The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, today marked the three years since the first case of covid-19 in Portugal, asking that “don’t stop drawing lessons about the changes to be made in the future”. A reference to the proposal for a health emergency law that the Government promised, but which is on hold due to the constitutional revision process.
In a note on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa recalled “three years since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic in Portugal”, thus marking the day on which the first case appeared in the country.
“The President of the Republic remembers the date, leaving a word of comfort to all those affected by this pandemic, and reinforces the appreciation for the work carried out by all in favor of health, care providers, scientists and other stakeholders”, he emphasizes.
Despite the circumstances being, “fortunately, completely different”, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa urged “that we do not fail to draw conclusions about the changes to be made in the future”.
Precisely a year ago, two years after the first infection with SARS-CoV-2 registered in Portugal, the President of the Republic awarded the National Health Service (SNS) with the highest national Honorary Order for demonstrating “selflessness and heroism”, in particular, during the “summit mission” which was the fight against the pandemic.
The then Minister of Health, Marta Temido, received the insignia on behalf of the SNS. SNS was decorated as an Honorary Member of the former Military Order of the Tower and Sword, of Valor, Loyalty and Merit.
Since March 2, 2020, when the first cases were reported, and until the end of February this year, Portugal has registered more than 5.5 million cases of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, with 26,233 deaths, according to with data from the Directorate-General for Health.
Covid-19 is an infectious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, a type of virus detected three years ago in China and which has spread rapidly around the world, having assumed several variants and subvariants, some more contagious than others.
The disease has been an international public health emergency since January 30, 2020 and a pandemic since March 11, 2020.