The images of a group of around 20 GNR soldiers having dinner in a restaurant in the Alvor area, released two days ago, generated a stir and indignation on social networks, at a time when Portimão still cannot have the restaurant open due to the situation. epidemiological in the county. However, everything was done with the approval of the health authorities and respecting health rules.
The soldiers in question are part of the contingent that is accompanying the Volta ao Algarve, «which is part of a set of national events with some exceptions in the legal documents and guidelines».
In response to a request for clarification from the Sul Informação, the Regional Health Authority explains that all elements of the Volta delegation «must work in a “closed bubble”, with a negative result in a laboratory test for the detection of SARSCoV-2 by RT-PCR, carried out as close as possible to the entry into the stage /hotel and up to 48 hours before».
With regard to accommodation/hotel units, a set of rules was also defined, including «the creation of proper spaces for the circulation and permanence of practitioners and entourages and complying with all the guidelines provided, namely in areas of practice of activity physical, meals and breaks'.
In addition, continues the Health Authority, "the use of the dining room should be exclusive to the elements of the "bubble"" and meals should be made "at tables with the least number of people and as far away as possible."
The GNR Traffic Brigade and the members of the Portuguese Cycling Federation were accommodated in a hotel, in Alvor, which does not have a restaurant and, therefore, could not serve them meals.
To resolve the situation, the hotel ended up subcontracting a restaurant to serve dinners and it was in this space, Golfland, that the images posted on social networks were captured.
The restaurant itself asked for an authorization to provide this service to the hotel, which was granted by the Health authority.
The restaurant, in the order that was made and to which the Sul Informação had access, explains that «we were contacted about a month ago by the Água hotels to serve the two groups that make a total of about 40 people, who will be accommodated between May 5 and 8, 2021, comprising the Brigada de Transit and by the members of the Portuguese Cycling Federation».
The area for serving dinners, according to the restaurant, has a “wide area” of about 300 square meters.
In addition, continues the Golfland, hotel guests are organized into two groups.
“The first group, of 20 people, starts having dinner at 19 pm and is made up of members of the federation. The second group will come at 00:21 pm and is composed of the Transit Brigade. The duration of the meal will be one hour for each group, with an interval between each meal so that we can carry out the necessary cleaning. After the meal, the members of the group have to leave the building and they are not allowed to stay”, reads.
In addition to the elements of Volta and "two employees", continues Golfland, "it will not be allowed the entry of other people who do not appear in the lists that the federation sends us, including only those who are part of the groups in question."
The Federation also sent, adds the catering space, "a statement justifying that all elements of these groups are part of a "bubble", according to the established rules, namely, the use of the dining room should be exclusive to the elements of the " bubble"".
Given these arguments, the Regional Health Authority gave a favorable opinion on the use of this space.
In fact, the situation that was captured on video and shared on social networks is not exclusive to Volta ao Algarve, much less restricted to GNR professionals, who will have already been vaccinated against Covid-19, as they belong to a priority group.
Recent events such as Moto GP or Formula 1 have benefited from the same type of “exceptions to the rule”, justified by the fact that all members of the delegations have been tested and belong to different “bubbles”.
Moreover, during the presence of the “Grande Circo” of both events in Portimão, the team's staff was also accommodated in hotels in the municipality and complied with similar rules imposed by the Health Authorities.
But it was not only in Portimão that this happened: recently, the teams and staff of the European Continent Olympic Qualification event in Sailing, which took place in Vilamoura, was subject to restrictions and rules similar to those imposed in the Volta ao Algarve.
Bearing in mind that the GNR soldiers who are on duty at Volta ao Algarve and the other race staff are part of "closed bubbles", subject to strict rules, and that the restaurant in question had the approval of the health authorities to serve the meals , there is no non-compliance documented in the video that circulates on social networks.
See the video of the controversy:
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