The latest on vaccination // Will we need a third shot?
Portuguese news in English on Friday, August 6, 2021.
Hey guys, I’m feeling pretty sick today (not covid) so this is just going to be a short newsletter with the essentials, sorry. Thanks for understanding.
By the numbers
Things are reasonably similar to last week. Cases are falling pretty consistently, from an average of about 3000 last week to an average of 2500 today but deaths are still creeping up, solidly in the double figures now. Fortunately, the number of covid-19 patients in hospital is falling and the number in ICU has levelled off so deaths should hopefully follow suit shortly.
The latest on vaccination
With the vaccine rollout running pretty smoothly, talk has now turned to vaccinating kids. Children aged 16 and 17 have been the only people with access to the vaccine portal for a few days but it’s set to reopen to all adults tomorrow. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa hopes to see the mainland follow the lead of Madeira and start vaccinating 12–15-year-olds, Lusa reports. The vaccine is already recommended for people in that age group with serious conditions likely to increase the risk from covid-19, Público reports. They include transplant recipients and those with neurological and cardiovascular illnesses, developmental problems, cancer, diabetes, obesity and serious asthma. Just 10% of Portuguese between 18 and 24 are fully vaccinated, among the lowest in Europe, Público reports. This is a direct result of the country focusing on vaccinating older people first, with more than 90% of those over 60 already fully protected, among the best in Europe.
To boost or not to boost?
The argument over whether and when we’ll need a third jab is raging, with Pfizer and Moderna both pushing for booster shots and some countries already getting started with them. But the World Health Organisation is begging rich countries to wait until more is known and to give countries with low vaccine coverage the chance to catch up. Nature has a great explainer here, in English. Portugal’s covid-19 taskforce commander, Vice-Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, said there was not yet scientific evidence to show a third dose was necessary.
In brief
Proposal would give municipalities the right to rent abandoned properties and use them for affordable housing. Councils could also fix up problems and get owners to pay them back (Público)
Five more charged over Ukrainian citizen's death at the hands of SEF officers. Charged with failing to help Ihor Homenyuk.
The government wants to tighten tobacco laws. The proposal would essentially see smoking banned in the majority of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Venue owners are not happy, but I am thrilled.
On a lighter note
Pedro Pablo Pichardo has helped turn Tokyo 2020 into Portugal’s best Olympic Games ever, Público reports. His triple jump gold hangs alongside Patrícia Mamona’s silver in the female event and bronze medals for Fernando Pimenta (men’s K1 1000m canoe sprint) and Jorge Fonseca (judo). Pichardo, who renounced his Cuban citizenship in 2017, said while the Cuban authorities may consider him a traitor, he was no longer Cuban. “I’m one of the five Portuguese Olympic Champions,” he said.