The Municipality of Porto consults with Porto Civil Protection District Commission to monitor developments on Covid-19

The Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira has expressed to Porto Civil Protection District Commission the Municipality's readiness to collaborate in the guidelines that are being defined by that entity to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

In a letter sent to the Mayor of Gondomar, Marco Martins, who presides over that Commission, Rui Moreira indicates the available spaces for the purpose of operating as a district support facility, namely the Youth Hostel. The Municipality of Porto ensures financial monthly financial support of 50 thousand euros, from October to 30 march 2021, "and an evaluation should be done by the end of January 2021", as highlighted by Rui Moreira.

Mayor Rui Moreira says that Porto Youth Hostel "has excellent conditions to work as a support facility to people that test negative to Covid-19" and suggests that this equipment should be extended to be used by the entire district.

This is one of the locations pinpointed by the city of Porto, following the meeting promoted by the Porto Civil Protection District Commission, which was attended by representatives of municipalities, the State Secretary for Mobility, Eduardo Pinheiro (as the North Regional Coordinator for Covid-19), the Directors of the Hospital of São João and the Hospital de Santo António, the President of the ARS-Norte and the Deputy Director of the Porto District Centre for the Institute of Social Security.

Following the meeting, the Commission decided that there is the need to find further hospital care facilities and provisional host structures for people that test positive for Covid-19, but who do not meet all the requirements to be hospitalised and do not have the necessary conditions for house recovering, either regarding caretakers or the facility itself ".

The Field Hospital in Porto (set at the Super Bock Arena- Pavilhão Rosa Mota), which was set up during the Covid-19 first wave is not to be deployed, as there are other premises that can be utilized for that purpose in the district.

In addition, Rui Moreira makes available the services by the battalion of the firefighters of Porto "to collaborate in passenger transport, as well in disinfestations processes and training", as reads the letter sent by Rui Moreira.

The Municipality of Porto furthers that it is "also available to open, operate and finance, as soon as it is necessary, an Emergency Shelter Centre that can host 40 people, in the old premises of Hospital Joaquim Urbano", in conjunction with the Social Security, the Health Authority, and the Planning Division for the Homeless (NPISA) in Porto.

To the two health centre Groups in Porto (ACES), the City Hall will make available three cars to "strengthen the response capacity of the intervention teams to the host facilities", and the Escola Básica António Aroso is made available to the ACES Porto Ocidental under a free-lease agreement, to increase responsiveness, as well.

Also, the Mayor of Porto, affirms that "there should be a district structure to host people that test positive for Covid-19, who do not have the necessary requirements to be hospitalised but who cannot, as well, recover at home". Both funding and a specialised operator must be found to meet this demand, "preferably in the health area".

Regarding the identification of other spaces, the Municipality suggests "the former premises of the Hospital Maria Pia and the possible contact with the Misericórdia do Porto to identify availability and responsiveness capacity". Rui Moreira does not exclude the possibility already showed by the Diocese do Porto regarding the premises of Seminário de Vilar", to host people that test negative for Covid-19.

The Government will study "the allocation of resources and means, either technical or financial" to meet this feedback.

It is worth mentioning that the country returned to the State of Emergency, starting at midnight on the 15th October. Among the measures approved is the recommendation to "strongly" wear face masks in public.

The Prime Minister also stated that the gathering of over 5 people on the public road is forbidden and that festivities as weddings and christenings are limited to 50 people, and that participants will have to comply with the preventive measures. Academic festivities are also forbidden and control will be tighter, with penalties going up to 10 thousand euros for legal persons.