Here we follow all developments on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 on an international scale.
8:30 am – Spain approves an additional € 11 billion package to help companies
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Wednesday the creation of an additional package of aid to companies worth 11 billion euros, to face the crisis caused by the pandemic.
8h17 – AstraZeneca insists it will comply with doses promised to the EU in the second quarter
AstraZeneca assured on Tuesday that it will get 180 million doses of vaccines against Covid-19 that the European Union expects in the second quarter of the year.
It was the reaction of the pharmacist to a news item advanced by the Reuters agency, which indicated that AstraZeneca could only supply less than half of these doses, expected by the community bloc, for the second quarter.
AstraZeneca has been under intense scrutiny after announcing in January that deliveries to the community bloc in the first quarter would be less than expected.
“At this stage, AstraZeneca is working to increase productivity in the European Union supply chain to comply with the delivery of 180 million doses to the European Union in the second quarter,” said a company spokesman on Tuesday at night.
According to the spokesman, half of these doses should be manufactured outside the European Union.
7:46 am – Balance of the Solidarity with Culture Fund
The Solidarity with Culture Fund supported around 1600 professionals with more than 1.2 million euros in the two application phases, which took place in the last quarter of 2020.
“In days of application phases and among five different lines of support, the Solidarity with Culture Fund invested a total of 1,247,971 euros in support, allocated to 1658 professionals, mostly artists and technicians”, adds Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisbon, which manages the fund, in a note cited by Lusa.
The Solidarity with Culture Fund, to support professionals who were left without a job because of Covid-19, was launched in April 2020 by GDA – Management of the Rights of Artists, together with Audiogest – Entity for the Rights Management of Phonographic Producers in Portugal.
7:37 am – Germany over eight thousand daily cases
The number of confirmed cases of infection in Germany has increased, in the last 24 hours, in 8007, to a total of 2,402,818, since the beginning of the pandemic.
422 more died in German territory in the same period, according to the latest report from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases. The total number of deaths is now 68,740.
7:25 am – United States totals 2306 dead and 70,691 new cases
The United States recorded 2306 deaths associated with Covid-19 and 70,691 new cases within 24 hours, according to data from the American Johns Hopkins University.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the country has accumulated 502,482 deaths and 28,256,160 infections.
The United States is the country with the most deaths and also with the most cases of infection.
7:05 am – Recovery Plan. Margin for changes
The Minister of the Presidency says that there is scope to introduce changes to the Recovery and Resilience Plan after the public consultation process, but always within the limits of the program negotiated with Brussels.
This position was transmitted by Mariana Vieira da Silva in interview with Lusa agency, at a time when the plan involving € 13.9 billion of EU funds in straight grants is under public debate.
6:50 am – State of play
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AstraZeneca should again fail to deliver vaccines. Between April and August, it should send to the European Union only half of what was planned.
The information was forwarded to the Reuters agency by a European official who preferred anonymity, but who usually participates in meetings with the manufacturer.
Thus, by the end of June, 130 million doses should arrive, a value well below the 300 million vaccines contracted with the manufacturer.
Another failure by the pharmaceutical company that could jeopardize the goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the adult population in the European Union by summer.
The pace of vaccination in Portugal
Nearly 250 thousand Portuguese have already received two doses of the vaccine against Covid-19. It is the equivalent of three percent of the population. That’s 46,500 more than in the previous week.
According to the Directorate-General for Health, the first dose has already been administered to more than 433 thousand people. Most vaccinated people are between 25 and 49 years old. But it is in the age group over 80 that the process is more advanced: 19 percent have already received a dose of the vaccine and eight percent have completed both inoculations.
The highest vaccination rate was registered in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, followed by the North.
Tests on low-risk contacts on the go
The mass testing process enacted by the Government is already underway. Low risk contacts with prescription of the SNS24 line are also being tested since yesterday.
As of 7 pm on Tuesday, 648 tests had been ordered.
It is yet to be defined how testing will be carried out in schools, prisons, factories, and civil construction.
This screening strategy was announced two weeks ago.
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In Castro Marim, in the Algarve, people living in isolated villages have now started to be tested at Covid-19.
The costs are borne by the municipality, which decided to proceed with door-to-door testing.
Marcelo concludes rounds with parties
The President of the Republic concludes this Wednesday another round of hearings with the political parties on the renewal of the state of emergency.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will listen, by videoconference, to BE, PSD and PS, one day after the hearings with the Liberal Initiative, Chega, PEV, PAN, CDS-PP and PCP. In the evening he will send to Parliament another draft decree to renew the state of emergency.
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The deputies meet on Thursday in plenary to debate and vote on the renewal of the state of emergency, which will take effect between 2 and 16 March.
The current period ends at 23:59 on the next Monday.
The picture in Portugal
63 more people died with Covid-19 in Portugal, according to the latest epidemiological bulletin from the Directorate-General for Health, known on Tuesday afternoon.
The Directorate-General for Health also reported 1032 new infections within 24 hours.
3012 people were hospitalized yesterday, minus 310 compared to the previous day. In intensive care, the number also dropped: minus 30, for a total of 597 patients.
Another 4567 people recovered from the disease. Portugal has 77,044 active cases.
The international framework
The Covid-19 pandemic has already caused 2,474,437 deaths, resulting from more than 111 million cases of infection, according to the balance sheet which is constantly being updated by the agency France Presse.
The British Government will accelerate the vaccination campaign to have all adults vaccinated by the end of July.
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A measure to support the deflation plan already presented and which provides for the return to normal for all Britons in the summer.
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