The tourism-dependent Algarve region saw its number of unemployed triple in May compared with a year ago as the coronavirus crisis kept foreign visitors away, wiping out thousands of seasonal jobs, data showed this Monday.
Portuguese sport personalities have expressed their support this week for the candidacy of the Algarve International Autodrome (AIA), in Portimão, for a place in the calendar of the Formula 1 World Championship. Renowned footbal coach José Mourinho underlined that “a country with great sportspeople deserves a Formula 1 Grand Prix”, referring to the possibility of Portimão being integrated into the revised F1 calendar this year.
Hugo Pereira, Mayor of Lagos, confessed today in statements to journalists, that, since the recent COVID-19 outbreak in his municipality was detected, he has lived through the “worst days” of his life.
This afternoon a wildfire began spreading through the bushland surrounding Vilarinha, within the municipality of Aljezur. By 19:30, there were 323 operational personnel on the ground, supported by 96 vehicles and 11 aerial means.
An illegal party, which took place on the 7th of June, in Odiáxere (Lagos), has now contributed to the infection of 60 individuals with COVID-19, revealed Paulo Morgado, president of the Regional Health Administration (ARS) of the Algarve.
Alongside the Alentejo, the Algarve has been one of the regions in the country with fewer cases of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.
Portugal’s parliament approved in the first reading on Wednesday a supplementary budget that increases spending by 4.3 billion euros to help the coronavirus-battered economy. The draft includes 1.6 billion euros for a new furlough scheme, maintaining jobs and employment training, as well as tax discounts and delays for companies pursuing investments or particularly hard-hit by the crisis.
The authorities have so far registered at least 37 positive cases of COVID -19 related to the illegal party held in the municipality of Lagos on the 9th of June, rising from the 16 cases announced yesterday. The cases were identified throughout several locations in the Algarve.
