Few cases, masks and traffic – Corriere.it

With just over 300 new cases per day, 5 deaths and nearly sixty patients in intensive care In Portugal, Covid is almost no longer news. The stadiums were filled again as seen last Wednesday when Bayern Munich flooded Benfica. The country, which in February was in a strict lockdown and was struggling with one of the world’s worst infections, was came back to live. The final stage of reopening has been the recent abandonment of the obligation to provide Covid certification in multiple situations. On October 1, Lisbon removed many of its restrictions But the equivalent of the green fairway is still required to access the stadium (reduced capacity), other events and Masks are still mandatory On public transport, at school, for employees in stores, Restaurants and bars.

World record for immunizations

The relaxation of restrictions has not had repercussions on the trend of infection: it is taking place gradually in The country with the highest vaccination rate in the world
: 86.9% of the population completed the course (also ahead of the Emirates, where it was 86.1%), 100% of those over 65 years old. 100% of those over 50 years of age, 95% of those between 25 and 49 years of age, and 88% of those under 17 years of age received at least one dose.

A man who symbolizes this campaign, which is taking place by the drumbeat and outside any political affiliation: Vice Admiral Henrik Gouvia and Melo, also in uniform, like our general son. He, this 60-year-old Mozambican-born official, is the leader of this operation, He was hailed as a hero when he arrived at the vaccination centers.

History lesson

Health experts, reports financial times, he attributes the success of the Portuguese vaccination to cooperation between doctors, the military, and local officials. The Good memory of how polio, smallpox, measles and other deadly diseases were defeated in the past thanks to vaccines. Pedro Simas, executive director of the Catlica Biomedical Research Institute in Lisbon, believes that the strong public commitment to the program has its roots in Portugal’s first national vaccination plan in 1965.

Vaccination rates in Portugal are traditionally high, and people here trust the health authorities Ana Nunes de Almeida, a sociologist at the University of Lisbon, explains on Swiss Radio RTS: We are a poor country, we used to live with mutual assistance. Young people have close relationships with their grandparents and felt it was important to get vaccinated to protect the elderlyUnlike other European realities. This would explain why despite such extensive immunization, the Masks and other measures remain visible even when they are no longer mandatory.

Attention remains high

Ana Maria, who lives in Lisbon on Alvares Cabral Street, loves most of her compatriots who can be met on the street. Keep wearing the mask even outside: Until the World Health Organization declares the end of the epidemic, I will continue to wear a mask, even if I receive a vaccination, explained.

In the Ministry of Health, Assistant Secretary of State Antonio Lacerda Salles, one of the key figures to manage the Covid crisis in the country, avoids any victory: We must remain very attentive to the evolution of the epidemic, because there is still a great deal of uncertainty…we are just beginning a new normal, but in a cautious, gradual and progressive way. A different line to that in Great Britain where I was They all decided for free even with a low vaccination rate.