“August not a good time to get sick”, warns State health director

Portugal’s DGS State health director Graça Freitas gave two unusual bits of advice yesterday – one of which may not really be that helpful. “The worst thing that can happen to us is getting ill in August”, she told a press conference, presenting the government’s ‘summer health preparedness’ programme. “August is not a good month for accidents, or illnesses”. The other warning, which people can act on, was that Bacalhau à Bras (a delicious salt-cod and egg concoction) is not the best choice of food in the summer, due to the risk of salmonella… Bacalhau à Bras is a reason for “many weekends” being “ruined” over the summer, said the less-than-upbeat Ms Freitas.