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Continental Portugal will enter a contingency situation with specific measures for Metropolitan Areas.
At a meeting of the Council of Ministers this Thursday, a set of measures was approved that will be applied from September 15, day on which mainland Portugal will enter a contingency situation to “control the pandemic”, with the implementation of “preventive measures”, considering the period of return to school and work.
In addition to the regulations for most of the continental territory, the Prime Minister, António Costa, announced specific measures for the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto, where the risk of incidence of covid-19 is higher due to the “higher population density “.
What has changed since Tuesday?
In the context of the entry into force of the contingency situation on Tuesday, which for most of the country replaces the state of alert in force since the beginning of July, with the exception of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, which had remained in contingency, they were determined by the Government the following measures:
– Limitation of concentrations to 10 people, unless they belong to the same household, on public roads and in establishments;
– Prohibition of sale of alcoholic beverages in service areas or at fuel service stations;
– Prohibition of sale of alcoholic beverages, after 20:00, in retail establishments, including supermarkets and hypermarkets;
– Prohibition of the consumption of alcoholic beverages in outdoor spaces of restaurants and drinking establishments after 8 pm, except in the context of food service;
– Commercial establishments can only open after 10:00. There will be “exceptions” where it will be possible for businesses to open before 10:00, such as “bakeries, cafes, hairdressers and gyms.”
– Closing time of the establishment, it will be mandatory between 20:00 and 23:00each municipality being responsible for determining the exact time “in accordance with the specific reality of the municipality” and with the favorable opinion of the local health authority and security forces.
– In shopping center restoration areas, the same is defined maximum limit of 4 people per group;
Specific measures for the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto
The Government approved, in general, “in consultation with the social partners, a set of measures aimed at organizing the mirror work“, with Rotation scales between teleworking and face-to-face work, being planned to “Mandatory time difference, either when entering and leaving the workplace, or during breaks and meals for workers”.
The Prime Minister appealed to the companies of the two Metropolitan Areas so that, whenever possible, they adopt different schedules for the entry of employees to avoid crowds of people on public transport, where the rules already in force remain – two thirds of the capacity, use of masks and social distance – and in this way promote Reduction of daily trips, seeking to reduce the daily movement of people between different municipalities..
Rafael Marchante
Back to classes and reinforcement in nursing homes
Between September 14 and 17, the return to face-to-face classes requires the adoption of specific measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as readjusting school operations to the new health reality, contingency plans in all schools , distribution of personal protective equipment and rules of action in case of suspected case, positive case or outbreaks.
Stand out for one of the regulations launched this Thursday in which restaurants, cafes and pastry shops 300 meters from schools, now have a maximum limit of four people per group. In the rest, the rules that were already in force continue, there cannot be tables with more than 10 people.
To reinforce support for households, “18 teams are planned, all of which will be operational by the end of this month and will involve a group of 400 people.”
The goal is “to act very quickly in any outbreak that occurs in a home”, to allow diagnosis as soon as possible.
The Government admits that in recent months it has become clear that it is necessary to strengthen medical care to protect the 90,000 older people who live in homes.
Currently, in the 2,500 households that exist in the country, 631 cases of covid-19 are active.
Sports venues remain without public
Sports venues will be left without an audience, considering the difference in people’s behavior between being in a football stadium or in a cinema or theater.
The decision goes against the pressure that has been put into effect by football. For leaders who have complained of discrimination in relation to culture, António Costa responds in the first person.
The chiefs consider that the municipalities should have greater decision-making power. Unions point out that workers’ rights must be guaranteed
The social partners understand the need for more restrictive measures.
Even so, businessmen consider that municipalities should have greater decision-making power over the operation of spaces. Unions remind that teleworking is important, but that workers’ rights must be guaranteed.
In the Autonomous Region of Madeira, the calamity situation was prolonged by the Regional Government until the end of September, while in the Autonomous Region of the Azores the same level remained until September 15 for the islands with air connections abroad – Santa María, São Miguel, Terceira, Pico and Faial – with the four remaining islands of the Azores (Corvo, Graciosa, Flores and São Jorge) on alert until that date.
See here all the measures launched by the Government:
