COVID-19 | Daily Update
April 22, 2020
Wednesday, April 22nd | COVID-19 Daily Update
CURRENT OUTLOOK
The Portuguese General Directorate of Health (DGS) announced today that the number of recovered cases in Portugal is now 1.143.
In the last 24 hours were registered 23 deaths and 603 cases of infection with COVID-19 in Portugal. In the same period, the number of fatalities rose from 762 to 785 and the total number of confirmed cases increased from 21.379 to 21.982.
PANDEMIC IN PORTUGAL
The Portuguese are relaxing their confinement and, in the last weekend, the lowest value since the state of emergency was declared: 63.9%.
In the front-line combat, doctors complain about the bureaucracy that prevents them from talking more with patients, even admitting delays in the notifications of COVID-19 patients.
Portuguese laboratories, public and private, are betting everything to find solutions that allow distinguishing which part of the population is immune to the new coronavirus. At the moment, there are 30 different serological tests to be produced.
The Association of Public Health Doctors warns that “May can be a month of regression” if there is no care and everyone returns to the streets at the same time without precautions.
In Madeira, the use of a mask has become mandatory for professionals who contact with the public.
The Portuguese section of Transparency and Integrity launched a platform that allows the scrutiny of public procurement expenses related to the COVID-19.
Yesterday, it became possible to buy disinfectant gel and masks at CTT (Portuguese Post Office).
PANDEMIC IN EUROPE AND THE WORLD
The new coronavirus pandemic has killed 174.001 people and infected more than 2.5 million worldwide since December. Europe totalled 109.381 deaths yesterday, to 1.234,340 cases, with Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy still among the countries with the most deadly outcomes. In the USA, 2.751 deaths from COVID-19 were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 44.845.
The Spanish Prime Minister is considering extending the state of emergency until the 9th of May. The number of deaths and new cases in the country has increased again, reaching 21.717 fatalities. The new COVID-19 tests ordered by the Spanish Government have also proved ineffective, and the Ministry of Health has already started the reimbursement process.
China rejects any investigation into the origin of the pandemic and the way it handled the disease in Wuhan, ensuring it will “vehemently oppose” anyone who presses it forward.
Today is the Earth Day and the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, proposed to the international community six actions to save the planet, arguing that “we must act decisively to protect our planet, both from the new coronavirus and from the existential threat of climatic disturbances”.
MEDICAL PROGRESS
The University of Oxford starts testing a vaccine against COVID-19 in humans tomorrow, a phase that normally takes years to reach.
Chinese researchers believe that the new coronavirus has already undergone 30 mutations and that the most lethal are in circulation in Europe and the US east coast.
In Portugal, the role of intestinal bacteria and vitamin D in the immune response to the disease is being studied, and in Spain, there have been several cases of skin rashes, especially on the feet, of patients who later test positive. A study is already underway to see if it is a symptom of the disease.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
COVID-19 is having a devastating effect on workers and companies in all sectors of activity. The conclusion is from a report by the International Labor Organization published yesterday.
Also yesterday, the president of the Eurogroup, Mário Centeno, said that “more is needed” and that “mutualization of debt” would allow a stronger recovery.
ECB President Christine Lagarde excludes the purchase of debt securities directly from countries in response to the crisis caused by the pandemic and says that “helicopter money” has never been discussed by the Board of Governors.
In Portugal, an INE (Portuguese Statistics Board) survey reveals that, without further support, almost half of the companies fear to close in two months, with 80% of Portuguese companies suffering from billing losses because of COVID-19. Social Security data shows that the number of unemployed has skyrocketed, but that unemployment subsidies are falling.
The Secretary of State for Digital Transition said that the Government is “working” with operators and the regulator to create a social tariff for access to internet services.
In the domestic residential real estate sector, Cushman & Wakefield considers that “a significant price adjustment is not expected”.
U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday announced the drafting of an emergency plan for the oil and gas sector, which is going through one of the worst crises in history.
FINANCIAL MARKETS
European stock exchanges are today recovering from the losses of the last session, even though oil prices remain under pressure in international markets. The Portuguese Stock Index PSI-20 has been oscillating today between slight gains and losses, but it was around 4,046 points, a 0.27% recovery in the middle of the morning.
The European Stoxx 600 recovers 0.40%, the German DAX stands out with an appreciation of 1.2%. The French CAC-40 gains 0.2% and the Spanish IBEX increases by 0.7%.
