It will be an "atypical" summer, without the traditional big events and with many unknowns as to the number of tourists who will visit the region, but that is no reason for the Algarve to no longer have the usual reinforcement of elements of the security and security forces. civil protection in the current summer period.
The Algarve Seguro 2020 program was presented yesterday in Faro at the headquarters of the Algarve Tourism Region, in a session attended by Eduardo Cabrita, the Minister of Internal Affairs, as well as those responsible for the different entities involved in this device.
In 2020, the absence of the usual punctual reinforcements from the GNR, which usually mobilize additional resources for the big events, is obvious, bearing in mind that these will not take place. This year, there will also be no mixed teams, which include police forces from other countries, namely from Spain, France and Italy.
However, the minister assured, there is an increase compared to last year.
“There is a reinforcement regarding the means that are available, either through the combined intervention of the various forces – GNR, PSP – and an increased presence of the dimension of the Foreigners and Borders Service. There is also a Civil Protection dimension which, as verified last weekend, has a strong immediate air capacity that aims to prevent and respond to occurrences», revealed the member of the Government.
During the session, Eduardo Cabrita had already stressed that the Algarve should have “a particular requirement” in relation to risky behavior, recalling “the case that we want to be isolated and unrepeatable, that of Odiáxere”.
The minister also took the opportunity to praise the Algarve as “one of the safest destinations in the world”, not only in terms of public safety, but also “from a health point of view”.
However, he was aware that this will not be enough to save the tourist year, particularly in the region.
“No, 2020 is not going to be the best year ever. It will be a year in which, with everyone's commitment, we will build the confidence to welcome national citizens, who will have a very significant presence, and those who from abroad we want to welcome», said Eduardo Cabrita.
On the sidelines of the event, the member of the Government expressed to journalists "the strong disagreement with some countries within the European Union that, without any basis, maintain discriminatory practices that violate what was defined in the meetings at the level of the 27 Member States" .
«We are, with the United Kingdom, showing what is obvious: Portugal has better indicators of public health and response to the pandemic than this country and, as such, there is no reason, according to comparative criteria, for its existence any application of quarantine rules on return to the UK,” he said.
In the particular case of the Algarve, the region "is characterized by very low rates of Covid-19 cases, with around 1% of cases nationwide".
As for the airlift between the main source of tourists to the Algarve, whose deployment will be decided on Monday by the British Government, the minister prefers to wait and see and does not anticipate any scenario.
As for the summer reinforcement, the approximately 900 GNR soldiers that the region has at all times will be reinforced by operatives from abroad.
«We are going to receive here in the Algarve, in permanent support, around 2650 soldiers», announced Colonel Guerra Rodrigues, director of National Operations of the GNR.
These men and women will be attached to “public order”, but will also be part of “motorcycle and cycle patrols [bicycle], cavalry and cynotechnic binomials [man and dog team]”. The Algarve will also count on 52 guard candidates, «to do on-the-job training in the field».
With regard to the PSP, which, in the district of Faro it permanently has "three special divisions, four detached squads and a detached force from the Special Police Unit, totaling 838 elements", will be reinforced with two teams from the Intervention Corps of the Special Police Unit, "which will remain until September in the Algarve”, and with four Prevention and Immediate Reaction Teams, two of which will remain in Faro and the others in Portimão.
"Casutically, according to an assessment of the risk that is inherent to all operations we pursue, through the identification of critical assets, vulnerabilities and level of impact, we will make available to the District Command of Faro Traffic teams, Rapid Intervention teams, 'drones' and other means and police equipment», added subintendent Pedro Grilo, head of the Police and Public Order division of the PSP.
With regard to Civil Protection, Vítor Vaz Pinto, commander of Civil Protection in the Algarve, which had already presented the Special Device for Combating Rural Fires (DECIR) in May, spoke of a “670 operational” reinforcement and highlighted the existence of a new team of forest sappers in the region, bringing the total to 12, and two more municipal teams of forestry intervention, which now number seven.
In the area of health, 32 beach stations will be installed again, throughout the region, and the emergency services are also prepared for the summer, assured Paulo Morgado, president of the Regional Health Administration.
As for the pandemic, Covid-19 service areas are in operation in five health centers in the region, but there is the possibility of opening four more.
The SEF will also have a reinforcement and will be “particularly attentive to illegal landings, according to Conceição Bértolo, the regional director of this service.
In the field of road safety, awareness campaigns will be carried out, aimed at motorists, but also motorcyclists, according to Rui Ribeiro, head of the National Road Safety Authority.
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues|Sul Informação
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