Daniel Varela and Joana Pedroso are two young Algarvians who, when they realized they could help fight COVID-19, did not turn their heads from the fight. With a prototyping company, set up about six months ago, in Loulé, they decided to make their services available to the community. And so they started a “pioneering work, until now, in Portugal”: the production of swabs.
In view of the official figures released today by the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), which indicate 345 deaths from COVID-19 so far in Portugal, the projections of researchers from the Institute for Health Evaluation and Metrics (IHME), at the University of Washington, point to another 126 deaths over the next three months.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that four out of five of all workers have been affected by the total or partial suspension of their jobs, in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, which has had as a knock-on effect imposed social confinement.
Portugal has carried out 110,000 diagnostic tests for COVID-19 since March 1st, the Secretary of State for Health announced today. “In this collective decisive phase in the fight against the virus, it is important to note that Portugal continues to increase the number of tests carried out. Since March 1st, 110 thousand diagnostic tests have been carried out”, said António Sales at the daily press update conference.
In a mountain range in Setúbal, in a cave high above the modern coastline, a remnant of the ancient seashore can be found. The cramped, low-ceilinged grotto, which lies on a peninsula about 20 miles south of Lisbon, holds a diverse and decadent marine menu enjoyed by ancient humans—and further proof that Neanderthals weren’t the knuckle-dragging dimwits many have long imagined.
The President of the Republic affirmed this Monday that he found, upon discussions with a group of the main figures in Portuguese banking, amongst them a state of mind "of great mobilization in order to help the Portuguese economy".
The wholesale chain Makro is operating as of today as a regular retailer, on a temporary basis, and selling directly to all consumers, the company have announced.
As COVID-19 continues to spread through Portugal, many are concerned about the number of ventilators available in order to aid patients in acute respiratory failure. To remedy this issue, two teams of Portuguese scientists have sprung into action, leading in the development of lung ventilators.
