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Portugal counts 76 more deaths related to covid-19 and 7,627 new cases of infection by the new coronavirus this Thursday, according to the daily report of the General Directorate of Health (DGS).
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Portugal has already registered 6,906 deaths and 413,678 cases of infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with 72,496 active cases this Thursday, more than 4,291 in relation to Wednesday.
Regarding hospital admissions, the epidemiological bulletin of the DGS reveals that 2,840 people are admitted to nursing, 56 fewer than yesterday and 482 in intensive care, less 5 patients.
Health officials have 88,534 contacts under surveillance, 2,556 fewer than Wednesday.
The bulletin also reveals that another 3,260 patients were reported to have recovered. Since the start of the epidemic in Portugal in March, 334,276 people have recovered.
Start of vaccination against covid-19 in the Azores and Madeira
The first doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine arrived this Wednesday at Lajes airport, in the Azores, and Cristiano Ronaldo airport, in Madeira. The 19,500 vaccines begin to be administered on the last day of the year and will reach more than 9,000 people.
The first doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine arrived this Wednesday at Lajes airport, in the Azores, and Cristiano Ronaldo airport, in Madeira. The 19,500 vaccines begin to be administered on the last day of the year and will reach more than 9,000 people.
In the Azores, the vaccine is stored at the Santo Espírito Hospital, in Angra do Heroísmo. The regional secretary of Health, Clélio Menezes, says that the goal is to administer 5,000 vaccines in 10 days, on the islands of São Miguel and Terceira.
Portugal will receive 2.2 million additional doses of vaccines from Pfizer
Portugal will receive 2.2 million additional doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, in addition to the 22 million that were already planned. In total, the country will have more than 24 million doses to vaccinate the entire population.
Thus, the country will now have more than 24 million doses to vaccinate the entire population. The Ministry also reported that the vaccines against covid-19 will be delivered in packages and that it is still premature to advance dates or deadlines.
Expenditure of € 195.5 million authorized for covid-19 vaccination in 2021
Vaccination procedures against covid-19 in Portugal, including the storage and administration of vaccines, will have an authorized expenditure of up to 195.5 million euros in 2021, it was announced this Thursday.
According to a resolution of the Council of Ministers published today in Diário da República, an expenditure of up to 195.5 million euros is authorized for 2021, “with the purchase of vaccines against covid-19, under the centralized European procedure, as well as the expenses necessary for its storage and administration “.
Of this total, 174 million euros of maximum expenditure is broken down for “purchase procedures, by virtue of previous acquisition agreements”, signed by virtue of the decision of the European Commission of June 18, 2020.
The remaining 21.5 million euros are authorized for the vaccination process in 2021, which includes “the storage and purchase of vaccines, as well as the essential elements for their administration”, such as syringes, needles and solvents.
The financial charges of this resolution “are covered with funds that are entered in the budget of the General Directorate of Health,” according to the Diário da República.
By 2020, a maximum expenditure of 20 million euros had been registered for the acquisition and administration of vaccines against covid-19.
On August 20, Prime Minister António Costa announced the purchase of 6.9 million vaccines against covid-19, as part of a coordination between countries of the European Union.
The first batch of vaccines, with 9,750 vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, arrived in Portugal last Saturday, December 26, for health professionals from the university hospital centers of Porto, São João, Coimbra, Lisbon North and Lisbon Central.
The first vaccine was administered in Portugal the following day, December 27, at the São João Hospital, in Porto, to the infectious doctor António Sarmento.
