COVID-19 | Weekly Update

Friday, November 6th | COVID-19 Daily Update

CURRENT OUTLOOK

According to the Portuguese General Directorate of Health (DGS) epidemiological bulletin, Portugal had 5,550 cases of new cases of COVID-19 infection. It is the highest number of cases reported in a single day since the pandemic entered Portugal. The report shows that over the past 24 hours there have also been 52 deaths. 

Yesterday, the daily number of confirmed cases was 4,410. The data released show that more than 2,301 people recovered from the disease, which brings the total number to 93,754.

 

PANDEMIC IN PORTUGAL 

Prime Minister António Costa said today, in an interview with Antena 1 Radio, that the measures presented yesterday by the Government can support companies “that are distressed”, but that they cannot “prevent the insolvency of all companies”.

The Minister of Health, Marta Temido, announced yesterday, in the Parliament, that the use of rapid antigen tests for the diagnosis of the new coronavirus will start next week. Starting on Monday, it will be possible to require people to test COVID-19 when entering or staying in certain locations.

The Minister of Health also admitted that 253 ventilators are still not working, due to the lack of a part that “did not arrive from its original source and is in short supply in the international market”.

The draft decree of the President of the Republic, which declares the state of emergency in Portugal between the 9th and the 23rd November, allows the restriction of the freedom of movement “during certain periods of the day or certain days of the week”, as well as the use by the public authorities of resources, means, and health establishments in the private, social and cooperative sectors, “preferably by agreement” and “through fair compensation”. 

Earlier this afternoon it was learned that the usual DGS press conference scheduled for today to account for the evolution of the pandemic in Portugal was cancelled. A source from the Ministry of Health confirmed that the conference will not take place due to the visit of the Minister of Health, Marta Temido, to Porto.

 

PANDEMIC IN EUROPE AND THE WORLD

Amid a pandemic, the Portuguese Guild of Nurses expressed its concern today with the recruitment of Portuguese nurses in European countries, revealing that over the last two weeks, offers from countries such as Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands have intensified, which may lead to personnel shortages in Portugal, where the salaries are lower and the work conditions have been degrading.

Today, it was announced that China has suspended the entry of foreign passport holders from more than ten countries, including France, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, in the face of new cases in COVID-19.  

Also today, the China Health Commission announced that it had identified six cases of local contagion in the past 24 hours in the Xinjiang region, in the far northwest of the country, and 30 cases from abroad.

The British government has removed Denmark from its list of safe air corridors after a mutation of Sars-CoV2 associated with mink in that country has been detected, UK Transport Minister Grant Shapps announced today.

As for the numbers in the rest of the world, the United States recorded more than 1,200 deaths yesterday and a daily record of more than 120,000 infected with the new coronavirus, the Johns Hopkins University report said. 

Germany has already broken a new daily record today. According to the Robert Koch Institute, 21,506 new infections were diagnosed in the last 24 hours. 

In India there are 670 deaths caused by the new coronavirus and 47,638 new cases in the last 24 hours, including almost 6,700 in New Delhi, grappling with a new wave, the Indian Ministry of Health said today.

 

MEDICAL PROGRESS 

The pharmaceutical conglomerate AstraZeneca expects to announce the effectiveness of the vaccine against COVID-19 by the end of the year and is increasing production to supply hundreds of millions of doses starting in January, it was announced yesterday.

 

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The Government announced yesterday the creation of new support for companies most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the revision of support for the progressive recovery, the creation of the “Apoiar.pt” program, for micro and small companies in the commerce and services sectors, and the creation of new credit lines is also foreseen.

The European Commission, on the other hand, says it is “very confident” in Portugal’s “political and diplomatic capacity” so that, when it leads the EU, in the first half of 2021, it will make progress in areas such as social rights and economic recovery.

Due to the pandemic, thousands of people turned to Social Security, between March and September, to claim a social benefit, with almost 12,000 new beneficiaries of the Social Insertion Income, an “expected” trend because of a possible worsening of the poverty situation.

At the same time, the president of the Union of Technical Staff of the State, Helena Rodrigues, asked the Government for measures to ensure that workers maintain their purchasing ability next year. Regarding the Government’s response, Helena Rodrigues said that the position is not closed.

 

FINANCIAL MARKETS 

The Portuguese stock exchange opened today in a fall, after five consecutive days of gains, with the PSI-20 sliding 0.47% to 4,086.11 points.