Why you should think twice about buying an antibody test, and thousands rally for Black Lives Matter in Portugal
Portuguese news in English on June 8, 2020.
Hi everyone, thanks again for reading, sharing, and all of your support. I’m going to be making some changes from today regarding how often I’ll be sending emails and what they cover.
I’ll now be sending emails every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in more or less the same format. If something really major happens on a Tuesday or Thursday I will send a bonus special edition. For instance, there are likely to be changes in the Greater Lisbon area announced tomorrow, so I’ll probably send out a stand-alone email detailing those. This is for two reasons: I don’t want to inundate you with minor updates on the same topics because I know it can be annoying or confusing. Second, I mostly work weekends for my “day job” and I need one or two days a week where I’m not deeply immersed in the news (so I don’t go crazy!).
The content of the newsletter will evolve too. It’s main purpose is still to inform people about coronavirus news in Portugal. Sometimes that includes European affairs or major global news but it’s always from the point of view of Portugal and I really encourage you to keep up to date with what’s happening globally and in your own country through other means. Quite a few of you have emailed to say you want to see some non-coronavirus news from Portugal as well. So starting today, I’m going to be including a bit more Portuguese news that’s unrelated to coronavirus.
You guys are the whole reason I do this so please let me know what you think. If you’ve subscribed expecting a newsletter every weekday and don’t feel like three times a week is enough, I completely understand if you don’t want to continue a paid subscription. Regardless of whether you have a free or paid subscription you’ll keep getting emails three times a week, plus an update if there are major changes on a Tuesday or Thursday.
By the numbers
A couple of interesting things have happened over the weekend in terms of statistics, both of them relatively positive. The number of new daily cases kept ticking slowly upwards, reaching 382 on Saturday but dropped a little in the following days. Today’s increase, 77.6% of which is in Greater Lisbon, is the smallest in two weeks so let’s hope that number continues to drop. In even better news, deaths have dropped even further, with yesterday’s five deaths the lowest figure since March 22. Confirmed recoveries have stayed below about 250 so the number of active cases is still increasing.
Portuguese drug authority concerned by ‘generalised use’ of antibody tests
Every time I write about antibody tests - which detect if you’ve been exposed to the novel coronavirus - I get emails asking about where to get one. Now I have some details about how to do so but also why you should be very careful if you do, thanks to Público. Infarmed, the Portuguese drug authority, is concerned by the spread and commercialisation of antibody tests, particularly the rapid-action kits of which there are already more than 50 on the market. They’re available in some pharmacies and clinics for between €25 and €40 while there are about a dozen so-called automated tests that have to be realised in a laboratory and cost as much as €85. Infarmed is worried the tests could be done by laypeople who might not read the results properly but also about the potential for a false sense of security. There’s still a lot we don’t know about SARS-CoV-2 and a positive test doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have immunity. On top of that, the lower the rate of infection in a given population, the higher the chance of a false positive, even with a very accurate test. There’s a simple explanation in the New York Times here and a more detailed one in Scientific American here, both in English. Broadly speaking, authorities are focused on using these tests to measure the spread of the virus through the population at large, rather than testing individuals.
Thousands on the streets against racism in Lisbon and Porto
Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the alleged murder of black man George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police spread across the world on the weekend, including in Portugal. Thousands marched through Lisbon and “more than a thousand” in Porto, chanting “black lives matter” (in English), “não quero ter medo da PSP" (I don’t want to be afraid of the police) and "silêncio branco é compactuar" (white silence is compliance - or condoning), Diário de Notícias reported. The gatherings remained peaceful and the majority of protesters wore masks, although social-distancing rules weren’t respected. On top of solidarity for the BLM movement in the United States, protesters sought to highlight problems with racism in Portugal. Recent high-profile cases include police brutality caught on camera last year in the predominantly black Bairro da Jamaica, reported by The Guardian in English, and eight police officers convicted of crimes ranging from kidnapping to violence against young black residents of Cova da Moura, reported by Al Jazeera in English. The police union today plans to file a complaint about messages they claim “promote hate” seen at the rally, such as “polícia bom é polícia morto” (good cop is a dead cop), Diário de Notícias reports. Rui Rio, president of the centre-right Social Democratic party complained that “leftist demonstrations” were allowed when nightclubs, sport and church masses were restricted, the same paper reported.
In brief
Experts don't think the outbreaks in Greater Lisbon are directly related to how people are behaving. There’s not a big difference between how people are acting in the north and The Lisbon and Tejo Valley region. (Público)
Bars and nightclubs in Porto unite to protest continued closure. About three dozen venues called for permission to reopen on June 15, complaining the sector was the “first to shut and last to open”. (Público)
Health authorities ask businesses to take more responsibility for making sure health directions are followed. Employs have to be trained, they say, amid a massive COVID-19 testing effort in Greater Lisbon and increased inspections. (Diário de Notícias)
In an empty Algarve, June is "the big test" of the pandemic. (Diário de Notícias)
The government's economic and social recovery plan is worth €5.3 billion. The new lay-off regime costs €713 million and the universalisation of teleschool will cost €400 million. (Diário de Notícias)
On a lighter note
Wednesday is Portugal Day (Full name: Day of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities). It’s one of the few countries in the world to dedicate it’s national day to something related to culture rather than political history, according to Diário de Notícias. The day marks the death of Portuguese poet Luís de Camões, who wrote the epic poem Os Lusíadas tracing Vasco da Gama’s journey to India and is considered one of the most important figures in Portuguese literature. Usually the commemorations are held in a specific city but have unfortunately been cancelled this year due to the pandemic. You can read a bit more about the history in English at Portugal Resident. Enjoy the public holiday!