The mayor of Porto Santo considers that the attitude of some young people on vacation on the island, in relation to the rules for preventing the pandemic, is “irresponsible” and has contributed to an increase in cases of covid-19 in that territory.
“The attitude of the young people was unqualified, what happened in Porto Santo, and deserves the total repudiation of the City Council”, said today Idalino Vasconcelos to the Lusa agency.
The most recent data, released Thursday by the Regional Health Directorate (DRS), indicate that in Porto Santo 81 active cases of covid-19 were diagnosed.
The island has a population of around 5,000 residents, but in the summer months, being a popular holiday destination for Madeira Island inhabitants, it has more than 30,000 people in its territory.
The increase in covid-19 cases recorded in recent days has led health authorities to create a new confinement space with 50 beds, in the Multiusos Pavilion, in the center of the island, as the hotel unit dedicated to this task, with 42 beds , had exhausted its capacity.
In recent weeks there have been reports of “irresponsible behavior” of many young people who spend their holidays on the island, with the registration of gatherings, without complying with the preventive rules “between midnight and 01:00, which is the compulsory curfew, especially together to bars,” mentioned the mayor.
“Daily we are informed about the concentration problems of young people, many of them minors, drunks”, pointed out Idalino Vasconcelos, opining that the situation is also due to the “lack of parental supervision”.
The mayor lamented that these types of situations happen “despite the municipality’s appeals”, because they harm the island’s residents and traders, in addition to affecting the image of Porto Santo as a safe tourist destination.
“It was a pity that the pedagogical action that was requested by the Porto Santo City Council to the security forces did not exist,” he declared, recalling that meetings with the inspection and security authorities took place before the vacation period and that it was ” guaranteed reinforcement of policing”.
Idalino Vasconcelos underlined that the situation on the island “could be much better if there weren’t the irresponsible attitude of most young people” who are on vacation there.
Therefore, the municipality corroborates the position of residents who “have expressed their dissatisfaction”.
However, Idalino Vasconcelos said that there are episodes of contempt in almost all tourist destinations at this time of summer.
“It is necessary for everyone to do their part and I appeal to young people to be more responsible, I appeal to their civility and for them to be more aware of the consequences of their actions”, he said.
PUB
The president of the Madeira Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, said on Monday that the situation in Porto Santo was “very complicated” and announced that he would ask for greater intervention by the security forces, namely with the imposition of fines in cases of non-compliance. of preventive rules.
The DRS states that the island of Porto Santo has registered a total of 201 infected since the beginning of the pandemic, totaling 120 recovered patients and one death associated with the disease.