Portugal bought more than 600,000 masks without quality guarantee, and 42% drank less in lockdown
Portuguese news in English on July 8, 2020
By the numbers
The new case situation was starting to look a bit better at the start of the week but there’s been another reasonably large increase today, the largest in a week and a half. Three quarters of the cases were in the Lisbon and Tejo Valley region, as has been standard recently, but the north also recorded four times more (77) cases than on Monday, according to Público.
Portugal bought hundreds of thousands of masks without quality guarantee
The Economic and Food Safety Authority (ASAE) seized 627,000 FFP masks (also known as respirators), used by health professions, for not meeting safety standards, Público reports. According to the in-depth investigation, it could be just the tip of the iceberg, after hospitals, the Directorate-General of Health, councils and other public entities bought masks that hadn’t been properly quality approved. False masks have been a much-reported problem across Europe and the rest of the world throughout the pandemic. The investigation, by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and 16 European news organisations uncovered many cases of the respirators being sold with documents including the Europe-required CE mark to prove quality, but which weren’t actually an approval of the product or certificates with any legal value. You can read more from the OCCRP, in English, about the wider European context.
Expert group blames “cohabitation” for Lisbon outbreaks, President says
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa insists there is a “stabilisation” in the number of coronavirus infections across the country and within the Lisbon and Tejo Valley region, Diário de Notícias reports. Speaking after the final meeting between experts and politicians at Infarmed - the National Authority of Medicines and Health Products - he said the increase in cases in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area was due to “cohabitation”. The President said there was a study that appeared to show trains were not a determining factor in the outbreak, while highlighting a “downward trend” probably due to recent measures. Mr Rebelo de Sousa said the different makeups of Lisbon and Porto could help explain the differences in the evolution of the pandemic in the two major cities. While Porto was more based on food and industry, trade and movement were more important in Lisbon, he said. The meeting will be the last because Portugal is moving from a macro model of managing the epidemic (sweeping actions across the whole country or large parts) to a more targeted micro model, according to the president.
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 lot of Portuguese actually drank less during lockdown
This might come as a bit of a shock for anyone who enjoyed a few quarantinis or Zoom happy hours during lockdown. While some were boozing it up, 42% of Portuguese people drank less than before confinement, Público reports. The 21% who drank more were most likely to be males with higher levels of education, who worked from home, were more worried about the pandemic and already drank on a weekly or daily basis. Those who drank less were likely to be less educated, less frequent drinkers and have continued to work outside the home. Almost half (49%) of those who drank more said it was because of an increase in free time, while 37% said it was to help relax and calm down and 22% said it was to help them deal with the “difficult context”. The lack of their normal drinking buddies and parties or other festive situations was the main reason people drank less. The study came from an online survey of 950 people by the General-Directorate for Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (SICAD) and considered the period from March 13 to May 31.
Many people took a less is less approach to drinking. Photo: Jorge Branco
Thank you so much again to everyone who has already bought me a “tosta mista” or subscribed. It really makes a big difference. If you missed the email explaining how to do it you can check it out here or hit one of these buttons to help out.
In brief
239 Scientists say coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air. The WHO says there is emerging evidence of the airborne transmission. What you should do now. (New York Times, in English)
Portugal's exclusion from UK 'air bridge' 'lacked scientific rigour', experts say. (Público)
Sweden Has Become the World's Cautionary Tale. The Scandinavian nation didn’t lock down and now has 5,420 deaths with almost as much economic damage as its neighbours. (New York Times, in English)
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus (The Guardian, in English)
Melbourne goes back into lockdown after surge in cases. Australia had appeared to have brought the pandemic under control until recently. (The Age, in English)
Portuguese recession will be the worst since 1928 (or worse). The prediction comes from the Bank of Portugal as tourism sinks 60%. (Diario de Notícias)
On a lighter note
This is a little bittersweet because NOS Alive should be on right now. But at least we can dream of next year, thanks to the first lineup announcement for 2021. Red Hot Chili Peppers are headlining and the organisers have managed to hold on to some of the acts from this year, including Alt-J, Two Door Cinema Club, Angel Olsen, Caribou and of course local act Da Weasel, who were reconfirmed months ago. Unfortunately there’s no word on whether superstars such as Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish will still be coming to play down by the Tejo River.
I’m hoping to keep as many expats informed as possible, so please share this with any friends you think might find it useful.