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On Friday, with the favorable votes of the PS, PSD and the unregistered deputy Cristina Rodrigues, the Assembly of the Republic approved the renewal of the state of emergency, a diploma opposed by the PCP, ENP, Chega and the Liberal Initiative, as well as that the abstentions of the Bloco de Esquerda, PAN, CDS and the unregistered deputy Joacine Katar Moreira.
This presidential decree renews the state of emergency until December 23, with a reference in the introduction to its “foreseeable” extension until January 7, and has identical content to that currently in force, that is, maintaining the norms that allow measures restrictive to contain the Covid-19 by groups of municipalities, including the prohibition of driving in certain periods or days of the week.
In his last public interventions, António Costa already admitted that the Government can relax the regime of restrictions that will be applied during the Christmas period, but not in the New Year.
Faced with this prospect, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in his communication to the country that he made last Friday night, in which he announced the renewal of the state of emergency until December 23, said that he expected the ” possible exception “at Christmas the framework of restrictions to contain Covid-19” is well understood and lived well “and does not cause” a subsequent lack of control, at a very high cost. “
“The idea, then, will not be to question the Christmas spirit, but without concentrating on a single moment, and with greater respect for the rules that can prevent widespread family infections,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Both the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister point out the least negative evolution in terms of new cases of Covid-19 since the first state of emergency was declared in early November.
At the end of the last meeting at Infarmed, in Lisbon, with the presence of the President of the Republic and representatives of the party, and after a series of expert interventions, António Costa concluded that “it was clear that the measures adopted have been giving results”, But he stressed that “it is not yet possible to alleviate them”, warning that the beginning of January is a period of risk in terms of a possible increase in infections.
“As everyone anticipates, necessarily at the beginning of January and February, we will have greater risks, either due to temperature problems, the Christmas season, or due to the confluence with other diseases, such as the flu. Therefore, we are on the right track, but it is necessary to follow this path in order to control and consolidate this situation ”, he stated.
On the same occasion, the executive leader defended the existence of a deadline until January 7 for the duration of the measures to combat Covid-19, including the Christmas and New Year periods.
At this point, António Costa found that technically, from a legal point of view, the state of emergency is only valid for 15 days.
“Every 15 days a new initiative from the President of the Republic is required, a new opinion from the Government and a new authorization from the Assembly of the Republic, but it is essential that people know how they can organize from January 6 to 7. This situation is technically resolved ”, justified the leader of the executive.
The presentation of the measures of the new state of emergency is scheduled for 3:00 p.m., at the Palácio da Ajuda, Lisbon.
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