Portuguese well being authorities on Monday recognized 13 circumstances of omicron, the brand new coronavirus variant spreading quick globally, amongst members of a high soccer membership and had been investigating whether or not it was one of many first reported circumstances of native transmission of the virus outdoors of southern Africa.

The Ricardo Jorge Nationwide Well being Institute mentioned that a kind of who examined optimistic was a participant from the Lisbon-based Belenenses SAD soccer membership who had just lately traveled to South Africa, the place the omicron variant was first recognized. The others, nevertheless, had not traveled to South Africa.

Those that have been involved with the optimistic circumstances have been ordered to isolate, no matter their vaccination standing or their publicity to doable contagion, and shall be usually examined for COVID-19, the institute mentioned.

Portugal’s well being normal director, Graça Freitas, informed the native TSF radio that the gamers of Lisbon’s greatest workforce, Benfica, which performed Belenenses SAD on Saturday, will even be examined for the virus.

The Primeira Liga match began with simply 9 Belenenses SAD gamers on the pitch — two lower than the sport requires — as a result of coronavirus outbreak. However the referee suspended the sport simply after half-time, with Benfica main 7-0, when solely seven Belenenses SAD gamers took the sector and the squad then misplaced one other participant.

Membership president Rui Pedro Soares mentioned that regardless of having a decimated squad, his membership had not requested for the sport to be postponed.

Portugal additionally discovered two optimistic coronavirus circumstances when it screened 218 passengers who arrived in Lisbon on a flight from the capital of Mozambique on Saturday. One of many circumstances was the delta variant and the opposite one couldn’t be established, authorities mentioned.

European champion Italy and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal had been drawn in the identical World Cup qualifying playoffs bracket Friday, that means not less than one in every of them will miss subsequent yr’s event in Qatar.

Italy will face North Macedonia at house in a playoff semifinal subsequent March, and the winner will play away at both Portugal or Turkey for a spot within the World Cup.

Italy did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup — dropping within the playoffs to Sweden — and now will doubtless need to beat Ronaldo and Portugal to keep away from lacking the event for a second straight time. Portugal has at all times certified throughout Ronaldo’s profession. He first performed on the 2006 World Cup.

Additionally within the 12-team draw, Scotland will face Ukraine at house, and the winner will play at Wales or Austria within the last of their bracket.

The 2022 World Cup World Cup European Play-Off draw:

◉ Path A
Scotland vs. Ukraine
Wales vs. Austria

◉ Path B
Russia vs. Poland
Sweden vs. Czech Republic

◉ Path C
Italy vs. North Macedonia
Portugal vs. Turkey #2022WorldCup

— Squawka Information (@SquawkaNews) November 26, 2021

Russia will host Poland for the fitting to face Sweden or the Czech Republic of their bracket last. Russia or Poland will host the ultimate.

The six playoff semifinals can be performed as single-leg elimination video games March 24. The three finals are performed 5 days later.

The three winners will full Europe’s entry of 13 nations within the 32-team lineup in Qatar.

FIFA will make the event draw on April 1 in Doha.

The playoffs characteristic the ten groups who completed second of their qualifying teams together with two groups — Austria and the Czechs — who received Nations League teams final yr.

By Related Press

LISBON: Environmental activists are welcoming the tip of electrical energy era from coal in Portugal, although they mentioned Monday the doable conversion of the nation’s final coal-fired energy plant into one which burns wooden pellets could be a step within the fallacious path.

The Pego plant positioned 150 kilometers (90 miles) northeast of the Portuguese capital Lisbon stopped producing over the weekend, as Portugal turned the fourth European Union nation to cease burning coal to supply electrical energy. Belgium stop coal in 2016, and Austria and Sweden adopted swimsuit final yr.

Portugal has no coal, oil or fuel, that are all imported, and has been investing closely in inexperienced vitality in current many years.

“Coal’s dire economics and public want for local weather motion are driving quicker and quicker section outs throughout Europe,” mentioned Kathrin Gutmann, marketing campaign director for Europe Past Coal, which goals to make sure coal is phased out in Europe by 2030.

Coal energy is the one largest supply of greenhouse fuel emissions.

“The problem now could be to make sure utilities don’t make the error of changing coal with fossil fuel, or unsustainable biomass,” Gutmann mentioned mentioned in a press release.

However proposals for the continued use of Pego, which is out to tender, embrace biomass.

Portuguese Surroundings Minister João Pedro Matos Fernandes says different proposals embrace photo voltaic vitality and electrical car manufacturing. Proposals have to be introduced by Jan. 17.

“Liberating ourselves from our largest supply of greenhouse gases is a momentous day for Portugal. However it’s soured by the prospect of the plant being transformed to burn forests,” mentioned Francisco Ferreira, head of the Portuguese environmental affiliation ZERO.

“Ditching coal solely to modify to the subsequent worst gasoline is clearly not a solution,” he mentioned.