COVID-19 | Weekly Update
July 31, 2020
Friday, 31st July | COVID-19 Daily Update
CURRENT OUTLOOK
The number of people infected by COVID-19 in Portugal rose to 51,072, 204 more in the last 24 hours, according to the epidemiological report released by The Portuguese General Directorate of Health (DGS).
The data also reveal the occurrence of eight deaths in the same period, bringing the total number of fatalities from the new coronavirus to 1,735 in the country.
A total of 343 recovered people were also recorded, which increases the total to 36,483.
PANDEMIC IN PORTUGAL
The entire Lisbon Metropolitan Area will be in a contingency situation starting tomorrow, while the rest of Portugal mainland will remain on alert for at least another 15 days, the Government determined yesterday.
The Ministry of Health announced that there were less than a million consultations in health centres, but the Portuguese Medical Association mentions that the number is the triple. Remote communications with health centres were negatively aggravated by the pandemic.
The Government announced that starting tomorrow, foreigners arriving from countries outside the EU, outside the Schengen Area and outside 12 other countries considered to be without epidemiological risk, must always bring a negative COVID-19 test, done 72 hours before boarding. The Government also estimates that between 40% to 50% of emigrants will not visit Portugal during August.
The figures, put forward by the Secretary of State of the Portuguese Communities, are based on information transmitted “by people from immigrant communities”. There are about 12 thousand teachers in Portugal who have diseases considered to be at risk and who may have to be dismissed in the next school year because of the new coronavirus. The numbers were given by Fenprof, which estimates that the situation will affect all school groups and non-grouped schools in the country.
PANDEMIC IN EUROPE AND THE WORLD
The World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated that young people “are not invincible”, because they can become infected, die and infect others with the new coronavirus, and pointed out that “the challenge” is to convince them “of this risk”.
As for data on the new coronavirus around the world, the US recorded 1,347 deaths and 72,238 infected in the last 24 hours, according to an independent count from Johns Hopkins University.
The Brazilian Ministry of Health, on the other hand, reported 1,129 deaths, after a daily record was reached the day before (with 1,595 deaths, although with two-day figures from São Paulo).
Mexico reached 46,000 deaths from COVID-19 and exceeded the number of deaths recorded in the United Kingdom, making it the third country in the world with the most fatalities caused by the pandemic. Mexico recorded 639 deaths in the last 24 hours and additional 7,730 cases.
In Europe, the United Kingdom will again impose restrictions in the North of England, after the increase of new cases in the cities of Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire.
In Asia, India has identified 55,079 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, a new daily record in the country, bringing the total to 1.6 million since the beginning of the pandemic, officials said.
MEDICAL PROGRESS
The experimental vaccine against the new coronavirus from Johnson & Johnson was able to immunize a group of monkeys with a single injection in the initial study that is underway, which led the American pharmaceutical company to start tests on humans.
The Australian group ALS decided to install a laboratory in Tondela dedicated to the production of RT-PCR test kits for the detection of coronavirus, with results within 24 hours, which will also produce its components.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
The Portuguese economy shrank 16.5% in the second quarter, compared to the same period last year, in what is the biggest contraction of INE’s historical series. In chain, the decrease was 14.1 %%. Meanwhile, Social Security said it had paid 48 million euros in the stabilization supplement, “a benefit created by the government to compensate workers who have experienced a loss of pay for having been in a layoff situation,” according to a statement. The ECB reported that Portugal’s sovereign interest rates (government bonds) were the ones that fell the most after announcing the mega boost in its debt-buying program in early June.
In a study released yesterday, the Central Bank chaired by Christine Lagarde welcomes the fact that interest rates in several Eurozone countries, which were rising before the ECB intervened, reacted downwards.
Spain’s GDP fell by 18.5% in the second quarter. A performance that was more negative than expected by economists, who pointed a drop of 16.6%.
France, on the other hand, recorded a historic fall of 13.8% of its GDP in the second quarter, due to the coronavirus epidemic, announced the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.
In Brazil, public accounts registered a deficit of 68.4 billion euros between January and June, the worst result in the history series that started 23 years ago, reported the National Treasury. The deterioration of public accounts in the largest economy in South America was exacerbated by the pandemic.
China’s manufacturing activity resumed growth in July, prolonging the growing trend for the fifth consecutive month, after the sharp drop caused by the measures adopted to stop the COVID-19 pandemic.
FINANCIAL MARKETS
The national stock exchange opened higher this morning, with the PSI-20 advancing 0.65% to 4,333.51 points. None of the shares was falling – although five remained unchanged – after the negative record was generalized within this index in the last session.
