Covid-19 pandemic required 80-million Euro investment in two years, says Clélio Meneses
Angra do Heroísmo
Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Desporto
Over two years, the covid-19 pandemic required an investment of about 80 million Euros, revealed today the Regional Secretary of Health and Sport. He spoke at a press conference in Angra do Heroísmo to assess the situation in the Azores after two years of pandemic.
Clélio Meneses also revealed that about 23 million Euros of the 80-million Euro investment were allocated to the payment of agreements with about 30 entities on several islands, as part of the SARS-CoV-2 testing.
The government official mentioned that as of December 2021, with the emergence of the Omicron strain and an "exponential rise in cases" at the end of the year and early 2022, "the increased intensity of testing through these entities was crucial to the control of the pandemic."
According to him, until yesterday, one million and 40 thousand tests had been carried out in the archipelago.
Clélio Meneses highlighted the vaccination process as an effective means of fighting the pandemic, revealing that, from December 31 to date, 510,640 vaccines have been administered in the Azores.
In this context, the government official praised health professionals for their efforts in testing and vaccination, as they have been "decisive for the results" achieved by the region. He also emphasised the role played by the security and civil protection forces.
Moreover, Clélio Meneses announced that the Daily Bulletin of the Regional Health Authority will now be issued weekly, on Fridays, and not on a daily basis.
The Regional Director for Health, Berto Cabral, added that the approach taken to positive cases of covid-19 now stipulates that "only those who test positive will be in isolation for five days."
As for close contacts, those "without a booster dose or not vaccinated should be tested on the fifth day," he said.
The Regional Director also announced the entry into operation of the automatic procedure for PCR testing: "from now on, health users on the islands of São Miguel and Terceira will receive a text message and an email with a code to validate the test to be carried out by a private entity."
