• Elections The pandemic disrupts the Portuguese presidential campaign

  • Portugal From the 'miracle' of the first wave of coronavirus to field hospitals

Schools in Portugal will close starting tomorrow, Friday, and for at least 15 days amid an uncontrolled increase in infections by covid, with a

new record of deaths from the virus, 221 in the last 24 hours

.

According to the latest balance of the Directorate General of Health, Portugal, with ten million inhabitants, has already had

four consecutive days with records in deaths

(167 on Monday, 218 on Tuesday, 219 on Wednesday and 221 today) and they

are back to trigger infections

, which are somewhat lower than yesterday's peak of 14,647.

The indicators

have increased rapidly in recent days due to the British variant

of covid, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa explained at a press conference.

"Last week we had a prevalence of 8%; this week of 20%, and studies indicate that it can reach 60%," Costa said after knowing yesterday, Wednesday, the latest available data provided by epidemiologists.

"Despite all the extraordinary effort that the schools made to prepare, in the face of this new strain (of the virus) and the speed of transmission, the precautionary principle forces us to

interrupt all school activities for the next 15 days,

" he added .

Those two weeks will be compensated in the school calendar, since it is

a suspension of classes, without there being distance lessons

.

In addition, the food aid received by the students who eat at the educational center will be maintained.

"Schools were not and are not the main focus and location of transmission,"

stressed the Portuguese prime minister, who appeared to announce a measure that had been a red line for his cabinet since the school year began.

This measure comes six days after the country's lockdown began and 24 hours after more than 14 adjustments went into effect to improve compliance.

All to

avoid the collapse of hospitals, where the pressure continues to rise

with 5,630 admitted today (137 more than the previous day), of which 702 are in intensive care (21 more), a limit never before reached.

This week, field hospitals have been reopened in Portugal and doctors have asked to further restrict mobility, after warning that they are already

working in a "context of catastrophe medicine"

Since the pandemic began, Portugal has added 9,686 deaths and 595,149 infections, of which 151,226 are active.

ELECTIONS REMAIN

The confinement decreed in the midst of a fired pandemic

has slowed activity in Portugal but not its presidential elections

, while the Portuguese question whether it is the best time to go to the polls and campaign.

Three days before the elections,

postponement is no longer an option

, although at the time it was several voices, including the leader of the conservative opposition, Rui Rio, who opened the door to this possibility that would force a constitutional review.

But the idea was discarded and the elections continued to be scheduled for this Sunday 24, when more than

9 million voters residing in the national territory will be able to leave their home in full confinement

to deposit their ballot in the ballot box.

"Voting is safe", say the signs placed, among other places, in the Lisbon Metro, in which it is reported that it will be mandatory to wear a mask, keep your distance in the queue, disinfect your hands and, if possible , bring your own pen.

Some still doubt whether sufficient measures have been taken to vote in

the country with the highest number of new infections per million inhabitants in the last seven days

, according to the University of Oxford.

"I think it was not the best time to make elections," Anselmo told EFE in his grocery store in downtown Lisbon, where he pointed out that "there has not been much participation by the people in early voting and there are a number of problems logistics that could have been avoided "if they had been planned with more time.

EARLY VOTING AND EXCEPTIONAL MEASURES

The authorities

expanded early voting this year, for which almost 250,000 people registered

, a record number but still low if one takes into account that there are more than 9 million people who can vote in Portugal, to which is added another million and a half abroad.

The number of tables has also been expanded,

the ballots of the infected and people in isolation in their own homes have been collected

- although those who test positive in the previous 10 days are left without voting - and the elderly are allowed in residences that they vote in the centers themselves.

Between the pandemic and the great popularity of the current president and candidate for reelection, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, whom the polls give the victory in the first round with more than 60% of the vote,

abstention in these elections is expected to skyrocket

.

In 2016 it already exceeded 50%, the second highest figure in democracy, and specialists hope that this Sunday it could be between 60% and 70%.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Portugal

  • Coronavirus

  • Covid 19

CoronavirusPortugal: from the 'miracle' of the first wave of coronavirus to field hospitals

ElectionsThe pandemic disrupts the Portuguese presidential campaign

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