First day without a COVID-19 death since March // Two fatal rail accidents could have been avoided
Portuguese news in English on August 3, 2020
By the numbers
I was expecting this day to come a while ago but I’m glad it’s finally here. For the first day since March 15, no COVID-19 patients have died. In more good news, the new confirmed case numbers for today are some of the lowest we’ve seen and follow relatively small increases in both cases (238 and 153) and deaths (2 and 1). It’s been more than a week since we’ve seen an increase in active cases, thanks to a few hundred confirmed recoveries a day. Público reports the national Rt was at 0.94 from July 23 to 27, implying a decrease in the number of infections. It stayed steady in the Lisbon and Tejo Valley region at 0.92 but increased in most other regions, including an increase to 1.09 in the Algarve to 1.14 in the Alentejo.
A quick note: I’m going to be taking a week off from the newsletter to visit the Azores with my family. This Wednesday, August 5, will be the last newsletter until August 17, after I get back. Keep safe!
Fatal train crashes could have been prevented
Two fatal rail accidents this year would have been avoided if recommendations stemming from previous crashes had been followed, Público reports. A truck driver died on April 20 when he wasn’t able to pass a rail crossing on a tightly curving road in the Santarém Valley quickly enough to avoid the train. The rail and air accident investigation office (GPIAAF) had already made three recommendations to avoid such an occurrence almost four years earlier, following a crash in almost identical circumstances. But they weren’t followed. Friday’s crash near Soure, in which two track workers died and 43 people were injured has been blamed on the small work vehicle running a red light. Years earlier GPIAAF had made a host of recommendations in response to more than a dozen cases of such a work vehicle running a red light, but three of those weren’t followed.
What’s the chance of a second wave?
Writing for Público, epidemiology professor Manuel Carmo Gomes has laid out the three groups of factors he thinks will determine whether or not autumn brings a second wave: our own behaviour, group immunity and public health policy.
In terms of behaviour, Professor Carmo Gomes reminds us of the three main ways the virus transmits: droplets from coughing, sneezing and talking, touching your face and the more recently emerging concern of aerosol transmission. He says the habits we’ve learned - social distancing, handwashing and disinfecting surfaces - making a resurgence at the same strength as in March improbable. But he warns aerosol transmission will be more problematic as colder weather makes people more likely to spend time in enclosed spaces. Our chances of avoiding a second wave, he says, will depend a lot on our ability to identify and try to avoid spaces where transmission is more likely as much as possible. Proper ventilation and wearing a mask inside can help if the spaces can’t be avoided.
The second is any hope of group immunity, which I spoke about last week and which some much smarter people than me went into detail about in the New York Times a few days ago. The final factor is the public health response. The professor says it’s widely agreed we need to get the spread down well below 300 cases a day before autumn and reinforce local public health efforts in worse-affected zones. His personal opinion, shared by many others, is that the next step is handing over more personalised control of restrictions to individual municipalities. National and regional authorities would help by creating a national risk map and helping the various areas to update their guidelines or reinforce local public health teams.
Hundreds pay tribute to slain Black actor, protest ‘unthinkable’ death
The sister of slain Black Portuguese actor Bruno Candé says she doesn’t want hate, just for her brother’s alleged murderer to face justice and this not to happen again, Público reports. Olga Araújo said it was important to see it was not just those of African heritage attending the rally in her brother’s name in the centre of Lisbon on Friday. Hundreds gathered to pay tribute to the 39-year-old of Guinea-Bissauan origin and call for justice, carrying signs reproducing the racist insults hurled at Mr Candé days before his death or simply “black lives matter”. It’s the fourth time this year people have taken to the streets in Portugal to protest racism, following the alleged murder of Luís Giovanni, alleged assault of Cláudia Simões and alleged murder of George Floyd in the US. Ana Cardoso, 28, said it was “unthinkable” for such a crime to occur in 2020. “There are a lot of racist people and it is important to show that we are sick of it,” she said.
In brief
State of alert for today and tomorrow due to elevated fire risk. Fires and the circulation of people through many forested areas are banned. (Diário de Notícias)
Portugal returns to the world's top 20 shoemakers. (Diário de Notícias)
With heat and telework, air conditioning and fans fly off the shelves. Sales have jumped as much as 300% (Diário de Notícias)
Public debt fell by €4.6 billion in June. It’s less than May but €8.32 million more than last June (Diário de Notícias)
More than half of Portugal's rental cars are out of action. A significant number have also been sold, due to the pandemic. (Diário de Notícias)
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On a lighter note
If you’ve ever picked out the perfect socially distant beach spot only to have someone come along and try to edge into that sacred 1.5-metre zone, this towel is for you. At 3.7x1.85m, according to Time Out, the Safe Spot Towel is almost enough to keep you properly isolated on its own. Unfortunately the giant towel, a collaboration between Portuguese brands DCK and Futah, also comes with a pretty giant price: €69. But hey, if you’re searching for a 100% organic cotton beach towel that helps to keep others out of your space, there aren't exactly a lot of options.
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