International COVID-19 Megathread

[Mike88]

The media here in Portugal was reporting that a lot of people flocked to the beaches near Lisbon during the morning before the curfew:

https://twitter.com/tvi24pt/status/1327955879900172295

Carcavelos beach full on sunny morning before curfew

[Mike88]

New cases in Portugal seem to have stabilize at around 6,000 per day, more or less.

President Marcelo did a speech yesterday night announcing the renewal of the State of Emergency and saying it will be renewed until everything is controlled. He also warned about a possible 3rd wave in January/February 2021 if in December the contamination rate isn't lowered and controlled.

New measures will be announced, again, by the government this afternoon.

[Mike88]

The new measures announced by PM Costa are not that very new, some adjustments actually:

- Mandatory masks for office workers;
- Creation of a 4 tier colour scheme for municipalities with highest and lowest rates of infection;
- Municipalities with 460 cases per inhabitants will continue with the current restrictions;
- The eves of the 1 and 8 December holidays will be also holidays with schools closing, public services closed and an advise for companies and offices to close on those 2 days.

[Mike88]

According to this site, Covid-19 Portugal, the NHS only has 8 beds left in ICUs for Covid patients.

[Mike88]

According to this site, Covid-19 Portugal, the NHS only has 8 beds left in ICUs for Covid patients.

As of now, the NHS seems to have reached full capacity in ICUs for Covid patients. In the 2021 budget discussions, a proposal for the creation of 400 new ICUs beds until the end of the 1st trimester of 2021 was passed with the votes of all parties except the PS. Lisbon health authorities are also opening more beds during this weekend as the pressure is overwhelming. So far, 506 Covid patients are in ICUs, with 3,275 hospitalized. The number of death also increased to 85, the 2nd highest number till date. On the positive side, new infections today dropped to 3,919 with new recoveries soaring to 7,406.

[Mike88]

A leading Fidesz MEP was caught using his parliamentary immunity to escape a fine for violating Belgian lockdown rules by having a 25-man gay orgy in a bar right in front of a Brussels police station, as you do.

Had to be them, OF COURSE it did

Did he claim it was all the fault of George Soros afterwards?

Given he apparently tried to escape from the window I think he was in too much of a rush to comment on the issue

2020 go home, you're drunk.

[Mike88]

Portugal update:

General Health Department (DGS) chairwoman, Graça Freitas, is infected with Covid-19. The Health minister and her Secretary of State were tested and are waiting for the results in confinement. All DGS press conferences were canceled for the moment.

[Mike88]

Pfizer vaccine approved in the UK.

For the rest of Europe, the vaccine will only be approved after Christmas.

[Mike88]

Portugal: The government announced that the Covid vaccines will arrive during the beginning of 2021, and they will be free and optional. Around 22 million doses will be available and can only be taken in the NHS. The government will announce tomorrow the full details of the vaccine plan and the logistics of the plan will be known in the end of the December.

[Mike88]

Portugal update:

According to the meeting, this morning, between Health specialists and government/opposition members, 15-20% of the Portuguese population had, probably, contact with the virus. Details of the vaccine plan were also revealed: Almost 1 million vaccines will be given starting January in the 1st phase for health workers, nursing care workers and patients plus people with heart and respiratory diseases. The 2nd phase will be for people above 65 years old and people above 50 with defined pathologies. The 3rd phase is for the rest of the population.

Restrictions will also be relaxed a bit during Christmas, but details are yet to be announced.

[Mike88]

Portugal: PM Costa announced the measures for Christmas and New Year's eve:

- Traveling between municipalities will be allowed between 23 and 26 December;
- On Christmas Eve, circulating in the streets will be allowed until 2am; On the 26, only until 11pm;
- On New Year's eve, circulation between municipalities is forbidden;
- Circulating in the streets will be allowed until 2am;
- Public parties on the streets will be forbidden, and only gatherings up to 6 persons allowed;

In terms of new cases, the number rose to more than 6,000 today, with 6,087 new cases today, 73 deaths and 6,166 recoveries.

Tyrol has tested 76.197 people yesterday, of which 202 were positive (0.3%)

Vorarlberg has tested 52.142 people yesterday, of which 192 were positive (0.4%)

Vienna has tested 22.402 people yesterday, of which 112 were positive (0.5%)

Nice. Here in Portugal, only in the Azores are they doing massive testing. The infamous Rabo de Peixe parish, almost 10,000 inhabitants, is under lockdown and the regional government is also testing all the inhabitants of the parish.

[Mike88]

Nice. Here in Portugal, only in the Azores are they doing massive testing. The infamous Rabo de Peixe parish, almost 10,000 inhabitants, is under lockdown and the regional government is also testing all the inhabitants of the parish.

Rabo de Peixe update: 5,846 tests were conducted on Friday and Saturday, of which 114 were positive (1.95%). More tests will be conducted during today, Sunday.

[Mike88]

In Portugal, the situation seems to have stabilized in terms of new infections, while new deaths are increasing. New infections seem to have stabilized at around 4,000 per day, but daily deaths have reach a record today, 98.

New ICUs and hospitalizations were seeing a drop in the last few days, but this Sunday both increased, with 10 new ICUs and 64 new hospitalizations.

[Mike88]

A bit of comic relief. I had to post this. This is the deputy of the Health General Department in Portugal, in a press conference this afternoon:

https://twitter.com/mariana_rfv/status/1338875657426784257
Translation of what he said:

A reference to the Christmas dinner: It is not mandatory for Christmas to be celebrated, in this country, at Christmas dinner. You can celebrate it, for exceptional moments, at a Christmas lunch on the eve of Christmas Day. There is nothing to stop it. Let me give you an example: in my house there is a person who celebrates his birthday at precisely this time, on one of these days, and the celebration of that birthday is breakfast.

A bit latter he added this:

I advise a moderate and rational use to all substances that can bring greater affectivity

Amazing! xD

[Mike88]

MACORONA! The French president had COVID.

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/12/17/947449920/french-president-macron-tests-positive-for-coronavirus

And António Costa had a meeting with him yesterday. He has already been tested and is now wainting for the results.

[Mike88]

Costa being tested:

https://twitter.com/antoniocostapm/status/1339542591252160512

Due to the confirmation of the positive test of the French President @EmmanuelMacron, with whom I was yesterday at the Palace of the Elysee, I am in preventive prophylactic isolation until the health authorities assess the degree of risk.

He has also canceled his schedule trip for Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Principe, plus all of his schedule engagements for the next few days.

[Mike88]

New year's eve is canceled in Portugal. Costa just announced a mandatory curfew starting at 11pm 31 December. No changes for Christmas though, however, family gatherings should have the minimum of people possible.

He also said his first test came negative but will continue in isolation.

[Mike88]

New year's eve is canceled in Portugal. Costa just announced a mandatory curfew starting at 11pm 31 December. No changes for Christmas though, however, family gatherings should have the minimum of people possible.

He also said his first test came negative but will continue in isolation.

What an insane thing to do, if you know you need to hard lock down, why wait so long???

It's the economy. Because the economy in Portugal is so fragile, the government is afraid of a full lockdown and its consequences again. But, many things aren't right, IMO: the weekend curfews don't make sense, as people just fill supermarkets and shopping centers to buy stuff during the morning; the constant delay/bad planning and bad communication, like in the video I posted above, of new measures;

[Mike88]

There are reports that Emmanuel Macron is really not feeling well. Has severe symptoms, though he sent out a short video on Instagram today.

Worst day with new infections in Germany was yesterday, over 33,000 infections. We're approaching a constant level of high tripledigit deaths per day at this point. The lockdown will probably be extended beyond January 10.

The Slovakian PM is also infected. It seems to be not related with Macron, but both attended the EU council meeting last week.

https://www.politico.eu/article/slovakian-prime-minister-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/

[Mike88]

Germany has joined the Netherlands in discontinuing air traffic with the UK.

South Africa will be likely added tomorrow.

Portugal will fordid UK citizens entering the country and Portuguese citizens coming from the UK have to have a negative test, or do one, in order to enter the country.

[Mike88]

The EMA (European Medicines Agency) has finally approved the Pfizer vaccine.

[Mike88]

The EMA (European Medicines Agency) has finally approved the Pfizer vaccine.

Interesting this applies to all EU members. But makes sense.

That's why it probably also took so long (longer than US/UK/Canada/Switzerland anyway). But the delay probably doesn't matter considering "vaccine shortages" has become a hot topic in Germany recently.

Hmm.. didn't knew that Germany had "vaccine sortages" issues too. Here in Portugal, that's also a hot topic with many doubting that the Covid-19 vaccine plan will work well.

[Mike88]

25 December updates:

Austria: 1.851 new cases yesterday, 38 new deaths
Germany: 25.533 new cases yesterday, 412 new deaths

Portugal: 4,146 new cases yesterday, 65 new deaths

[Mike88]

In Portugal, the first person to be vaccinated was the director of infection diseases in St John Hospital in Porto city, António Sarmento:

https://twitter.com/saude_pt/status/1343141127277473792

[Mike88]

4,601 people were given the 1st dose of the Covid vaccine during today in Portugal, all of them front line workers in the NHS. (doctors, nurses, other staff) Another shipment of 70,200 vaccines will arrive this Monday.