Here is the current situation report from Safe Communities Portugal's colleague in the Azores.
Covid-19: In the seven days from Friday 17th June until Thursday 23rd of June there were 2906 new positive cases of Covid-19 registered in the Azores, and a total of 5,012 tests performed. 3,585 people have recovered, and no new deaths have been recorded with the total at 117 There are a total of 2,734 active cases, 679 fewer than the previous week.
There are 35 patients in the region’s hospitals as of 24th June with Covid and 9 patients are in hospital because of Covid. There are no patients in the ICU.
112439 people in the region have had Covid, that’s over 43% of the population.
São Jorge Island with 39,995 earthquakes since March
The island of São Jorge has registered 39,995 earthquakes since March 19, of which 291 were felt by the population, the Azores Seismo-volcanic Information and Surveillance Centre (CIVISA) said today.
In a status report on the seismo-volcanic crisis on that Azorean island, published on its official website, CIVISA states that “to date, approximately 39,995 events of low magnitude and of tectonic origin have been recorded”.
According to CIVISA, the seismo-volcanic activity on that island “continues above normal, extending, roughly, from Ponta dos Rosais to the Norte Pequeno – Silveira area”.
“Globally, the seismic activity of the last few weeks shows a slight downward trend, sometimes interrupted by short periods of higher frequency and/or energy released, with the hypocentres currently being located, in general, at depths greater than five kilometres”.
CIVISA indicates that “the existing data since the beginning of April do not show significant deformation in the epicentral zone”.
On the other hand, “the campaigns to measure gases and temperature in the soil that have been developed since the beginning of this crisis in the epicentral area have not resulted, to date, in the identification of anomalies resulting from seismo-volcanic activity”.
“The integration of available information allows us to conclude that the tectonic structures where the historical eruptions of 1580 and 1808 developed, and the 1964 - crisis, in the Fissural Volcanic System of Herds, were reactivated, and it must be admitted that at the beginning of the phenomenon there was a deep magmatic intrusion”, describes that entity.
On June 8th, CIVISA lowered the alert level on the island of São Jorge from V4 (threat of eruption) to V3 (active system with no imminent eruption).
“The decrease in seismic activity, albeit slow, and the observation of such a pattern over the last few weeks, as well as the absence of other anomalous signs in terms of deformation, gases and waters, led to the descent of the scientific alert level”, he justifies.
The island had been since March 23rd, at 15:30 (another hour in Lisbon), with the volcanic alert level V4 out of a total of seven, where V0 means "state of rest" and V6 "eruption in progress", following the seismo-volcanic crisis recorded since 19th March.
Despite the lowering of the alert, “seismic activity remains well above the reference values for the region, so there is still the possibility of registering felt events”.
According to CIVISA, “the possible occurrence of earthquakes of higher magnitude cannot be excluded either”.
CIVISA “maintains monitoring levels” on the island, while “is providing the reinforcement of the permanent seismo-volcanic observation network, in order to detect precursor signs of a new pre-eruptive situation”.
The earthquake of greater magnitude (3.8 on the Richter scale) of this crisis occurred on March 29th at 21:56.
http://www.ivar.azores.gov.pt/civisa/Paginas/homeCIVISA.aspx
Mainland, Madeira and Azores with very high risk of UV radiation
Mainland Portugal and the archipelagos of Madeira and Azores presented on Monday a very high and high risk of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV), according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).
The mainland, the islands of Porto Santo, São Miguel, Faial and Flores (Azores) are currently at very high risk of exposure to UV radiation.
With high levels of radiation exposure, are the islands of Madeira and Terceira, in the Azores.
The ultraviolet radiation scale has five levels, between extreme and low risk.
For regions with very high risk, the IPMA advises the use of sunglasses with a UV filter, a hat, 't-shirt', parasol, sunscreen and that children, should not be exposed to the sun.
For regions with high risk, it recommends the use of sunglasses with UV filter, hat, 't-shirt' and sunscreen.
