Over the past week, according to the report of the local mayor, Luís Simão, cafes, restaurants and other commercial establishments were closed, with the population confined at home, just in case.
Second outbreak focus in Évora “possibly related to the first”
Graça Freitas mentioned the existence of another outbreak in the district, in Montemor-o-Novo, in the parish of Ciborro, with 24 registered cases. 225 tests have already been done on this second focus, “possibly related to the first”, in Mora. “Only when the investigations are finished can we reconstruct the ramifications of these transmission chains, which can give rise to other small outbreaks or outbreaks of the disease.”
“Both the origin and the transmission chains of this outbreak [em Mora] they are still under investigation ”, stressed Graça Freitas, referring that“ it is not only the initial cases that matter ”. “Secondary, tertiary and quaternary cases are also of interest,” he said.
Northern Portugal
Regarding the northern region, Graça Freitas recalled that at the beginning of the pandemic in Portugal, the “most precocious and intensely affected” region was this. “Then he registered a calm, but he never stopped having cases, especially compared to Lisbon”. The Director-General of Health said that the municipality of Vila do Conde has been “particularly affected” and that these outbreaks have the particularity of being of “family and social origin”. In this sense, he drew attention to “distractions” in family life, which can originate cases of Covid-19.
Delays in surgery
“We are perfectly aware that there has been a decrease in assistance activity,” said Lacerda Sales. According to data provided to the Public by the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS), in May around 242 thousand patients were registered on the waiting list for surgery. Of these, 100 thousand people had already exceeded the “maximum guaranteed response time”, which concerns the clinically recommended waiting time in view of the associated pathology.
The Secretary of State said the country was “on a very favorable path”, which was interrupted by the pandemic. He also recalled that “at the end of July, program contracts were signed with hospitals” with a commitment to “broader care activity, with longer hours”.
“Between January 1 and July 31, more than 143 thousand surgery vouchers were issued so that people could go to conventional entities”, which represents “15% more than in the previous year”, he said. “Regarding the reception by patients there was a decrease of 16%, which means that citizens have more confidence in the NHS and do not want to leave their hospitals”.
“We are doing everything we can to resume this assistance activity”, concludes Lacerda Sales, adding that “in an action combined with our plan for autumn-winter, we contemplate Covid activity with non-Covid activity”.
“Hospitals have already received 716 ventilators” – but not only equipment is needed
Regarding the arrival of 114 ventilators from China yesterday, Lacerda Sales started by saying that at the beginning of the pandemic “1142 ventilators with capacity to treat Covid-19 were counted” and that the “objective was to double this capacity.”
“Of the 1211 fans purchased by Portugal, 966 have already been delivered.” The Secretary of State said that there are some purchase orders: “There are 245 that are still under review due to contractual changes, or due to non-compliance with delivery deadlines”.
“The actual number of fans is 1196,” says Lacerda Sales. This number is reached by adding those already delivered (966), plus 101 donated, 10 on loan and 119 have been recovered. To date, hospitals have received 716 ventilators. ”
The distribution of this equipment is as follows: “In the north, 272; in the center, 106; in Lisbon and Tagus Valley, 244; in Alentejo, 29 and in the Algarve, 65. “Obviously we are making a big effort to hire human resources because the fans do not arrive”.
