Schools shut for two weeks with no remote learning // UK variant could soon cause 60% of Portuguese cases, study finds
Portuguese news in English on January 21, 2021.
I know these late-night updates aren’t ideal but restrictions are changing very quickly and I’m trying to get them out as quickly as possible. All the best for the weekend and I’ll see you Monday.
By the numbers
I sound like a broken record again but things are really bad. Wednesday was the worst day yet for new cases (14,647) and deaths (219). New cases dropped slightly today but even more covid-19 patients died. The number of covid-19 patients in intensive care has now passed 700, meaning ICU beds set aside for normal patient care are already being significantly impacted.
Schools shut for two weeks with no remote learning
Portugal’s schools will shut for 15 days from tomorrow (Friday) — with no online classes — in a move the government has blamed on the rapid spread of the new UK variant, Diário de Notícias reports. The break has been described as emergency holidays, as opposed to last year’s mass shift to online learning and will be made up for with more classes later in the year. Schools will remain open only for the children up to 12 years old of workers in essential sectors such as hospital workers and police — and for children with special needs and meals for needy kids. Parents of children up to 12 who work in other sectors but don’t have the ability to work from home can miss work and receive 66% of their wage, Prime Minister António Costa says. Universities will delay exams and bring forward the start of second-semester classes, taught online, Público reports. The decision will be reviewed by the end of the fortnight.
UK variant could cause 60% of Portuguese cases, study finds
The proportion of cases from the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 is “growing significatively” in Portugal, Lusa reports, citing a national health institute study. The study indicates the variant, thought to be as much as 70% more contagious but not more deadly, could be responsible for 60% of Portuguese cases by the first week of February. Analysing more than 27,000 confirmed cases, the Doctor Ricardo Jorge National Health Institute researchers found the UK variant had increased from 1% of cases in the week of November 30 to January to 11.4%, from January 11 to 18. Defending the delay in taking the decision to close schools, the Prime Minister said the prevalence of the new strain had increased from 8% last week to 20% this week. It’s unclear where the slight difference comes from. The Guardian answers a lot of common questions about the B117 variant here, and reports Germany is considering mandating higher quality masks in response to the spread, both in English. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control attributed Portugal’s increase in cases this year “mainly” to the relaxation of Christmas and “to a lesser extent” to the new strain, Público reported.
Exhaustion and despair in hospitals
Overwhelmed hospital workers are describing exhaustion and despair as covid-19 case numbers continue to surge, Reuters reports, in English. From retired doctors and nurses being called to staff makeshift hospitals to ambulances queueing for hours — an elderly man died after waiting for three hours in an ambulance at Portalegre — the situation is dire. “Lots of people are cracking, lots of people are burning out and it gets harder and harder,” said Gustavo Carona, an intensive care doctor in Porto. “Everyone is very tired. Ricardo Mexia, president of the association of public health doctors, said the decision had come too late and he feared the numbers would worsen.
In brief
Sintra line trains are running ‘full’. It’s not ‘chaos’, like what was seen on Wednesday thanks to a problem but passengers say social distancing is almost impossible. (Público)
State sends compensation to family of Ukrainian killed in SEF installation. Amnesty International has told the Ministry of Internal Affairs it is concerned with complaints of excessive use of force and poor treatment. (Público)
On a lighter note
If there’s one good thing about lockdown (there isn’t really but I’m trying to be positive here) it’s that you don’t have to feel bad about giving yourself a break from cooking to order takeaway or delivery for dinner. If you’re struggling for inspiration, Time Out has made some updates to its best of lists for Lisbon and Porto and Público has published a new list for Lisbon I’ve never seen before. That one also includes a few places offering fruit and veg baskets for healthier eating.