New reopening plans and how to get vaccinated
Portuguese news in English on Monday, June 7, 2021.
Hi everyone, I’m sorry this is a day late. Work was crazy yesterday (thanks Lilibet).
By the numbers
New cases have been climbing now since about the middle of May and, it’s very early days, but it’s starting to look like deaths and hospitalisations might be creeping up too. Having said that, the situation is far from out of control just yet. We’re now averaging about 540 cases a day nationally, almost 200 more than the lowest point in the middle of last month. Hospitalisations are back to where they were at the start of May but the number of people in ICU has barely moved in the past two or three weeks, fluctuating between 50 and 60. We’re still averaging fewer than two deaths a day, even after a slight increase over the weekend. Nationally, we’re sitting at 72 cases per 100,000 people per fortnight and an R number of 1.07.
Reopening: Restaurants until 1am from next Monday
It’s the best kind of news: reopening news! Público reports that from June 14, working from home is no longer mandatory; restaurants, cafes and pastelarias can return to their normal capacity and open until 1am; shops return to their normal opening hours; public transport can fit more people; every taxi/rideshare seat can be full except the one beside the driver; concerts can go until midnight with 50% capacity; and amateur sport can take place with 33% spectator occupation.
From June 28, professional matches can have crowds (governed by rules still to be defined by the Directorate-General of Health) and lojas de cidadão (“citizen shops” that you visit to deal with driver licences and other similar paperwork) can serve people without prior appointment. Experts told Público they were mostly in favour of the plan, although wanted a greater emphasis on well-ventilated indoor spaces and testing before controlled events. These measures are set to last until the start of August and there’s still no word on nightclubs and bars reopening (although many bars are able to open as restaurants).
Limits on reopening and Lisbon on alert
In the same article, Público notes this calendar will continue to be driven by the number of cases per 100,000 people per fortnight. If that number goes above 120 in an individual council for two evaluations in a row, restrictions will return to roughly what we’re facing now. Working from home becomes mandatory again; restaurants etc and concerts have to shut at 10.30pm; and commerce and retail must shut at 9pm. If the incidence rate rises beyond 240, restaurants etc will have to shut at 3.30pm on weekends and weddings and baptisms will be reduced to 25% capacity. The case limits are doubled for less-populated municipalities where just a handful of cases can blow out the incidence rate really quickly.
Things aren’t looking good for Lisbon on that front, Diário de Notícias reports. The council is already on alert and registered 181 cases per 100,000 people in the two weeks to Sunday. This week is risky given it includes public holidays and the Noite de Santo Antônio (Saint Anthony’s Night), which experts are still worried about even though the most intense festivities have been cancelled. Professor Carlos Antunes from the science faculty at the University of Lisbon said his estimates put Lisbon above 240 cases/100,000/fortnight by about June 14, possibly meaning the capital would have to step backward to the harsher level of restrictions. Experts say the fact the rise in cases has not yet led to a rise in hospitalisations and deaths is likely because most of the new cases are in young people and many older people are vaccinated. But they warn more infections will still inevitably lead to more hospitalisations and deaths.
How to get vaccinated
This is just a quick reminder of how to get vaccinated. If you’re already registered with the SNS (National Health System), you should eventually be contacted to make a vaccine appointment. But you can also use the online appointment form found here. That’s currently open to anyone aged 43 and over. It was meant to be open to everyone in their 40s from yesterday so I’m not sure what is happening there. Those in their 30s are expected to become eligible on June 20. If you’re not registered you can go here to find out how to request an SNS user number and here to find out how to register at your local health centre. Those with pending SEF (Immigration and Borders Service) processes can sign up using proof of their request or booking date). Even if you don’t have an SNS number and you’re not registered with SEF, you can still sign up to be vaccinated using this online form.
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England takes Portugal off green list and Spain demands tests
Portugal is back off England’s travel green list from tomorrow, thanks to rising cases and concern over a new variant, the BBC reports. That’s provoked a fair bit of anger here,
with National Health Institute researcher João Paulo Gomes calling the concern a “storm in a tea cup”. He told Público there had been just 12 registered cases in Portugal of the variant in question — a slightly mutated version of the Delta variant that first emerged in India — and there was as yet no proof it was more transmissible, although it could be. In other travel news, Spain is now demanding proof of vaccination, recent COVID-19 recovery or a negative PCR or antigen test taken in the previous 48 hours to cross the border with Portugal, which is threatening to reciprocate, Diário de Notícias reports. Portugal is set to start issuing EU Digital COVID Certificates by July 1, Público reports.
In brief
New Supreme Court president urges politicians to improve punishment of white-collar crime (Público)
Summer arriving early with temperatures topping 30 degrees. Parts of the Alentejo should hit 35 with Lisbon in the high 20s (Público)
National Guard closes three establishments and breaks up party with 200 people in Albufeira (Diário de Notícias)
Prime Minister António Costa slides in the polls leaving President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the top of the popularity stakes. Costa drops from 59% approval to 50% while Marcelo drops one percentage point to 70%.
On a lighter note
Superstar artist Ai Weiwei has opened his largest ever exhibition, and it’s in Lisbon. The Chinese dissident’s Rapture exhibit runs until November 28 at the Cordoaria Nacional but even more than that, he’s chosen Portugal as his home. He told the Washington Post, in English, that he didn’t plan to move back to England or Germany and that staying in Portugal was “probably the best decision I ever made.” “This is a place I’m staying,” he said, praising the relatively slow pace of life, “very open” people, “very acceptable” food and the sunny weather. Tickets are available from Ticketline, FNAC, Worten, El Corte Inglés and Agência ABEP.
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