COVID-19 | Daily Update

Wednesday, June 1st | COVID-19 Daily Update

CURRENT OUTLOOK

According to the epidemiological report released today by the Portuguese General Directorate of Health (DGS), in the last 24 hours, there were 14 more deaths and 200 new cases of COVID-19 infection in Portugal. 

The bulletin reports that the number of fatalities increased from 1,410 to 1,424 (+1.00%), while confirmed cases increased from 32,500 to 32,700 (+0.62%).  

A further 143 people recovered from the disease were registered and the number of recovered persons increased to 19,552 (+0.74%).

 

PANDEMIC IN PORTUGAL

The Minister of Health admitted that the NHS services in the Greater Lisbon area that are responding to outbreaks in this region will not be able to resume their normal activity due to this increase in demand. Marta Temido admits to using public health schools and other regions of the country to reinforce the response in the most affected municipalities.

According to a study by the National School of Public Health, age is the biggest risk factor for having a serious situation of COVID-19, needing to be admitted to a hospital ward or in intensive care or dying from the infection caused by the new coronavirus.

More than half of health professionals (52%) show signs of physical or psychological exhaustion and burnout associated with the exercise of their activity during the pandemic. The symptoms are even more significant for those on the front lines, the preliminary results of a study on the impact on mental health point out.

Today begins the third phase of the deconfinement determined by the Government, a process that began on May 1st. 

On World Children’s Day, kindergartens open their doors. A survey carried out by Fenprof (Teachers Federation) points out that only half of the children enrolled in pre-school education will return to their schools today.

Two Portuguese researchers created an aerosol protective shield for use in the oral health field, which promises to solve some of the challenges that the pandemic has posed to this clinical area. 

In Portugal, many companies invested in the manufacture of face masks, which are then certified by CITEVE and ISQ (testing and certifying entities). Most models do not pass these tests. 

At the European level, CERN developed a model that is being tested in Portugal, to be later delivered worldwide.

 

PANDEMIC IN EUROPE AND THE WORLD

At a time when the pandemic appears to be declining and with the summer approaching in the northern hemisphere, dozens of countries are easing emergency plans after the restrictions imposed to curb COVID-19.

The Spanish Government is accelerating the process of deconfinement to face the economic crisis, but extended the confinement measures for another two weeks, until the 21st of June.

An Italian medical doctor considers that the new coronavirus is losing strength and has already become less lethal. Alberto Zangrillo, head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, considers that some experts were too alarmist about a second wave, but the Italian government is asking for caution. 

Germany reports a total of 181,815 cases of infection with the new coronavirus, 333 more infections, and 11 more deaths than the day before.

The number of confirmed cases of infection with the new coronavirus in Latin America and the Caribbean exceeded one million yesterday, half of which in Brazil, which recorded 480 deaths and 16,409 infected in the last 24 hours. 

According to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the possible relationship of 4,208 deaths with the disease is still being investigated. Faced with this situation, the USA sent two million doses of hydroxychloroquine and a thousand ventilators to Brazil to help fight the new coronavirus. 

Chile reached 1,000 deaths, the worst daily record of coronavirus evolution in this South American country.

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the USA today rose to 1,779,853, reaching 104,081 deaths. 

China diagnosed 16 cases, all coming from abroad, detected in the provinces of Sichuan and Guangdong and the Inner Mongolia region.  

India has become the seventh most affected country in the world, surpassing Germany, and France. 

The death toll in Africa has risen to 4,228, an additional 159, and there are more than 147,000 cases in 54 countries. 

On Children’s Day, Unicef warns of the impact of the pandemic on children in several countries. “The side effects of this disease attack children and their rights”, stresses Katarina Johansson, representative of the institution in Mozambique.

 

MEDICAL PROGRESS

The Russian Ministry of Health announced that the antiviral drug Afivavir was effective in combating the new coronavirus in 90% of cases. Russia plans to export the drug to the world as soon as domestic needs are met. 

Three months after being detected in Portugal, there are still many unanswered questions about the new coronavirus, but after almost half a year living with the SARS-CoV-2 in the world, it is still unclear which animal was the host of the virus and transmitted to humans. 

Of the 125 vaccine candidates for COVID-19, ten were being tested on people, still in their early stages, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Researchers from the University of Porto made the first big picture of the symptoms and the set of other diseases that are associated with infection by the new coronavirus, and what they found was a great variability of symptoms. More studies are needed, the researchers guarantee.

Another research, led by Portugal and Denmark, will study the effects of the BCG vaccine on reducing absenteeism among health professionals in Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

Minister Alexandra Leitão stated that making salary cuts “will not be the first option of the Government”. She argued that remote work should be legislated and that the goal of 25% adherence is an objective for the legislature.

The industrial production index sank 25.9% in April, compared to the same month of the previous year, according to INE. In March, the drop had been 6.8%. Besides, national consumers are already reflecting in their food purchasing decisions the drop in income felt with the impact of the new coronavirus pandemic on the economy, buying more private label and on promotion. 

Public debt issues increased by more than 68% in April in response to the pandemic crisis. The Government, through the IGCP (Public institute that manages public debt), used the moment to invest more money to face the new very demanding budgetary framework. 

According to data from Banco de Portugal (Portuguese banking authority), indebtedness reached 262.1 billion euros, which represents an increase of 7.3 billion euros compared to March. 

The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to announce this week a strengthening of stimuli to the European economy, with an increase of at least 500 billion euros in its asset purchase program.

The EC is confident that the issuance of debt to raise 750 billion euros, to finance the European economic recovery support package, will be “interesting for the ECB and other financial institutions”. 

A new round of negotiations between Brussels and London for the commercial future post-Brexit kicks off today.

 

FINANCIAL MARKETS

The Lisbon Stock Exchange remains on the rise, in line with European counterparts, and maintaining the trend of openness, with the PSI-20 advancing 1.24%. 

Lisbon was still in line with the main European stock exchanges that opened today on the rise, already waiting for the ECB’s decisions next Thursday.

The interest in the Portuguese debt was unchanged today for two years and has fallen for five and ten years. 

The interest rates of Italy and Greece, on the other hand, fell, while those of Ireland advanced and those of Spain retreated in the shortest period and rose to five and ten years.