Portugal: Mainland enters state of calamity with new restrictions to contain virus

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Portugal: Mainland enters state of calamity with new restrictions to contain virus

11:43 CAT | 15 Oct 2020

Photo: TVI

At 00:00 on Thursday morning, mainland Portugal entered a situation of calamity due to an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, with new restrictive rules to halt the spread of the pandemic.

After a month of contingency, the alert level in mainland Portugal has risen to calamity and will remain at least until 31 October, when the government will reassess.

With the declaration of an alert situation, the maximum level of intervention provided for in the Basic Law on Civil Protection, eight new rules and measures approved on Wednesday by the government will come into force.

As of today, social gatherings are limited to five people in public and other commercial and catering venues, except if they all belong to the same household.

Family events, such as weddings or christenings, scheduled from today onwards, are limited to a maximum of 50 participants.

In universities and polytechnics parties that are not related to the classes, namely receptions for new students and initiation ceremonies are now forbidden.

Authorities will tighten up controls on roads and in shops and restaurants.

Fines for commercial and catering establishments which do not comply with the rules on capacity and social distancing will be increased to a maximum of ten thousand euros.

The Government also recommends wearing masks outside where the necessary social distancing cannot be maintained, as well as installing the Covid Stayaway app and reporting positive tests through it.

The Government’s intention is that the wearing of masks in the street and the use of the Covid Stayaway app in work and school contexts should become compulsory and has sent an urgent proposal to Parliament for this.

Madeira is already in a state of calamity, as are the five islands of the Azores with air links outside the archipelago (São Miguel, Santa Maria, Terceira, Faial and Pico). The remaining four Azorean islands (Graciosa, São Jorge, Flores and Corvo) are on alert.

Portugal reached on Wednesday the highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with a total of 2,072.

In Portugal, 2,117 people have died out of 91,193 confirmed cases of infection, according to the most recent bulletin of the Directorate General for Health.

Source: Lusa