MADEIRA HITS NEW DAILY HIGH WITH 156 MORE POSITIVE CASES

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

Today Madeira has 156 more new positive cases of covid-19, a new maximum in the Region.

According to the daily bulletin released by the Regional Health Directorate, eight of these cases are imported – two from the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region, one from the North Region and one from the Central Portugal Region, one from Poland, one from Luxembourg and two from the United States of America. The remaining 148 cases are of local transmission, most of them already associated with contacts or contexts of positive cases.

Today there are 65 recovered cases and 166 cases under study.

Madeira currently has 1,600 active cases, of which 119 are imported cases and 1481 are cases of local transmission.

Regarding the isolation of active cases, 58 people are isolated in a dedicated hotel unit, 1496 in their own accommodation and 73 people are hospitalized (71 in Multipurpose Units and 2 in the Intensive Care Unit dedicated to the covid-19).

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Tobi Hughes

30 Responses

  1. Well done, the 7 day incidence is now above 300, just counting the local transmission. I don´t understand the local community. You are killing business for many many people, living from tourism.
    A good start in spring is followed by a far worse behaviour now. Also the govenrment reacts too late, like everywhere in Europe.
    And don´t tell me it is the tourists bringing in the infections. The number of imported cases is very low since weeks.

  2. Of course it is. The tourists brought it in in summer. As I said then, it’s only a matter of time before it gets into the local population, and naturally it has.
    The locals always had a choice, do you want to be out of work and healthy with no tourists, or let the tourists in and then be out of work and ill.
    Money talks. Economy first. Public health second. The very good lockdown we had last spring worked. Madeira was an oasis. They then relaxed and let all the tourists in in summer. So now we are we are. It will only get worse.

    1. Emigrantes brought it in over the Christmas/New year, tourists brought it in early on, but few and far between, and 90% or more controlled, as most would have been stopped when found positive from their tests and placed in quarantine.

    2. Plus the new variant that was discovered by UK scientists, spreads much more quicker as we have seen throughout Europe and other places round the world.

    3. Richard, you say,
      “The locals always had a choice, do you want to be out of work and healthy with no tourists, or let the tourists in and then be out of work and ill.”
      No they want to be able to work, to be able to look after their families. Madeira may be an oasis to you, to the locals it is their home, part of their family, not an oasis to live out their lives with no thought of anyone but their selves.

    4. The virus had never left Madeira as you may compare the situation to other isolated places during this pandemic. No need to blame tourists.

  3. What does it mean that “most of them already (are) associated with contacts or contexts of positive cases”? – ALL of them should be in quarantine and that not under self-quarantine in their own properties but in dedicated and properly supervised units. Stop playing games and get tough!

  4. Until they isolate ALL active cases, up to the point of them having two negative tests five days apart, the numbers will continue to increase at these alarming rates. There are thousands of empty hotel beds to make this a viable option. For goodness sake it is clear as the nose on your face Mr Alberquerque, these massive numbers are people being infected by active cases, be they visitors or local the virus has no discrimination, but residents supposedly ‘isolating’ in their home are clearly not doing so.

  5. The comments by Richard Greaves are beneath contempt, but sadly typical of the views of many expats who would love to tell the Madeirans how to run their country, and who have never disguised their loathing of tourists, forgetting, of course, that that is how they first came to know Madeira.
    We came over again in September. We took the test. We did NOT bring Covid-19 to the island. (Most of it has come from mainland Portugal). It was not the usual holiday – very quiet – and we abided by the rules all along. Some of our friends thought we were unwise to travel, but we were keen to give something back, in out own small way, to the island which has looked after us so well.
    Sitting in an ivory tower with the doors locked, Richard, simply doesn’t work. Island communities everywhere have had the virus, despite their best efforts. The Western Isles in Scotland were free of it for months – now it is rampant. (No tourists there this year.) New Zealand has now had several thousand cases. It has even broken out in that well-known tourist destination, Antarctica.
    It is sad to see cases multiplying, but at the end of the day, a few (very few) very old people, most of them sick already, have died. Small numbers even in intensive care. Shutting down the entire economy of an island cannot last for very long. Very few Madeirans are sitting comfy with fat pensions, Richard. They have children to bring up and homes to pay for. To dismiss that is frankly despicable and shows little empathy for your hosts.

    1. Thank you wilkofife ? when I have said exactly that I get roasted by certain ex-pats who believe it is THEIR island. They do not like being told the island belongs to the Portiguese and it is up to them how the island is governed. Brit ex-pats could always learn Portuguese and stand for election, then they can say how things should be run.

      1. É a ilha deles também se são residentes e falam português. Muito xenofóbicas as suas palavras como se fosse necessário ter nascido em um país para que seja o seu. Porque pensa que não aprendem a língua? Não somos todos iguais. Fala português? Mora aqui?

        1. It’s their island too if they’re resident and speak Portuguese. His words are very xenophobic as if it were necessary to have been born in a country for it to be his own. Why do you think they don’t learn language? We’re not all the same. Do you speak Portuguese? You live here?

          1. Forgot to mention: The above is a translation of L’s comments. – I guess you noticed that

  6. I am following the rising numbers in madeira since the middle of november because I am living here. It is horrible to watch the explosive development, if you know that your business and the business of your friends who work also in tourism will be affected if this continues. If you are waiting for friends from germany to visit you and your chosen home gets closer to be taken from the travel corridor. I was asking myself every day if I am the only one to realize the upcoming desaster. Or even worse, the only one to take care for this.
    I am absolutely sad about the development of the last weeks, even more as I know that the peak is not reached. I am sorry if my words hit someone and I would be glad if all the people living in Madeira, as well as the responsible decision takers would proof that I am wrong with my fears of the same irresponsibility that made the horrible second waves of corona possible in the whole western world.

  7. Trigger really hates his fellow Brits (who live the life he would like to have) doesn’t he?

    1. Ruby, when you actually have something useful to say e.g. a valid comment to what is going on in the world then you should express an an opinion instead of sniping at what I say. You just show yourself up as being a shrew.

      Funny you sniped at me and not wilkofife.

  8. I think it is obviously that the virus is mostly spread from people that are positive and not knowing it and do not have symptoms. With the high infection rate on the island there might be quite some people currently walking around like that. The only known measures against the virus is reducing contacts, keep distance, use masks. Means assuming that you or the people around you are infected like that. This measure can be taken with human sense or regulations of the administration, whatever applies first.

  9. Am I missing.something ,why visit anywhere at a time when the world is experiencing the biggest
    health crises in decades.,then slate the locals for not taking precautions if indeed it is locals mmm.
    Hypocritical! in my.opinion.

  10. My opinion on this, and I agree with Tobi, the increase of infections is due to a large number of emigrants.
    I was on Madeira between Christmas and the end of the year and could see the increase of infections, especially shortly after Christmas is one case in my mind when an emigrant from Ribeira Brava did not perform a double test and instead took part at an village festival.
    Unfortunately, the only bad thing was that he was infected and with him were more than 40 inhabitants has been infected.

    Best regards
    Christian

  11. As a local I am saddened to see that although most Madeireans have never pointed the finger to travelers and accused them of bringing the virus into the island, it is now some of these travelers that are pointing the finger to the local community and saying they are not behaving well.

    Locals who live in Madeira are not tourists who are in Madeira for two weeks. They are people who work and live there and that have needs that go beyond what a tourist is looking for while in Madeira. They are families (many times large families) whose members need to get together to be able to keep going. This is cultural.

    Michael is only concerned with the infection rate defined by the German government, well the madeirean authorithies look at parameters more representative of growth and not random incidence criteria defined in Berlin. I am concerned about the death rate in Germany (extremely larger than Madeira in proportion) that shows that people there are not really complying with rules too.

  12. I find these comments disturbing and really sad. As usual with most humans, the easiest reaction – blame someone! For heavens sake, can we use our brains for what they are for. This is a virus, and like all viruses it spreads. It is up to every one of us to be responsible and implement the recommendations – first of all, wash hands, wear mask when indoors where there are others, and when distancing isn’t possible; stay at home if you expereince any of the symptoms. The authorities here in Madeira have done a very good job, and are still doing a very good job. Their approach is sober, balanced and professional. They haven’t forbidden all life, and thank you to them for that.
    The moronic panic and fear-mongering going on in the media and in the political sphere especially in the “civilised” West is shameful and counteproductive. The rise in infections in Madeira was expected and inveitable. The numbers will start going down.The Madeirans have shown in the vast majority to be sensible and disciplined in this pandemic and they should just stick to it. This pandemic will pass but the shameful and harmful attitudes and actions displayed will stay and should be a very serious warning to the human race, and each one us, if it wants to succesfully face what the future may bring.

  14. Excellent comments from Antonio & JB I have mentioned in many posts about tourists playing
    the blame game.
    We all make choices, some chose to visit ,enjoyed the hospiality and a good old jolly despite a
    Global crisis, all very well you may think.

    What is distasteful and offensive are comments about locals ignoring advice.

    If the ” Stay At Home ” advice had not been ignored especially during the Festive time the Island
    might well be in a more favourable position.
    Hopefully the vaccine will prove to be a success and the Island will thrive sooner than later.

  15. I agree with Antonio Lamas. Germany has alarmingly high infection and death rates. I don’t blame the authorities in Germany and Madeira, both are doing an excellent job! The contacts in the private sector are still too high, it is a vicious circle, increased contacts lead to the infection rate remaining at a high level and correspondingly stricter measures have to be taken. I appeal to everyone to stay at home but not to start private parties there, if you follow this, then the infection figures will also go down again.

  16. I was in Madeira for 7 weeks end September to mid November and could see this situation develop in front of my very eyes! Neighbours having parties, no-one wearing masks, all laughing and drinking, shoulder to shoulder! Taxi drivers accumulating outside Pingo Doce, smoking and chatting – every shopper having to squeeze past them. No 2 metre spacing inside supermarket. Bunch of young girls shopping in Ponta da Sol, no masks, all laughing and having fun! There was no sense of a pandemic in the air and having to follow distancing rules! 4000 students returning home for Christmas, all hugging and kissing as is their culture! It was only a matter of time! If they had taken due care, Madeira would still be on the air corridor and tourists would still be able to visit and spend money on the island, which is what their economy depends on. The testing on arrival was an excellent scheme, now we have to test before leaving home country and destination country effectively doubling our air fare …..! The Madeiran government were too slow to spell it out, a bit like Boris!

      1. You deserve to be told off with your finger-pointing and blaming, and your mockery of locals while not knowing anything about the culture.

  17. For me it is nothing about “the germans do better” or “the tourists are responsible”. For me it seems like it is the same all around the western world. In most of the countries the first wave was well controlled. The second wave was easy to be foreseen. No one, no country, no island, no communitiy did any long term planning for the rising numbers.
    Politicians were afraid of peoples reaction, people thought it was already over. Demonstrations, parties, shopping….

    After the summer the infections came back. Step by step, more and more every week.

    Still: No one made plans. No one reacted early. A little restriction here, a little closing there. No controls, home quarantene, people caught on illegal parties were sent home, demonstrations with hundreds ot thousands of people without acceptance of the rules have been allowed. Sometimes it was the tribunal, making those things possible.
    Fights between the federal government and the state government about restrictions, opening or closing schools….
    A huge mess.

    When scientists predicted very high numbers within a few weeks, still no real reaction.
    Shops had to close at 19.00, sports in clubs was forbidden again, schools still open, no mandatory homeoffice, crowded public transport vehicles.

    And when hospitals started to run short in intensive care beds, they invented a wave breaker lockdown. Schools still open, restaurants closed. “For christmas it will be OK again”.

    No real result, numbers still going up, Lockdown after christmas, no new years events….

    Too late, the numbers stay high.

    Lets pray Madeira does it better!

    I am proud to live here, I love the people, I love their mentality, their friendlyness.
    I am still impressed about the airport and harbour screening. It was the first system to be run in Europe and in my opinion it is one of the most professional. Fast, reliable, fully digital.
    But at the moment the infection numbers really scare me.

  18. Well said Antonio and JB. I think it is extremely sad how people feel the blame needs to be apportioned. People all over the world are suffering greatly with this horrible virus. It is very easy to point the finger at tourists or locals but we all know what we should be doing. Unfortunately a great deal of us are not following the rules and this is where the problem lies. It’s not rocket science to follow simple rules but unfortunately those who flout them make it a more dangerous situation. The ones who are not complying, be they tourists or locals in any country cannot (and won’t) see the problems they are causing. I just can’t believe those who do not accept there is a pandemic. Do they think people are dying on purpose and what do they think is the reason for all these deaths? Those who disbelieve and are against the vaccines because they think their governments are placing something inside you to track you down are just ridiculous. Let’s hope that if they every catch this dreadful virus and need to be treated, they are put to the back of the queue. I think they’d soon change their minds. We should all be pulling together and not trying to apportion blame. Yes, governments have made some strange decisions at times, but let’s look forward instead of looking backwards. Keep safe and think about what you are doing!

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