Due to the ongoing problems with the Coronavirus, the Algarve Senior Bikers are, for the present time, limiting group sizes to comply with the restrictions currently in place to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Being a group of eternal optimists we at the Saint Andrew’s Society of the Algarve had hoped that the improvements in the Covid situation would continue sufficiently enough for us to go ahead with our Saint Andrew’s Ball on 28th November and our Burns Supper on 23rd January 2021. Sadly, we have had to bow to the reality that this has not happened and have now reluctantly decided that we have no alternative but to cancel both events.
At the Rotary Club of Albufeira a very special companionship meeting took place on August 6, 2020, welcoming 4 new Fellows.
The President of the R.C.ALBUFEIRA said, "It is with great pride and pleasure that I see the Rotary family grow, as a Rotarian, as well as a human being and also as President of the Rotary Club of Albufeira."
It now seems to be the new normal that ASB rides will have to be repeated on two days, due to the present Covid-19 situation and the regulations on group sizes.
The ride this time started from Silves before climbing up to the highest point in the Algarve for a coffee break at Foia.
On June 17 and 18 the Algarve Senior Bikers organized their first ride since the easing of the Covid-19 restrictions. Also, during the lockdown the ASB should have celebrated the tenth anniversary of the group in June, but that celebration has been put on hold for the time being.
In these difficult times, Rotary Club Estoi Palace (RCEPI) has been helping where it can. At the end of March, a joint Algarve Rotary Club project purchased 3 x 3D printers to manufacture visors. A sewing machine was also purchased to make masks. The equipment was delivered to premises provided by Loule Council and the masks and visors were distributed to various health centers in the Algarve.
Last month RCEPI again joined forces with other local Rotary Clubs and delivered 60000 medical gloves to Faro Hospital. The Club has also delivered some food to the hospital to sustain the nurses who are working very long shifts.
Zooming now seems to be the preferred way for businesses to conduct meetings and for keeping in contact with family near and far. Almancil International Rotary Club (AIRC) is no exception and for the last five weeks the club has been holding weekly meetings via Zoom.
On Wednesday there were a total of 31 participants including guests from the Rotary Club Estoi Palace International, from the UK, Germany and two very special guests from India, Bhanu Gupta and his wife Divya from the Rotary Club – Metro Ahmedabad. There was even a guest speaker, João Martins, the youngest member of RC Estoi Palace who recently and before the lock-down spent two weeks in India as one of two Portuguese nationals chosen to attend the Discover India Camp, along with young people representing thirteen nationalities.
Knowing of the financial difficulties faced by the Algarve Fire Department, community residents who are part of the Forest Fire Alert Facebook group promoted a fundraiser with the purpose of filling some shortages of protective clothing, allowing the safety of the fire department for all occasions, as well as in the fight of to this epidemiological Covid-19 outbreak.
