State of emergency renewed with border controls and some flight bans // School is back online from February 8
Portuguese news in English on January 29, 2021.
By the numbers
Yesterday was another new record for covid-19 deaths, 303, as new daily cases sat around 15,000–17,000. The Lisbon and Tejo Valley region has emerged as the clear epicentre of the pandemic in Portugal, with more than twice as many cases as the North and four times more than the Centre yesterday. Citing figures from the Doctor Ricardo Jorge National Health Institute, Público reports that the more infectious UK variant is already responsible for half of all new cases in the Lisbon and Tejo Valley region and 30% nationwide.
State of emergency renewed with border controls and some flight bans
The state of emergency has been renewed until February 14, bringing changes to schooling, border control and medical workers, Público reports. The rest of the restrictions already in place, which you can read here, will continue when the new state of emergency begins from midnight (00h00) on Sunday. New border controls ban Portuguese citizens from leaving the country during the state of emergency, except for certain exceptions such as humanitarian flights to repatriate citizens. Reuters has an in-depth report, in English, which states travel between Portugal and Spain will only be allowed for health, the transportation of essential goods, those working on the other side of the border and Portuguese nationals returning home. But as late as last night, Diário de Notícias was reporting those measures were still under discussion between the two countries. In other travel-related news, Público reports the government has suspended all flights to and from Brazil, as of today, and extended the suspension on UK flights until February 14. Repatriation flights from those countries for citizens, family members and legal residents in Portugal will still be allowed but passengers must present a negative covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure and quarantine for 14 days at home or somewhere else indicated by health authorities. EU and Schengen Zone citizens can also fly on those planes, that is if any are organised. Germany will ban travellers from Portugal, the UK, Brazil and South Africa due to the spread of more contagious coronavirus mutations, Lusa reports. Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer said any exceptions were yet to be decided.
School is back online from February 8
Schools will remain closed until February 5, before a return to online classes on the 8th, Público reports. Therapeutic support for children with special needs will continue, as will meals provided to students from families receiving level 1 or 2 of social support. Schools will remain open over Carnaval and at least part of Easter to make up for some of the current unexpected time off. Nurseries will remain shut for another 15 days.
Hospitals on the brink with ‘no end in sight’
Horror stories are emerging from Portugal’s hospitals almost every day as they struggle to keep up with the constant flood of covid-19 patients. Here, Reuters reports in English from inside Cascais Hospital, where João Cordeiro, 48, spent weeks in hospital and his wife remains fighting for life after their children made a quick recovery. “There is no end in sight,” one exhausted nurse said. The number of covid-19-specific ICU beds has been increased to 830, with military health units in Porto and Lisbon now online, but even that number is close to being reached. Earlier this week people were shocked by long lines of ambulances queued outside Hospital Santa Maria in Lisbon. Patients will now be pre-triaged by paramedics after the hospital said only 15% were serious enough to justify an ambulance to hospital, Público reports. Portuguese authorities have been considering asking for foreign help to reinforce hospitals and a small team of German military doctors has recently visited Hospital Amadora-Sintra to see what might be needed, Público reports.
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In brief
European Council president says EU could invoke ‘urgent measures’ in response to vaccine shortfall. Charles Michel suggested triggering an emergency treaty provision if manufacturers did not respond adequately. (Politico, in English)
Why has Germany advised against Oxford/AstraZeneca jab for over-65s? Germany’s disease control agency, said: “There is insufficient data to judge how effective the vaccination is above 65 years.” (The Guardian)
Cristiano Ronaldo under investigation for 'ski trip' by Italian police (The Telegraph)
On a lighter note
I know wombat Friday doesn’t have quite the same ring to it but what am I going to do? Scientists have solved the age-old mystery of how the Aussie marsupials make their cube-shaped poos, Science magazine reports. It turns out the shaping is done in the intestines not the, ahem, exit door, as first thought. Brilliantly, the name of the journal publishing the study is Soft Matter.
Please keep sharing on Facebook, in real life or anywhere else you see people a bit confused by the latest news.
"Brilliantly, the name of the journal publishing the study is Soft Matter." - 🤣 🤣 This just made me laugh out loud! Thanks for brightening up these hard times. Have a good weekend!