Vaccination plan revamped, over-65s can make appointments now // Single-shot vaccine to be used without restrictions
Portuguese news in English on April 25, 2021.
By the numbers
Case numbers are falling again, even after opening up further last week. It’s the first time that we’ve had so few covid-19 deaths and patients in hospital since the start of September and the first time with so few covid-19 patients in intensive care since the end of September. The average number of cases per day is also back below 500, where it was about two weeks ago. In other good news, there were three separate days this week on which only one COVID-19 patient died. Nationally, we’re sitting at 72.1 cases per 100,000 people per fortnight, well below the limit of 120, although a handful of council areas are still beyond the limit.
Next reopening stage on May 3: Check the plan here
Vaccination plan revamped, over-65s can make appointments now
Portugal’s national vaccination plan has undergone a revamp that will mean significant changes for some people. Anyone over 65 can now make an appointment using this online form (the first page where you fill in your date of birth is only in Portuguese but you can switch to English after that). It seems to be a fairly simple process of validating your health card number (numero de utente) and there’s even an option for residents without a health card number. Health authorities have made some changes to the second phase of the plan, which we’re now in, and scrapped the third phase, now considered unnecessary as we receive enough vaccines to theoretically administer 100,000 doses a day, Público reports. Age is the main priority factor (70–79, then 60–69 etc) as well adults with serious illnesses and homeless adults, both regardless of age. According to Público, 91.4% of those over 80 have already received their first dose and 58.3% are fully vaccinated. For the whole population, those figures are 21% and 7.6%. The list of relevant serious illnesses is long and in Portuguese so it's best to speak with your doctor.
Single-shot vaccine to be used without restrictions
Portugal will use the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine for use “without restrictions”, but doses will still be mostly limited to over-60s because of the stage of the rollout we’re in, Expresso reports. Similarly to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the European Medicines Agency says there is a "possible link" between this jab and some extremely rare (roughly two in a million) blood clots but the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh any risk. The Washington Post reports US authorities have resumed using the jab after an investigation into 15 clots reported among almost 8 million vaccinated people. The BBC has a useful explainer about the J&J and AstraZeneca shots. Health Minister Marta Temido on Wednesday said that decision could still change if Portuguese experts think age restrictions are necessary, as with the AstraZeneca vaccine. It’s worth mentioning that although all the vaccines have subtle differences, experts generally say it doesn’t really matter which one you get because they’re all safe and effective.
Expert argues state of emergency renewal not needed
After fifteen states of emergency, Portugal might have the pandemic sufficiently under control that it’s no longer necessary, one prominent expert tells Diário de Notícias. For the first time since September, the newspaper reports, experts won’t have to report a “worrying” situation, justifying the continued state of emergency. University of Lisbon professor Carlos Antunes, whose team has been modelling the pandemic for months, says his models predict infections will continue at a low, stable, level in the coming weeks. On top of this, vaccinations are already taking effect in the over-80s, who have passed from the highest rate of infection to the lowest and are dying much less frequently. Professor Antunes notes the situation in the rest of Europe, where almost every country has a higher infection rate than Portugal is worrying and that the state of emergency may need to remain in place as a legal framework in case changes are needed.
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In brief
On the anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, President says Portugal must own its past ‘glories and failings’. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said the country should look back on its colonial past seeing the good and the bad but without excessive self-flagellation. (Diário de Notícias)
TAP suffers historic €1.23 billion loss. The final quarter of last year was the worst of all, with losses of €529.6 million.
Police shut down illegal nightclub party in Sintra with more than 70 people (Diário de Notícias)
On a lighter note
What’s better than a full moon? A super moon, of course. And the first one of the year is due to grace our skies on Tuesday. The phenomenon occurs when we get a full moon while the moon is at its closest point to the earth and, according to The Guardian, should look about 14% bigger and 30% brighter. Tuesday night is meant to be somewhat clear in both Lisbon and Porto so hopefully, we can get a good view.
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