Government denies claim of a 'second wave' as Portugal passes 40,000 cases
Portuguese news in English on June 24, 2020.
By the numbers
Portugal has passed 40,000 cases of COVID-19, with cases still on the rise in Greater Lisbon. For the second time since the pandemic began, the Lisbon and Tejo Valley region (LVT) has passed the north to become the most-affected region in terms of total cases (17,527 vs 17,339). Today, 82% of the new cases were in the LVT, according to Diário de Notícias. Death rates fortunately remain relatively low but the number of overall active cases (total cases minus deaths and recoveries) has increased for the third day in a row, up 110 from yesterday.
Government rejects talk of a ‘second wave’ in Portugal
Experts who met today to discuss the state of the pandemic in Portugal advocated concrete measures targeted to specific geographical areas to fight the outbreaks in Greater Lisbon, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said. Apparently, he said, the infections were mostly among those who worked during lockdown in more or less the same manner as now, Diário de Notícias reported. That’s something Prime Minister António Costa has said before in defence of reopening but also goes to the question of whether the change is down to more testing or the spread of the virus. The President said the R number (number of people infected by every infected patient) for the country was 1.08. Roughly speaking the pandemic is shrinking below 1 and growing above 1.
The Social Democratic Party (PSD), the main opposition in Portugal, came out of the meeting speaking in much more alarming terms. MP Ricardo Baptista Leite warned there was a “second wave” of COVID-19 cases in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Diário de Notícias reported. He said the growth in cases was not just a result of high levels of testing and warned hundreds of flights a day would start landing in Portugal from July 1, without any obligation for arrivals to be tested for the disease. The Socialist Party (PS), which is in power, insisted the situation was under control.
Meanwhile, Público reported the pandemic only worsened an already delicate situation in Musgueira, Ameixoeira and Galinheiras, neighborhoods of the only parish in Lisbon to stay in a state of calamity. So far, 19 freguesias will stay in the elevated state, which will bring tighter vigilance measures, including all of the councils of Odivelas and Amadora, Público reports. In Loures, Camarate, Unhos e Apelação, Sacavém and Prior Velho will be included, along with Queluz-Belas, Massamá-Monte Abraão, Agualva-Mira Sintra, Algueirão-Mem Martins, Rio de Mouro and Cacém-São Marcos in Sintra.
The blue line is cases confirmed DAILY and the other line is the TOTAL number of deaths, hence why it keeps climbing. Click here for an interactive version.
A quiet São João night in the north
It feels like just yesterday I was here lamenting the passing of the night of Santo Antonio in Lisbon with empty streets and lots of saudades from locals. Last night it was the residents of Porto and Braga’s turn to experience a night of São João like they’d never seen before. No traditionally dancing, or street parties, no leeks or plastic hammers to hit each other over the head with (yes, really) and no fireworks, as per Diário de Notícias’ report. Only a handful of barbecues were fired up to grill sardines and peppers after the Portuenses (people from Porto) were asked to celebrate at home. Even still, a few people celebrated in public while following social distancing rules, Público noted. Fernando and Aline headed out to eat some traditional Caldo Verde soup and some other friends gathered at a restaurant. For some groups of foreigners, French and Brazilian, it definitely wasn’t the “best night of the year” that had been described to them.
Portugal no longer Europe’s coronavirus ‘miracle’
It feels like the perception of Portugal has changed pretty quickly. Just a few weeks ago, the country’s efforts we’re being lauded right across Europe and even described as a miracle. Now, several countries are blocking us from entering or requiring quarantine and 2.8 million of us are facing stricter regulations to fight the ongoing outbreaks in Greater Lisbon. At this stage, the growth doesn’t appear to be out of control but experts are worried by the recent massive parties we’ve seen and the spread among the working population in Lisbon’s poorer suburbs. I wrote about all of that today in an article for The Telegraph that you can read here, in English obviously.
In brief
Web Summit will be online and offline. And moved to December. (Diário de Notícias)
Spy agency reinforces alert for the reorganisation of the extreme right in Portugal. On the same day Europol registers the activity of neo-Nazi movements in Portugal, the Internal Intelligence Service also highlights extreme right groups in its assessment of the threat to Portuguese internal security. (Diário de Notícias)
Two out of nine foreigners in Portugal are new residents. (Diário de Notícias)
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On a lighter note
This story, via Diário de Notícias, has completely broken me and I am now just a puddle on the floor. Hermann Schreiber, 80, lives in Vigo, just north of Portugal and has Alzheimer’s disease but hasn’t forgotten how to play the harmonica. During lockdown he came to believe, with a little help from his carer, that the mass applause every night for health workers was for him. She would encourage him to go to the window to perform the “concert”, no matter how “nervous” he was due to the “big audience”. You may have already seen this back in March (I missed it) but the story has now been paid tribute to in a beautiful short animation. You can read more about Hermann here in English and watch both videos below. The second video is in Spanish but has subtitles.
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