The Regional Secretary for Health praised in Angra do Heroísmo the “spontaneous solidarity movement” involving citizens as well as various organisations and institutions, which has already allocated hospital equipment worth 600 thousand Euros to help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the Region. 

“With this solidarity movement, regional hospitals received 29 ventilators, adding up to the 53 ventilators that are available in the Regional Health Service,” and another 31 vital signs monitoring equipment, which make up a total of 237, said Teresa Machado Luciano at the press conference. 

Also, thanks to the solidarity of Azorean citizens and companies, the Region now has “four pieces of laboratory equipment, the respective consumables and reagents for the Angra do Heroísmo and Ponta Delgada laboratories, thus contributing to the three-fold increase in the installed capacity screening for the novel coronavirus, which corresponds to 500 daily tests," said Regional Secretary. 

Teresa Machado Luciano also reiterated that citizens play a decisive role in combating the novel coronavirus and in protecting health professionals, urging them to follow the recommendations of the Regional Health Authority, stay at home, reduce travel to the minimum, keep social distance and comply with respiratory etiquette rules. 

“Know that, every day, a group of highly qualified and committed professionals are working incessantly on all our islands so that we all go through this difficult time in the best possible way. 

By protecting ourselves, we also protect these professionals," urged the Regional Secretary.