Here we follow all developments on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 on an international scale.
12h53 – ARS-Norte “does not recognize” medical union complaint about overtime
The Regional Health Administration of the North (ARS-Norte) said today that it “does not know and does not recognize” the complaint of the Independent Doctors Union about the refusal to pay overtime to doctors who exceed 200 hours.
The Independent Doctors ‘Union (SIM) denounced on Monday that the ARS-N will audit public health workers’ overtime due to covid-19 as a “delaying maneuver” to postpone payment due.
“O president from ARS-N [Carlos Nunes] is refusing to pay overtime from 200 [como é orientação do Ministério da Saúde] and found an excuse to do audits. It will carry out audits and only then will it make the payment “, denounced the SIM president, Roque da Cunha, in statements to Lusa.
In response to a request for clarification from Lusa, ARS-Norte affirmed today that, in the processing following the dissemination of the opinion of the Attorney General’s Office on the same matter, it proceeded “to process the values that fit that opinion in December / 2020 and January / 2021, in the amount of 1,081,007 euros, with the exception of two cases that, for other reasons, could not be processed at that time, but which are already in resolution ”.
–
12:31 pm – North Korean hackers try to break into Pfizer systems
North Korean hackers tried to enter Pfizer’s systems to find information about the vaccine produced by the pharmaceutical giant against Covid-19. The information is advanced by the secret services of South Korea, cited by the local press.
–
According to South Korean deputy Ha Tae-keung, told reporters, the National Intelligence Service reported that North Korea “tried to obtain the technologies contained in the vaccine and the treatments used against covid-19 through a cyber attack directed at Pfizer” .
12h07 – Planning Minister stresses that loans should be used with caution
The Minister of Planning warns of the need to use loans wisely. Nelson de Souza reinforces that the investment cannot represent an immediate reflection on the national debt level.
–
11:40 am – 435 more dead and 8,900 new cases in Africa
According to the African Union’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the total death toll has risen to 98,915 in the past 24 hours.
The total number of infected people in the 55 member states of the organization is 3,759,166. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,303,228 people have recovered.
11:37 am – Plan provides 1,383 million euros to strengthen health
Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), which has now been put to public consultation, foresees a total investment of 1,383 million euros in various aspects to strengthen the capacity of the National Health Service.
“In this integrated set of investments, the intention is to strengthen the capacity of the NHS to respond to the demographic and epidemiological changes in the country, to therapeutic and technological innovation, to the trend of increasing health costs and to the expectations of a more informed and demanding society”, he says the document.
11h02 – On Twitter, António Costa calls for Portuguese participation in the recovery and resilience plan
The Recovery and Resilience Plan, the ‘vitamin’ that will help us out of the crisis and make the country more resilient, green and digital, is in public consultation. Consult and participate. Give your contribution to the future of Portugal. #PRRPT https://t.co/Sp1EO1RlUl
– António Costa (@antoniocostapm) February 16, 2021
–
10h38 – European Finance Ministers discuss recovery and resilience plans
The meeting is being accompanied by Antena 1 correspondent in Brussels, Andrea Neves.
–
–
9:50 am – More and more doctors and nurses are asking for psychological support
Health professionals are increasingly accusing overwork in this pandemic period. These professionals complain of extreme exhaustion, physically or emotionally.
–
At the São João Hospital, in Porto, for example, the demand for help quadrupled in the last year, in the specific psychology program, which was created to respond to the symptoms of exhaustion among employees.
–
9:40 am – Vaccination suspended in Rio de Janeiro due to lack of vaccines–
Antena 1 correspondent in Brazil, Pedro Sá Guerra, accompanied one of the last moments of vaccination before this forced stop.
–
–
9h38 – Caretos in Podence do not go outside and present themselves at the window–
Covid-19 spoiled the Entrudo Chocalheiro party in Podence, in the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros. Caretos, a world heritage site, are “forced” this year to stay at home and reveal themselves on the balcony.
–
–
9h12 – Travel between Portugal and United Kingdom resumed “before summer”
Speaking to the British newspaper Daily Telegraph, Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, said that restrictions on travel between Portugal and the United Kingdom should be lifted before the summer, but should be maintained for a few weeks.
“We hope that within weeks we will be able to overcome this situation and return to the normal connection between the UK and Portugal,” he said, adding that he hopes “to be able to re-establish the connection before the summer.”
The minister also considered “useless” the inclusion of Portugal in the list of risky countries whose travelers to England have to spend ten days in a hotel designated by the authorities.
“It is not necessary to put Portugal on this month’s red list because the (Portuguese) Government has extended the ban on traveling abroad”, he justified. Augusto Santos Silva also states that there are signs of the prevalence of variants identified in Brazil or South Africa.
–
8:26 am – Carnivals canceled
The cancellation of Carnivals all over the world, represents huge revenue losses. The Italian city of Venice, for example, is expected to lose around seventy million euros in revenue.
–
–
8h08 – India with 81 more deaths
India has reported 81 deaths from Covid-19 and 9,121 cases in the past 24 hours, according to the Indian Ministry of Health.
The country has been slowing the progression of the disease in recent months, after reaching the highest number of infections in mid-September 2020, with 97,894 contagions in a single day.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, India has accounted for more than 10.9 million cases of the new coronavirus (10,925,710), remaining as the second with more infections, behind the United States.
–
8h07 – Mexico registers 450 dead in 24 hours
Mexico has recorded 450 deaths from Xovid-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 174,657 since the start of the pandemic, Mexican officials said.
The authorities added that Mexico registered 3,098 new contagions in the last 24 hours.
8:00 am – 981 more dead and 51,823 new cases in the US
The USA recorded an additional 981 deaths and 51,823 cases. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the country has accumulated 486,286 deaths and 27,690,574 cases of the disease.
The United States is the country with the most deaths caused by the new coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, responsible for covid-19, and also with more cases of infection.
7:50 am – State of play
The Government placed on Tuesday in public consultation the preliminary and summarized version of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan, to access the post-crisis community funds of covid-19, foresees 36 reforms and 77 investments in the social, climate and digital areas, for a total of 13.9 billion euros in grants.
More than half of the value will go towards the climate and digital transition. There will also be investment in the areas of Health, Housing, Research and Development, Social and Territorial Cohesion.
Portugal will also be able to use, in case of need, another € 2.5 billion available for loan.
–
The public consultation phase started at midnight and will last for two weeks. The Government will listen to social and economic partners, autonomous regions and municipalities, and also expects civil society to participate in the public consultation.
The Government believes it will be able to deliver the definitive plan to the European Commission in early March.
–
Lower numbers from last month
Portugal recorded the lowest figures since the beginning of January. Monday’s bulletin confirmed 90 more deaths and 1,203 new cases. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 15,411 deaths and 787,059 cases of infection have been recorded in Portugal.
There were also records of more than 3,538 recovery cases (668,854 in total).
There were six more cases of hospitalization (out of a total of 4832 hospitalized by Covid), of which 784 are hospitalized in intensive care (six fewer than yesterday).
Despite the downward trend in numbers, the region of Lisbon and the Tagus Valley continues to be the most affected, with 48 deaths and 779 new cases. In the North region there were 18 deaths and 288 new cases, while in the Center region there are an additional 15 deaths and 98 new cases.
In the Alentejo there were over 70 cases and three deaths and in the Algarve there were another 30 new cases and six deaths. In the Autonomous Regions, Madeira recorded 38 more cases and the Azores did not register any new cases.
–
– .
