery. Until recently it had been registering relatively few cases compared to the rest of the country, DN reported. In an interview with DN yesterday, Order of Doctors South presidente Alexandre Valentim Lourenço said the region did not have the resources to deal with an outbreak at the level of the ongoing situation in Greater Lisbon. “If we have an outbreak of a hundred cases in Faro or Portimão we will have to close the Algarve,” he said, pointing to a partial lockdown enforced in Beijing as a result of 106 newly registered cases (New York Times, English). But Regional Health Authority president Paulo Morgado disagreed forcefully, saying the region had hospital capacity for 250 inpatients, with just three beds currently occupied and no one in intensive care. Speaking to Público, Mr Morgado said he did not go along with the “catastrophic declarations”.
Ponta da Piedade, near Lagos. Photo: Jorge Branco.
Ten European countries block or restrict Portuguese residents from entering
After months as the darling child of the European response to the pandemic, Portugal is no longer being looked upon so favourably. Público reports infection rates above 20 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants are penalising the country, leaving Portugues residents unable to enter or facing restrictions on entry to at least 10 European countries. Denmark this week became the latest country to leave Portuguese residents out of reopening plans, following Austria and Cyprus. Several other countries including Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Romania and the Czech Republic are imposing a quarantine period of as long as two weeks, while any Portuguese resident travelling to Greece will have to take a COVID-19 test on entry. The Portuguese government has also criticised moves to continue to restrict air links between some Schengen Zone countries, Diário de Notícias reports. The government said the moves were contrary to directions from the European Union and threatened to reciprocate. “Countries with a third or half of the tests can’t compare with Portugal,” Prime Minister António Costa said today, Público reported.
Partygoers cough at police and suspected COVID-19 patient tied to railing in separate Lisbon incidents
Some Lisbon hospitals have asked for help from regional health authorities because they are coming close to their limits for pandemic patients, Diário de Notícias reports. The recently rehabilitated Belem Military Hospital started receiving COVID-19 patients this week about two and a half months after it was inaugurated. The situation makes it all the more shocking that six men aged between 19 and 46 were arrested on Wednesday at an illegal party in Alges, as DN reports. Police alleged they showed a “provocatory and disrespectful attitude” to police, even “deliberately coughing” and claiming they were infected, before drawing bladed weapons.
Police were also called to Bairro Padre Cruz, where a 21-year-old had been tied to a railing with a zip tie by locals who accused him of continuing to leave the house despite being infected, Observador reported. TVI24 aired mobile phone footage from a resident of police cutting loose the man, who the station reported had drug abuse problems. According to Observador, police took the man home and he was tested again, while TVI reported it was not the first time authorities had been called to make him go back home.
Government mourns death of doctor, 68, who spent 40 days in intensive care. The Independent Union of Doctors says 600 doctors are infected. (Público)
Order of Doctors informs Parliament it will refuse any participation in euthanasia. The order’s national council sent a letter to the President of the Assembly of the Republic, slamming the intention to legalise any form of assisted dying and announcing it would not assign any doctor to take part. (Público)
Government to approve 13th month of family allowance and extraordinary support next week. (Público)
On a lighter note
Wow, my apologies for that deluge of bad news. If infecting dozens of people with a deadly disease at an illegal party in the middle of a pandemic is on one end of the scale, this chef’s latest efforts have to be pretty much at the other. Tanka Sapkota, often referred to as Portugal’s most Italian Nepalese chef, is taking his rolling pizza oven from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, to serve 8000 meals to 1720 needy Lisbon families, Público reports. It’s a pretty good effort from the guy behind highly respected venues Come Prima, Forno D’ Oro, Il Mercato and Casa Nepalesa, who already donated €4000 to Banco Alimentar (food bank) and the Nepalese community. The chef said he regularly did this sort of thing - admitting this is “a bit more ambitious” - but had decided to publicise his latest effort in the hope of showing something that could be followed by other people. Even 8000 pizzas doesn’t go all that far when so many people are struggling so you can donate to the Banco Alimentar here.
I’m hoping to keep as many expats informed as possible, so please share this with any friends you think might find it useful.