Portugal Closes Schools In The Algarve As Delta Advances

Portugal closed schools in the Algarve yesterday as fears grow the Delta variant of Covid-19 is out of control in the country.

SCHOOLS were closed in Faro, Albufeira, Lagos and Loule on June 28 in an effort to control the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19.

Ana Cristina Guerreiro, the delegate responsible for public health in Faro said, “It’s a precaution. We have to cut these transmission chains and that is why it is better for these students to stay at home. If not, the situation may get worse.”

As of June 28, there were 583 cases in Albufeira, 448 in Loule, 403 in Olhao and 329 in Faro.

The president of the Faro Biomedical Centre, Nuno Marques, added that “even when people are vaccinated there are habits such as the physical safety distance, the mask or frequent hand sanitisation that have come to stay in our society.”

Yesterday, Portugal had 502 people hospitalised with Covid-19, the highest number since April 6, when 504 people were hospitalised, and 115 people in intensive care units.

According to the National Health Institute, the Delta variant represented 51 per cent of cases in mainland Portugal, showing the variant is “spreading rapidly”.

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