Hugo Pereira, mayor of Lagos, confessed, in statements to journalists, that since the Covid-19 outbreak was detected in that municipality, he has been living the "worst days" of his life.
The mayor was speaking after the press conference that, this Friday afternoon, took place at the headquarters of the District Commission for Civil Protection, in Loulé, and where the main theme was the result of illegal party of Odiáxere.
Until midnight last night, 1222 tests had already been made to as many people who were at the party or who have family, friendship or work ties with those who were there. These tests had already resulted, at the same time, 76 confirmed cases from Covid-19, most of them in Lagos, but also in Portimão, Lagoa, Albufeira and Loulé. Nine of the cases are in children under 9 years of age.
Ana Cristina Guerreiro, Regional Health Delegate, admitted, at the same press conference, that the total number of cases should reach «close to 100», but stressed that the outbreak will be "contained".
The mayor of Lagos added that, "until Sunday, we should have around 1500 tests carried out by the various entities, some organized by the Câmara de Lagos, others by the ABC, others by private employers, others by the Health Authority, at the Public Health Laboratory in the region'. This will allow you to “have a great picture” of what happened.
Hugo Pereira added that, until now, people tested have done it voluntarily. "There has been no need to force people to take tests, in a coercive way," he guaranteed.
Still, he launched an appeal for anyone who has been at the party or is connected to people who have been there, and who has not yet taken the Covid-19 screening test, to voluntarily go to the health authorities.
The mayor underlined the great effort that the Câmara de Lagos has done to contain this outbreak of the disease. "We seized on the problem and, together with the health authority and civil protection, we did what had to be done: act, to quickly identify all sources of contagion, and, through a large battery of tests, try to understand why where the virus could walk».
«We think we have taken all the steps, without fear of testing. We assumed that this was what should be done and that only then could it be controlled and not let the number of infected people increase, since the number of people involved in the event was large and a week had passed since the party», he added.
But the mayor of Lagos demands that the Public Ministry act, initiate an inquiry and investigate what happened.
"My great concern at the moment is public health, but we have not taken that other situation off the table: justice will have to work, as a way to refrain from any other similar event, whether in Lagos or anywhere else in the country" .
It is necessary that the action of justice show “that crime does not pay, that illegality does not pay”, he repeated.
Hugo Pereira does not hide his sorrow in the face of consequences of the illegal party of Odiáxere: «from a small party, they created a very complicated case, and the numbers are evident: at the moment we have many infected children, who did not attend the party, we have some elderly people, who also did not go there and are also affected» .
"And then we have an entire economy that, in the last week, has been without knowing which way to turn, because of a joke in bad taste and irresponsibility."
“This is what I wanted justice to see: that there was someone who did not comply with the rules, so the justice must make an example of this case, so that the situation does not repeat itself”, concludes the mayor of Lagos.
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