Public health doctor claims lockdown inevitable without reinforcements // Draft budget lists billions in new spending to spur recovery
Portuguese news in English on October 13, 2020.
Hi all, I’m sorry this is a day late. It’s because I’m helping with a bit of a (non-covid) medical emergency this week. At this stage, I don’t think I’ll be able to send a newsletter tomorrow but I’m hoping to have time to pull together an update on Friday.
By the numbers
We’re now into our sixth day in a row with more than 1000 new confirmed cases, including Saturday’s 1646, the worst figure recorded to date. We’re also averaging more than 10 deaths a day so far in October, a figure that appears likely to continue to rise. The average daily death toll fell to about two or three for much of the latter half of summer. While the Lisbon and Tejo Valley region is still accounting for 300-700 confirmed cases a day, the North continues to be the primary concern, ranging from 600-1000 daily cases on all but one of the past seven days. Hospitalisations continue to increase rapidly, up 184 from last Tuesday, while 28 more people are in intensive care.
Graphic translation: Active, recovered, deaths, contacts under surveillance, confirmed, hospitalised, in ICU.
Public health doctor claims lockdown inevitable without reinforcements
Another lockdown is inevitable without reinforcing the National Health Service (SNS) with more professionals, materials and better information systems, the president of the Association of Public Health Doctors tells Público. His comments are in sharp contrast to recent assurances from President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Deputy Health Minister António Lacerda Sales that the SNS was far from being overrun. Association president Ricardo Mexia said public health teams already couldn’t perform the desired tasks, arguing resources weren’t enough to break infection chains and supervise suspect cases. Mr Sales said the country’s intensive care units were at 70% capacity but described the current situation as relatively comfortable, given that capacity could be expanded, including through backup hospitals. “Confinement is everything we don't want,” he said, according to Diário de Notícias.
Click here for interactive version.
Draft 2021 budget lists billions in new spending to spur pandemic recovery
This week is all about the budget, following the government’s delivery of its draft proposal on Monday. Reuters has a simple wrap up here, written in English. Its report details new subsidies for the unemployed, badly paid, and health workers, along with a €6 billion (25%) jump in public investment and predictions of a strong economic recovery next year. The budget papers predict a 5.4% jump in GDP next year, which is massive but not enough to make up for this year’s projected 8.5% slump, and a deficit dropping from a projected 7.3% this year to 4.3% next year. Another major measure includes VAT (IVA) discounts for hotels, restaurants and culture. Essentially, through the “IVAucher” program you’ll get back the tax you spend in these sectors in the first quarter of 2021 to respend the following quarter, Público reports. If you can read a bit of Portuguese or don’t mind translating the page, Público has highlighted what it considers to be the nine major measures. Now begins the leading Socialist Party’s (PS) long process of dealing with the other parties to get the budget approved on October 28. Of the government’s most likely allies, on the left, the Left Bloc (BE) has already said it won’t be approving the document in its current form and the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) won’t announce a decision until later, Público reports.
SEF and Finanças workers charged in alleged crime ring
Prosecutors will accuse 45 people and seven businesses over an alleged illegal immigration network that reached the border, tax and social security offices, Diário de Notícias reports. A border service (SEF) inspector, two tax authority (Finanças) workers and two Social Security (Segurança Social) workers will be accused of being accomplices in a criminal network trafficking visas to thousands of foreigners, mostly from 2015 to 2019. Dozens have already been detained and are set to face charges including criminal association, corruption, abuse of power, aiding illegal immigration and money laundering.
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In brief
Cristiano Ronaldo diagnosed with covid-19. He is “well, without symptoms and in isolation” and won’t play against Sweden tomorrow. (Público)
Foreign Affairs and Environment Ministers test negative. These ministers, the Prime Minister, and the President were tested after Science, Technology and Higher Education Minister Manuel Heitor tested positive. (Lusa)
More than half of Lisbon landlords have tenants who stopped paying rent. A Lisbon Landlords’ Association (ALP) survey revealed more than half of those surveyed had tenants who couldn’t pay during the state of emergency. (Público)
On a lighter note
Depending on how you feel about heights, this could be a lighter note or the stuff of nightmares. The world’s longest suspension footbridge is set to open this month in Portugal, stretching an incredible 516 metres, 175 metres above the Paiva River in Arouca, south-east of Porto. If that’s not enough, the walkway of the €2.1 million 516 Arouca bridge is made from a metal grid, which has the advantage of less wind resistance but also makes it more or less see-through. On a less light note, environmentalists are concerned the bridge could lead to rubbish being thrown in the river and a negative impact on the landscape, Jornal de Notícias reports.
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