Portimão Council is urging locals to follow health authorities’ recommendations at a time when the number of new Covid-19 cases in the municipality is rising and threatening to put it on the country’s list of ‘high-risk municipalities’, where tougher restrictions are put in place.
Twenty new cases were reported in Portimão on November 1, followed by four on November 2, 15 on November 3 and 17 on November 4.
“According to new rules created by DGS (national health board), all municipalities with more than 240 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in two weeks enter a list which heavily restricts everyone’s day-to-day life, from a mobility, work, leisure and economic point of view,” the local council said in a statement released this Thursday.
As it explains, Portimão has a population of around 55,000 people, meaning it would take just 130 new cases of Covid-19 (average nine per day) in two weeks to put it on Portugal’s ‘Covid-19 black list’.
“In an analysis of the first four days of this month, Portimão is already showing highly worrying numbers of new daily cases,” the council warned. It added that Portimão will definitely be considered a high-risk municipality if this rate of new cases continues.
Thus, the council will be revealing the number of new cases every day, allowing everyone to follow the latest developments.
“At this time, more than ever, the choices of each one of us count, so please follow the recommendations,” it urges.
For now, the only Algarvean municipality on Portugal’s list of 121 ‘high-risk’ municipalities is São Brás de Alportel (click here).
