Those in their 30s may be eligible for vaccine next month // ‘Warning sign’ as cases increase, particularly in Lisbon
Portuguese news in English on Sunday, May 23, 2021.
By the numbers
We’ve gone two days in a row now without a COVID-19 death but daily case numbers are starting to climb slightly. They’ve been going up slightly since roughly last Saturday but the number of people in intensive care is still 18 fewer than it was a week ago. Hospitalisations though have increased by 13 in the past two days.
Those in their 30s may be eligible for vaccine next month
People as young as 30 may be eligible for vaccination as early as next month, as Portugal’s vaccination strategy adapts to a significant increase in available shots, Público reports. The plan is to open up vaccinations to those in their 50s soon, followed by the 40s and 30s one week apart, with jabs continuing in all three age groups at the same time. The vaccination booking portal (first page in Portuguese but with an English option after) is currently open to everyone aged 55 and over so if you’re 50-54 it’s probably worth checking regularly. In the Algarve, health authorities are placing an even greater emphasis on vaccinating young people. The region is lagging behind in terms of doses administered because of its much younger average age than the rest of Portugal. But it’s not all good news. Running the online booking portal and local bookings in parallel is causing a lot of stress and confusion in the vaccination centres, with one doctors’ group describing the situation as “chaos”. Some are also waiting more than a week for confirmation of their appointment. National vaccine taskforce coordinator Vice-Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo expects 70% of the population to have received at least one dose by August 8, Diário de Notícias reports.
‘Warning sign’ as cases increase, particularly in Lisbon
As I mentioned above, the number of cases discovered is increasing appreciably for the first time in weeks. In worse news, the number of tests has been dropping since the end of April, when really it should be doing the opposite, Público reports. International health expert Professor Tiago Correia said the combination of fewer testes and a growing positivity rate (percentage of tests coming back positive) “should be a warning sign”. He couldn’t put the decrease in testing down to anything other than a “false sense of security” and believed people would adapt their behaviour to the increased risk. The biggest increase in cases came in Lisbon, something multiple experts were quick to blame on the mass celebrations — without social distancing and often without masks — last week after Sporting were crowned league champions, Público reports. Remember, if you live in Lisbon, you can get a free test once every 15 days at any one of dozens of local pharmacies, regardless of whether you have symptoms. Details here (in Portuguese so you’ll have to translate with your browser).
Immigrant worker exploitation problems broaden
The shameful situations immigrant workers have been facing in Odemira, recently highlighted by a covid-19 outbreak are from an isolated case, Público reports. In news that is completely predictable but still upsetting, national statistics — along with a growing list of personal stories — paint a stark picture of the problems. The unemployment rate for immigrants from outside the EU is 12.5%, double that of Portuguese nationals, and a quarter of foreigners live in overcrowded conditions. That’s compared to two Portuguese in every 50. And the Human Trafficking Observatory counts at least 547 human trafficking victims in the past year. SEF’s anti-people-trafficking coordinator Orlando Ribeiro told Público his team was investigating very similar incidents of suspected people trafficking for labour exploitation in Santarém — in the Ribatejo — to what has been seen in Odemira and other parts of the Alentejo.
Travel restriction updates
The Netherlands and Croatia have been added to the list of countries people can arrive into Portugal from without quarantining, Lusa reports. Arrivals from South Africa, Brazil, India, Cyprus, Lithuania and Sweden continue to be limited to essential journeys and require a 14-day self-isolation period. Generally speaking, that limits journeys to those needing to work, study, reunite with family or access health or humanitarian services. All arrivals still need to show a negative PCR test for COVID-19 taken within 72 hours of departure. At the same time, Germany has prohibited arrivals from the UK in response to an increased presence of the Indian variant (B 1.617.2), Lusa reports. That move comes after Portugal threw open its borders to British tourists last week.
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In brief
More than 6,000 migrants reach Spain’s north African enclave Ceuta Mass influx comes amid tensions with Morocco over hospitalisation of independence leader in Spain (The Guardian, in English)
Minister suspends penalty applied to anti-racist cop and demands his salary be repaid. Officer had slammed far-right figure and “these sickening racists” to be decapitated, before explaining he was speaking figuratively. (Público)
France tries to stop outbreak of rare COVID-19 variant detected in Bordeaux. Thought to be more contagious but with no evidence it’s more deadly (Lusa)
Foreigners invest in Portugal in force, lifted by pandemic. Foreign-based investors injected €1.7 billion. (Diário de Notícias)
On a lighter note
Portuguese surfer Teresa Bonvalot has taken out the Caparica Surf Fest with a dominant win in a never-before-seen all-Portuguese final, Lusa reports. It was her first World Surf League Qualifying Series final, let alone win, so she was pretty stoked on Sunday. She said the waves at Costa da Caparica’s Praia do Paraíso were fun, even though they were small and described the event as incredible. She beat Mafalda Lopes in the final while Basque Country’s Ruben Vitoria won the men’s event.
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