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This Monday begins the first phase of vaccination, with priority for the elderly in homes, health professionals and pregnant women. The NHS already has 335,000 doses and it will be “nurses from the health centers to visit the institutions”, at an agreed time and time, explained the general director of Health, Graça Freitas, at the press conference on the pandemic balance. The same applies to those who are in home care or the elderly who cannot, due to disability, go to the health center.
In the case of pregnant women, “it is enough to schedule a convenient time with the health center for both parties to be vaccinated.” The same rule will apply to the remaining recipients of the influenza vaccine. In this second phase, which begins on October 19, all people 65 years of age and over and all those older than six months suffer from chronic diseases that give access to the free vaccine.
Already predicting an “autumn of great pressure”, it is predicted that there may be a diversification of times and places to respond to the demand. Graça Freitas also revealed that street pharmacies will receive part of the NHS vaccines to vaccinate people over 65 for free, as happened in Loures last year and the year before.
This Friday, Portugal registered five more deaths from covid-19 and 899 cases of infection, of which 56% were in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region. 624 people were hospitalized, of which 86 were in intensive care units. There are 287 active outbreaks, the majority in the north: 124. They are followed by Lisbon (93), Centro (31), Algarve (22) and Alentejo (17). The minister announced that there are 76 homes with positive cases, both in professionals and users, and 47 of these have active outbreaks.
Asked about the phase of the pandemic in which Portugal is, Marta Temido considered that the country is in a “third phase” and took stock of the beds affected and occupied by covid in the North and Lisbon and Vale do Tejo regions . they are the ones who are facing the greatest numerical pressure ”.
Of the total of 5,498 beds reported by the northern region, “268 are assigned to the covid ward and 156 covid patients were hospitalized.” There are also 41 intensive care beds assigned to covid patients, of which 26 are occupied. In the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region, “of a total of 7083 beds, 553 are destined for covid patients, with 346 beds occupied.” “In intensive care units, there are 85 beds assigned to covid patients and 54 beds are occupied.”
Marta Temido recalled that the SNS has about 21 thousand hospital beds and that “the hospital management capacity is flexible.” “At the moment, we have not suspended assistance activities for non-covid and what we call covid beds could be expanded,” he reinforced.
Asked about the complaints from the National Association of Continuous Care, about the difficulty of hiring nurses and assistants and the lack of funds, Marta Temido assumed that it is necessary to “create attractive conditions for prosecutors. “In fact, this can lead to a price revision, but that is a matter that must take into account the conditions of the country at all times and currently I cannot say when it can happen.”
SNS will pay less for testing
The minister announced a review of the prices that the SNS is paying for covid tests to contracted entities for clinical analysis, which ranges from 87.95 euros to 65 euros as of this Saturday. According to the ministry, the total amount invoiced by the contracted parties amounts to 32.2 million euros until August. Regarding rapid tests, Raquel Guiomar, a laboratory testing specialist at the Ricardo Jorge Institute, explained that rapid tests are being evaluated.
On the positive cases in schools, Graça Freitas, explained that the data is still being collected. Regarding the different measures taken by the schools, she explained that “these are not non-uniform criteria, they are different situations in which preventive measures were not taken in the same way.”
Regarding the right of the pregnant woman to have a companion, the Director General of Health explained that the guidance that is being given “goes in the direction of allowing follow-up during delivery.” However, this leaves “the final decision” to clinical teams, if they consider that in certain situations there may be no safety for it, but this should be an exception to the rule.
