Here we follow all developments about the progression of the Covid-19 pandemic in Portugal and in the World. Portugal today registered 19 more deaths and 234 confirmed cases. Also noteworthy is the jump in the number of recovered cases. There are 464 more, in a total of 3,013, which corresponds to 10.8% of confirmed cases, informed the Secretary of State for Health at the usual press conference of the Directorate-General for Health. There are 709 cases of hospitalization, 113 of which in intensive care.
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15:40 – Footballers in Sweden without tests before training and games
The Swedish football championship does not provide for testing of players before games or training, in the protocol with a view to restarting the competition, which should have started in April, but was postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic.
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3:20 pm – Home visits
In a note sent to RTP, the Secretariat of State for Social Action ensures that it has worked with various institutions to develop guidelines to ensure that the return of visits to nursing homes takes place with the greatest possible safety.
The guidance issued by the Directorate-General for Health on Monday establishes general conditions, but “it will be up to each structure to assess its capacity to implement the referred conditions”, he clarifies.
“The rules that are in force and that were published yesterday are the result of collaboration between MTSSS [Ministério do Trabalho, Solidariedade e Segurança Social] and MS [Ministério da Saúde], having heard all the partners of the social sector “, he adds.
15h00 – Madeira reopens gyms
The capacity of the spaces is reduced to one third and each user can only exercise for one hour, in addition to the use of the changing rooms not being authorized.
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14h55 – White House adviser leaves alert
White House chief adviser for the Covid-19 pandemic, Anthony Fauci, warned Congress that if the country reopens too soon, the spread of the new coronavirus will cause “unnecessary suffering and death“.
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14h42 – More than 286 thousand dead worldwide
The new coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 286,122 people and infected more than 4.1 million worldwide since December.
According to data collected by the agency France Presse, at least 286,122 people have died and more than 4,188,040 have been infected.
1:48 pm – 3,148 infected health professionals
António Sales reported the updated numbers of infected health professionals. On Sunday, there were 3,148 infected health professionals in Portugal, of which 468 doctors, 834 nurses, 760 operational assistants and 150 technical assistants.
1:45 pm – Second slot?
The Secretary of State for Health said in the press conference that there is still no data on a potential second wave of Covid-19 in Portugal, but that this situation should be avoided.
In this case, what is planned is the resumption of some of the restrictive measures that have already been adopted in recent weeks, explains the government official.
Recalling the words of the Prime Minister, António Sales says that “if we need to take a step back, we will take a step back”.
13:42 – Benefit of BCG vaccine is not yet proven
Studies have revealed a potential benefit of the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis in the treatment of Covid-19. Graça Freitas considers that these studies have “a very tenuous degree of robustness” and that, therefore, “we have no reason to change the recommendations of the national vaccination program”.
“There is no change to the national vaccination program with regard to the BCG vaccine”, underlined the director-general of Health.
13:40 – Homes are “adapting”
The Secretary of State for Health says that the resumption of home visits, on the 18th, should be in accordance with the guidelines of the Directorate-General for Health.
António Sales recognizes, however, that many homes are still “adapting and adapting” to the new reality, but that “is part of the process”.
“We understand that it is very important for the elderly (…) to be able to see their family members again,” added the Secretary of State for Health, stressing that “great care” is needed given the vulnerability of this group.
13h36 – Screening to the school community is still not a priority
Asked about FENPROF’s petition for screening for the educational community, Graça Freitas said that they will be carried out “analyzing the situation”.
“The priority at this point is the screening, which is ending, for the professionals of the homes, the population being vulnerable, and also for the prisons”, announced the director-general of Health.
Graça Freitas also announced that the screening of daycare workers is underway, since the activity will be resumed.
1:32 pm – Mandatory quarantine?
Asked about the possibility of imposing a mandatory quarantine on those who visit the country – such as Spain, which announced the decision this Tuesday – the Secretary of State for Health clarifies that the situation is still to be studied and should and should be articulated with country of origin, stressing that the return of emigrants is desirable.
13h29 – The most effective methods to avoid infection
“We all know that we still have many uncertainties, but there is one thing that we know from the beginning: the way the virus is transmitted,” said Graça Freitas. The director-general of Health recalled that transmission can happen in two ways: direct, through the transfer of droplets from person to person, and indirect, through the contamination of surfaces and objects.
The Director-General of Health explained that in direct transmission, the most effective preventive measure is physical distance.
“When this distance is not possible in closed places, we recommend the use of a mask. It is a complement to physical distance ”, he added.
In addition, Graça Freitas stressed the importance of respiratory hygiene measures, that is, avoiding coughing or sneezing directly to another person. Frequent hand washing is also one of the most important measures, as well as the cleaning of surfaces and objects.
“This set of five measures is proven to be effective,” said Graça Freitas, stressing that “one may not be enough”.
1:25 pm – “Great majority of homes are able” to resume visits
Regarding the resumption of visits to nursing homes on the 18th, the director-general of Health explained that there are “particular situations where, according to the risk assessment of the health authorities, visits may be deferred to another date” . However, Graça Freitas considers that “in the great majority of homes, we will be in conditions, with preparation and definition of our own rules” for the resumption of visits.
Graça Freitas stressed that one of the most important rules consists, in addition to the preparation of the professionals who work in these establishments, in the dialogue with the families so that the prevention and infection control measures are complied with.
“What DGS establishes is a set of rules of good practice that are aimed at the phased return to our normal life”, began by saying Graça Freitas, stressing that this will be “a new type of normality”.
“Each rule is negotiated with partners, both at the level of other ministries and at the level of the private sector,” explained Graça Freitas.
13h21 – Health professionals will be able to take a vacation again
The Secretary of State for Health praises nurses and the contribution they make to the National Health Service not only in acting against Covid-19, but in all other healthcare. António Lacerda Sales points out that 800 nurses have been hired since the beginning of the pandemic.
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In order to restore some “normality” to the nurses’ lives, the Ministry of Health decided to revoke an order of March 15 that restricted health professionals from taking holidays.
Nurses can return to vacation as long as the necessary health care is provided.
13h13 – Portugal with 19 more dead and 234 confirmed cases
In total, there were 1,163 deaths and a total of 27,913 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Also noteworthy is the jump in the number of recovered cases. There are 464 more, in a total of 3,013, which corresponds to 10.8% of confirmed cases, informed the Secretary of State for Health at the usual press conference of the Directorate-General for Health.
There are 709 cases of hospitalization, 113 of which are in intensive care.
The overall lethality rate in Portugal is 4.2% and above 70 years of age it is 15.3%.
Of the active cases, 82.5% are being followed up at home. The percentage of hospitalization is 2.5% (0.4% in the intensive care unit and 2.1% in the ward).
12h46 – Hospital Santa Maria will perform rapid tests
The Hospital de Santa Maria, in Lisbon, will start to perform rapid tests for infection detection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that allow results in about one hour.
“These rapid tests are important, for example, to ensure the safety of patients and professionals in surgeries and emergent exams or in the delivery rooms”, the hospital said in a note sent to the Lusa agency.
These tests are indicated for pregnant women in labor, surgical interventions, digestive endoscopies, bronchoscopy emerging and in situations of “emergent intervention” of cardiology and neuroradiology.
12:06 pm – “Reviving the economy without losing control of the pandemic”
The Prime Minister guarantees that the Government will continue to work with determination to take the necessary measures to overcome the crisis and recover the economy.
António Costa considers it “fundamental to revive the economy without leaving the pandemic out of control”.
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11:50 am – Number of new cases declines in Belgium
As for the number of deaths, there were 65 fatalities, three more than on Monday.
There are a total of 53,779 confirmed cases and 8,772 deaths in the country.
11:24 am – Spain with an increase in the number of deaths. 176 deaths in the last 24 hours
Spain recorded 176 deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the past 24 hours, up from 123 on Monday, but down from 200 for the fourth consecutive day.
The country accounts for a total of 26,920 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
According to the figures released, there are 426 new positive cases with the disease, bringing to 228,030 the total number of infected people confirmed to date.
11:10 am – Airlines refuse to reduce flight occupation–
In the context of the pandemic, airlines refuse the idea of leaving vacant seats on flights, warning that this measure would lead to bankruptcy and higher ticket prices.
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The companies argue that measures such as the mandatory wearing of a mask, measuring the temperature and presenting the “health passport” are sufficient.
11 am – Polling. 93% of Portuguese people give positive note to the Government
According to a Marktest survey, carried out between 6 and 7 May, 93% of Portuguese people give a positive note to the Government’s performance during the pandemic.
The Government Performance Assessment index reached 78 points, the highest value since the Covid-19 Opinion Barometer started being made. In the assessment of the performance of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa registers 71 points.
10:40 am – Africa with 2,336 deaths
The total number of recovered patients increased from 21,821 to 23,095.
10:10 am – About 2,000 nurses in quarantine
The president of the Order of Nurses, Ana Rita Cavaco, says that there are still only perliminary numbers of nurses infected with the new coronavirus. As for nurses in quarantine, about 2,000 remain.
The official also highlighted the efforts of nurses at this time, not only with Covid-19, but also with “the resumption of care activity that has been stopped” in the last two months.
Ana Rita Cavaco points out that there are nurses with mental health problems due to stress that is much higher than normal, taking into account that they are also often away from their families and homes.
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10 am – Germany records almost 1,000 new cases
The Germany account today a total of 170,508 cases of Covid-19, an increase of 933 over the previous day.
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There were also a rise of 116 fatalities to a total of 7,533 and an estimated 147,200 people recovered from the disease, with an increase of 1,600 in the last 24 hours.
9h53 – Five deaths in UCI in Russia
At least five patients with Covid-19 died in a fire in an intensive care unit. The fire occurred in a St. Petersburg hospital.
9h17 – Vaccine and treatments for Covid-19 only in 2021
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warns that there will be no vaccine or treatments for Covid-19 in the coming months, and it is “very likely” that they will not arrive until 2021.
Therefore, it advises “caution” in the survey of measures.
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9:00 am – Spain decrees quarantine for those arriving from abroad
The Government of Madrid has decided that whoever arrives in the country as of Friday should be quarantined for 14 days.
Cross-border workers, transport workers and their crews, as well as health professionals who will carry out their work activity, are exempt from this measure, as long as they have not been in contact with people diagnosed with Covid-19.
8:38 am – Infarmed warns of counterfeit rapid tests in Europe
It also warns that false tests have been found in the European market, with “false documentation, incomplete documentation or unsubstantiated claims”.
8:21 – “Early intervention” made a difference in Portugal
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) maintains that the relatively low number of patients with Covid-19 in Portugal, by comparison with other countries, results from the “early intervention” of the authorities and a reduced import of cases.
Speaking to Agência Lusa, ECDC’s main specialist for emergency response and operations, Sergio Brusin, says that “Portugal and other countries in Europe have a lower number of cases”. And that one of the justifications is “the timely implementation of measures, which is something that can greatly reduce the spread”.
“This was something that happened in Portugal and other European countries because of the very early intervention”, he emphasizes.
The other justification, according to Sergio Brusin, “is that there may have been less outside introduction, as happened in Greece, for example”.
The first cases of Covid-19 in Portugal – imported from Italy and Spain – were registered on March 2, when other European countries already had dozens or hundreds of infected people.
And just one month after the first death in Europe (of a Chinese tourist in France) was recorded, did the first death occur in Portugal, on March 16, an 80-year old man with other pathologies.
8h06 – China records a case
Chinese authorities have detected, in the last 24 hours, only one new case of infection with the new coronavirus, after a sudden increase over the weekend. Something that fueled fears of a second wave breaking out.
According to the National Health Commission of China, the new case comes from abroad and was diagnosed in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, in the north of the country.
Until 11:59 pm on Monday (4:59 pm in Lisbon), 27 patients were discharged, setting the number of active infected to 115, of which ten are in serious condition.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, China has registered 82,919 infected and 4633 dead due to Covid-19. So far, 78,171 people have been discharged.
According to Chinese authorities, 737,599 people who had close contact with infected people were under medical surveillance – 5470 remain under observation.
7h58 – Covid-19 breaks barriers in America
In the United States, fatalities have exceeded 80,000 in the last 24 hours and in Brazil, 11,500, while Latin America is close to registering 372,000 cases.
However, across the American continent, while some governments tighten restrictions, others initiate partial reopenings.
The World Health Organization has confirmed yet another record: cases in the world have exceeded four million, an increase of one million in the last 11 days.
The United States continues to figure at the top of the countries most affected. On Monday, more than 1.3 million people were infected since the pandemic began.
Brazil, the second most affected country in America, already has 168,331 infected people.
7h15 – Brazil reaches 11,519 dead and 168,331 cases
Brazil totaled 11,519 deaths and 168,331 cases of infection with the new coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, having registered 396 deaths and 5,632 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Executive.
According to the Ministry of Health, the incidence rate of covid-19 in the country is 80.1 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, with the lethality rate of the disease being fixed at 6.8%.
The increase in the number of deaths in Brazil was 3.5 percent, from 11,123 on Sunday to 11,519 on Monday.
Regarding the number of infected, the growth was 3.4 percent, going from 162,699 to 168,331 confirmed cases.
The guardianship also accounted for the recovery of 69,232 patients, of which 82,344 are still being monitored.
São Paulo, with 46,131 people diagnosed and 3743 deaths, remains the state that concentrates the largest number of cases, followed by Rio de Janeiro, with 17,939 infected and 1770 fatalities.
6:45 am – State of play
Starting next Monday, homes and long-term care units may return to visit. The Directorate-General for Health published a set of rules for visitors and users.Institutions must keep a record of all visitors.
One of the main conditions is the prior scheduling of visits, which must follow a strict hygiene plan, in addition to the appropriate physical distance.
However, the president of the União das Misericórdias, Manuel Lemos, affirms, in declarations to TSF, that he is waiting for Government guidelines on home visits.
Positive case at Autoeuropa
Autoeuropa confirms a positive case of Covid-19 among workers. The infected professional had contact with seven more people.
The Portuguese unit of the German construction company Volkseagen guarantees that the chain of contagion did not occur inside the facilities.
The factory also says that the worker has always respected all safety rules and that the risk of contagion is also reduced.
Still, the other workers who have been in contact with the infected are at home and have already undergone screening tests.
The Avipronto factory, in Azambuja, resumed production. But only with ten percent of workers.
The company was closed after 101 employees tested positive.
The picture in Portugal
On Monday, according to the latest epidemiological bulletin from the Directorate-General for Health, there were nine deaths – a number below two digits, which happened for the second consecutive day.
There was also a record of 98 more infected, an increase of less than 0.4 percent, the lowest figure, in percentage terms, since the beginning of the pandemic.
The country records a total of 1144 Covid-19-related deaths and 27,679 infected.
The Northern Region is still the one with the highest number of deaths (651), followed by Lisbon and the Tagus Valley (248), the Center (216), the Algarve (14), the Azores (14) and the Alentejo, with just one case.
The numbers are updated again by the Ministry of Health in the early afternoon.
The international framework
On an international scale, the Covid-19 pandemic has already claimed more than 283,000 deaths and infected more than 4.1 million people in 195 countries and territories.
Nearly 1.4 million patients were considered cured.
The disease is generated by a new coronavirus detected in late December 2019 in Wuhan, a city in central China.
Since then, governments have confined 4.5 billion people, which corresponds to more than half of the world population, have closed non-essential trade and drastically reduced air traffic, thus stopping entire sectors of the economy.
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