COVID-19 | Daily Update

Wednesday, May 14th | COVID-19 Daily Update

CURRENT OUTLOOK 

In Portugal, 9 more deaths and 187 new people infected with COVID-19 were recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the Portuguese General Directorate of Health (DGS) daily epidemiological bulletin. 

The data revealed shows that the number of fatalities went from 1,175 to 1,184 (+0.77%), while confirmed cases increased from 28,132 to 28,319 (+0.67%).

There are now 3,198 people who have recovered from the infection, 16 more than yesterday (+0.5%).

 

PANDEMIC IN PORTUGAL

The President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, political parties representatives, and social partners met today, in Lisbon, with specialists and health authorities to analyze the epidemiological situation of COVID-19, before the Government takes decisions on the second phase of deconfinement. 

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said, at the end of the meeting, that “the deconfinement in Portugal that started on May 3 was very restrained”.

Since March, the Ministry of Health has acquired about 75 million face masks, negotiating lower prices than the joint contract at the European level that is being sponsored by the European Commission (EC). 

Portugal is closer to knowing if part of the population has already been in contact with the new coronavirus. The national immunity study will start next week, the Secretary of State for Health reported yesterday.  

The Minister of Labor visited a daycare centre this morning and added that more than 15,000 tests have already been carried out on daycare workers, which will reopen next Monday. 

 

PANDEMIC IN EUROPE AND THE WORLD

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned today of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. “The current situation, with isolation, fear, uncertainty and economic crisis, can cause psychological disturbances”, warned the head of the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Dévora Kestel.

The new coronavirus may never disappear and the population may have to live with it, similar to what happens with HIV, or measles warned the WHO. 

The USA recorded another 1,813 deaths yesterday, a number close to that seen the day before (1,894). 

China diagnosed, in the same period, three new cases of local infection by the new coronavirus, in the northeast of the country.

In Europe, the EC has already guaranteed that it is monitoring the exercise of the Hungarian Government’s enhanced powers in the context of the COVID-19 crisis with particular attention and said it hopes that the unlimited state of emergency will be lifted soon.

In the UK, health officials have approved an antibody test for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that can help determine which portion of the population has already been infected.

In Spain, there were 217 deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the last 24 hours, an increase from the 184 registered yesterday.

Belgium recorded 307 new cases from yesterday to today, 105 more than the previous day. 

Russia today registered less than 10,000 new infections of the new coronavirus for the first time since the beginning of May, making a total of 252,245 infected.

 

MEDICAL PROGRESS

In an “optimistic” scenario, based on data from ongoing trials, a vaccine for COVID-19 may be ready within a year, the European Medicines Agency said today.

The vaccine for COVID-19 that is being developed by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi, if successful, should arrive in the USA before serving the rest of the world, as it was the first to fund its research. The French government officials already said that this is “unacceptable”.

 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The Portuguese Minister of Planning said in an interview that the Government is preparing a line of 50 million euros to support micro and small companies to adapt to the new hygiene requirements after confinement, and part of this money may be allocated on a non-refundable basis.

Applications for Social Security support for parents with children under 12 years of age due to the closure of schools fell to almost half of those registered in March, in the second phase of the measure, relating to April. 

The Government decided to maintain the 15% limit on profits from the sale of face masks, disinfectant gel, and other medical and personal protection equipment, covering distributors and retailers.

About 600,000 Australians were out of their jobs in April as a result of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus. The situation is “shocking” and the government guarantees that there will be more bad news.

 

FINANCIAL MARKETS

The national stock exchange is trading lower today, for the fourth consecutive session, with the Portuguese Stock Index PSI-20 down 1.91% to 3,998.50 points, the lowest since April 6th. 

The International Energy Agency today revised upwards the estimates of the world demand for oil it had made in April, although it still foresees a contraction of 8.6% this year compared to 2019.  

This morning, Brent, traded in London, rose 3.32% to $ 30.16, while in New York, the WTI gained 4.59% to $ 26.45.