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This Tuesday, the parliament approved the PSD diploma that renewed the mandatory use of masks in public spaces for another three months, a measure that has been in force in Portugal since October 28 and that will end on January 5.
The approved bill extends, without modifications, the current law, which imposes the mandatory use of masks in public spaces and provides fines of between 100 and 500 euros for non-interpreters.
The diploma was voted in general, specialty and global final vote. In this last vote there were votes against Chega and the Liberal Initiative, abstentions from the BE, PCP, PEV and the unregistered deputy Joacine Katar Moreira, and in favor of PS, PSD, CDS-PP, PAN and the unregistered deputy Cristina Rodrigues . .
“The maintenance of the situation of public calamity due to the covid-19 pandemic, which has determined the declaration of the state of emergency, and the successive warnings of the experts about a growing risk of worsening of infections in the absence of measures, advise against absolutely the relaxation of the measures to prevent and mitigate the transmission of the virus adopted, especially the most basic ones, such as the mandatory use of masks in public spaces ”, justify the Social Democrats, in the explanatory statement.
The previous law had a term of 70 days.
The previous law had been in force since October 28 and was in force for 70 days, ending on January 5.
In other words, for the diploma to remain in force it would have to be approved today, in the last plenary session of the year, since the Assembly of the Republic will only meet again on January 6.
In the specialty vote, two proposals were rejected to change the Left Bloc, which wanted the distribution of masks to be free and to revoke the planned administrative regime.
The diploma -which, if promulgated, will remain valid for another 90 days in the same terms- determines that the use of a mask (which cannot be replaced by a visor) is mandatory for those over ten years of age for access, circulation or permanence . in public spaces and roads “whenever the physical distance recommended by the health authorities is impractical”.
Exceptions and fines
This obligation may be waived “in relation to people who are part of the same household, when they are not in the proximity of third parties” or by presenting a medical certificate of multipurpose disability or a medical statement that proves that the clinical condition or cognitive impairment does not Allow the use of masks.
Nor is the use of a mask mandatory when “it is incompatible with the nature of the activities that people carry out.”
The inspection “is the responsibility of the security forces and the municipal police” and failure to wear a mask constitutes an offense, punishable by a fine of between 100 and 500 euros.
The first PSD initiative arose as a result of a bill presented by the Government in mid-October, which sought to make the use of a mask and the StayAway Covid computer application mandatory.
After the generalized criticism of the parties -including the PS- to the obligation to use the ‘app’ announced months ago as a volunteer, the president of the PSD, Rui Rio, announced that the Social Democrats would present a project identical to that of the Government, but only in as for masks and the executive ended up “disagreeing” with his initiative.
Portugal represents at least 6,254 deaths associated with covid-19 in 378,656 confirmed cases of infection, according to the latest bulletin from the Directorate General of Health (DGS).
The state of emergency decreed on November 9 to combat the pandemic was renewed until January 7, with mandatory curfews in the counties with the highest risk of contagion.
