What’s in store for the pandemic over winter? // Portugal’s first Netflix show is almost here
Portuguese news in English on Sunday, October 24, 2021.
By the numbers
Case numbers are creeping back up slowly but the pressure on the health system is still decreasing. The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital and intensive care is at one of the lowest points we’ve seen throughout the entire pandemic. Roughly seven people are dying with the disease every day, slightly up from a week ago but still relatively low compared to much of the pandemic so far. According to the Directorate-General of Health, 85,7% (this figure is calculated with a slightly different population estimate to the Público one I’ve been sharing recently) of the population is fully vaccinated, 123,000 have taken a booster shot and 279,000 have received this year’s flu jab, Público reports.
What’s in store for the pandemic over winter?
The government isn’t ruling out a return to lockdowns and mass testing in an unlikely worst-case coronavirus scenario over winter, Diário de Notícias reports. Director-General of Health Graça Freitas warned that even with world-leading vaccination rates and the current stability, SARS-CoV-2 could still surprise us. The Directorate-General of Health released its autumn/winter Covid-19 guidebook on Friday, setting out general principles for how to deal with the virus. The measures include vaccination (booster shots for certain groups, possible jabs for younger people etc) and continued testing to monitor the virus. In the worst-case scenario of a new vaccine-resistant variant, which Dr Freitas stressed was improbable, she said a return to stricter measures and even lockdown was possible to prevent the health system getting overrun.
Portugal’s first Netflix show just weeks from release
November 5 is shaping as a massive day for the Portuguese TV industry. Glória, a historical spy thriller set in Portugal’s Ribatejo region, is not only the country’s first Netflix show but also, thanks mostly to the streaming giant’s involvement, the most expensive the country has ever produced, Público reports. In an industry still dominated by talk shows and rushed telenovelas, that’s a big deal and has sparked hopes within the industry that its release in just a couple of weeks could be a major step forward. The show sees João, a secret KGB agent, sent into RARET, a secret American propaganda broadcaster in the Ribatejo, to “compromise the CIA’s missions and find out what happened to Mia, a missing KGB agent”.
Minimum wage increase proposed in tightly contested budget
An increase to Portugal’s shockingly low minimum wage and a tax shake-up are two of the major proposals under consideration in a fiercely contested 2022 budget negotiation. Prime Minister António Costa wants to raise the minimum wage to €705 next year and €850 by 2025 in an effort to push up the median wage and close the gap with the rest of Europe, Público reports. There are also increases to pensions and childcare benefits on the cards and the creation of two new tax brackets, apparently reducing the burden on 1.5 million families, Público reported earlier this month. But as yet there’s no guarantees the budget will pass, Público reports. The two major left-wing parties, the Left Bloc (BE) and the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), have left the door open to continue negotiations right up until the vote on Wednesday. It’s possible parliament could be dissolved if the budget fails to pass.
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In brief
Efforts to address crazy fuel prices. The government is offering a fuel discount of up to €5 a month through the IVAucher program and has chopped 2c/L off the tax on petrol and 1c/L off diesel as costs soar. (Público)
Free public transport for youths and old people a top priority for new Lisbon mayor. Carlos Moedas also wants to create health plans for 40,000 residents over 65 and grant Lisboetas a 2.5% tax refund.
Four teens arrested over 19-year-old's alleged murder. Police are monitoring 30 juvenile gangs across greater Lisbon and say aggressions have been spilling over from social media into the real world since reopening.
On a lighter note
Move over Pastéis de Belém and Manteigaria, there’s a new pastel de nata queen in town. Padaria da Né, in Damaia, Amadora, has been crowned the Melhor Pastel de Nata de Lisboa on its first attempt, Público reports. Best of all, each of Noémia Rainho’s (known as Né) delicious, eggy treats cost just 85c. Aloma, in Campo de Ourique, was considered second-best, followed by Patyanne, in Castanheira do Ribatejo. It’s not clear if either of the big names entered but they were not listed as finalists.
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