Virus

Albufeira Council has published useful lists of home delivery operations including supermarkets large and small, bakeries, takeaways and other possibly useful services.

It's at https://www.cm-albufeira.pt/content/municipio-angaria-contactos-para-entregas-domiciliarias-e-tem-equipa-de-atendimento

click on the pictures at the bottom using the arrows to move from one to the next.

The town council has pulled together all its relevant information under this page

Although the headings are in Portuguese and English, the content is only in Portuguese. You can run it through an on-line translator easily enough, for example https://translate.google.pt/

I will throw these thoughts into the mixer.

1. The relative ease by which governments world wide have put much of their populations under virtual house arrest for a period of weeks. How might this mechanism be used in future and not just when people sneeze and cough?

2. How long will the populations and the economy put up with the restrictions? Education, sports, tourism and entertainment at a standstill. Much normal production also. As an infamous news headline of the past said 'not many dead.'

3. To what extent will people re-evaluate the trivial aspects of their lifestyles while they have time to think about things? Do we really need 150 different types of cover for mobile phones?

I've been to Continente this morning. Absolutely no sign of shortages and several discount promotions available as per usual.

Have a nice day.

Tom

In answer I think that we are a living history lesson. Certainly in the  longer term in this context the pressure created by Covid in a liberal western style democracy could have calamitous results. While the initial horror and fear created by situations such as in Italy and Spain may allow lockdown to be observed getting through the exit phase could be all together more difficult. With a indications of the epidemic coming under control I fear the control methods will be even more hard to enforce given that they will still be essential.

BTW thanks for the pics you posted.

The Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 and 1919 killed an estimated 50 million people around the world. OK so there weren't modern medicines and treatments etc, but that's an epidemic.

On a positive note I received a text from Worten last night. Their electrical and computer goods stores stores have been granted 'essential' status and will be open, subject to the now customary rules about limited numbers, not handling goods except what you buy etc etc.

I understand from friend at a complex in Albufeira plenty of northern Portuguese have already arrived for Easter . Great - they will no doubt be out spreading their germs. Selfish arrogant a---s .

Jock and others, wait one for a visual guide to the short process to make a link clickable.

Will upload asap, my picture host site is currently 'under maintenance'.