Safe Communities Portugal are an officially qualified Civil Protection Volunteer Organisation, one of only nine in Portugal. Working alongside the Ministry of Internal Administration, DGS, Civil Protection, GNR etc, under law they are required to provide the best and most timely information in times of crisis. Algarve Daily News are working closely with them, to share information with the foreign community.

Visit https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/major-incident-page/ for latest information.

The state of emergency announced on Thursday March 19, 2020 lasts for 15 days, starting at 00:00hrs and ending at 23:59 pm on Thursday April 2, 2020.
See measures set out in decree law below, in English and in Portuguese, to commence March 22nd 00.00hrs, in other words midnight Saturday.

This evening Prime-Minister Antonio Costa outlined during his address to the public the new restrictions put in place as part of the State of Emergency. It is very clear that the main takeaway is that the restrictions put in place will principally affect those over 70 years old, or who already suffer from an “at-risk” illness.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the Algarve rose to 25 this Thursday, four more than yesterday. In the whole of Portugal, the number of people infected with the virus has risen to 785. The latest epidemiological bulletin from the General Directorate of Health also reveals that there are no more cases in Alentejo than the two that were confirmed yesterday.

"Are you a sympathetic neighbour?”. This is the key question the municipality of Faro are asking their citizens, in a campaign that aims to prevent at risk individuals - namely the elderly - from having to leave home to obtain essential goods.

Yesterday the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, convened his council of advisors via videoconference, and last night, he announced that Portugal has officially entered a State of Emergency. He and other officials, including Prime Minister António Costa, are using strong language, declaring a “war” against the virus and asking all residents to contribute.

The Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL) met, at the end of Monday this week, with the Regional Health Administration (ARS) of the Algarve and the Board of Directors of the Algarve University Hospital Centres (CHUA) to discuss the evolution of COVID-19 in the region.

This week the Alentejo coast has seen an "abnormal" increase in motorhomes and tourists seeking to allegedly take refuge from the new virus in their motorhomes, several mayors of the region reported today.