“Test to release” scheme

Various sources report this morning on the UK’s government plans to cut the amount of time that international travellers arriving from ‘high risk’ countries have to quarantine by up to two thirds with a new “test to release” program that is set to come into force from December 15.

Given ............  ...read more

Monday morning sees numerous cases

Reports of outbreaks of COVID-19 and associated confinements in various schools on the island seem to be coming thick and fast this morning.

• Twelve employees of the Professional School of Hotel and Tourism of Madeira are in isolation, following the positive result of a teacher.
• Following the positive result of a family member close to two students at a school in Sao Martinho, two classes (36 students) are in confinement. The information was confirmed this morning by the Regional Secretariat for Education, Science, and Technology.
• A student from Externato Apresentação de Maria tested positive for covid-19. According to the Regional Secretariat of Education, although this student has not attended the establishment since November 13, a class (of 23 students) will be confined until otherwise indicated by the health authorities. Two other students tested negative, but two classes (a total of 45 students) and two teachers are also preventively confined until otherwise indicated by the health authorities.
• A professor at the Francisco Franco School (above) is in confinement, suspected of having contracted COVID-19, and is currently awaiting the results of the test that has already been carried out. The information has already been transmitted to the professor’s students, and if it is confirmed to be a positive case, the contingency plan will be triggered and remote classes will be scheduled.
• Following the positive result of a teacher, two students, three employees and four EB23 teachers Dr. Eduardo Brazão de Castroe are in confinement, until otherwise indicated by the health authorities.

This last case was the fifth school in the Region affected today by the covid-19 pandemic. Nice to see that JM follows this blog and reported on the spate of ............  ...read more

Christmas “getaway” from Jersey threatened

JM reported recently that the confinement in England, which is not being applied in Jersey, could indirectly damage the Christmas ‘getaway’ to Madeira from the community residing on this channel island. The usual “Going ............  ...read more

Azores take firmer action than Madeira

Thanks to Peter for a link to a report from the Azores, where two more schools were closed on the island of São Miguel. The Azorean authorities have been acting very quickly recently when there is a positive case of COVID-19 found in a school.

Yesterday the Azores recorded more than double  ............  ...read more

Lights ready to be switched on

JM reports on the installation of Christmas illuminations, under the responsibility of the company LuxStar – already reported here – is progressing at a good pace and, this weekend, there are already areas where they are being tested.

This is the case of decoration on the Ribeiro Sêco ............  ...read more

… forecast for later this week

The Diario leads on a story that a couple of readers have sent in, with the weather predicted to decline later this week. The newspaper even predicts that snow could even make its first appearance of this autumn/winter season on the high peaks.

Since the rain of last weekend, maximum temperatures have ............  ...read more

Lisbon Court of Appeal issues judgement

The Portugal News reports that the Court of Appeal in Lisbon has decided that quarantine in state of alert is illegal.

They have deemed that a PCR test “is unable to determine, beyond a reasonable doubt, that such positivity result corresponds, in fact, to the infection of a person by the SARS-CoV-2 ............  ...read more

8 health centres to conduct tests

JM report that eight Health Centres in the Region are going to carry out tests on the COVID-19, with the attendance at the weekend and tests for all suspected cases expected, in an attempt to control the number of cases of local transmission.  ............  ...read more