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When journalists asked if the deflation measures announced today cannot “change the message” to stay home, António Costa reiterated that we will not return to normal until there is a vaccine or treatment. “The message remains: stay home,” he said.
The prime minister later justified that it would not be “bearable” for society and the economy to continue with the “levels of restrictions” that will be in force until Sunday. “We have to learn to live with the virus,” he added.
This is because, according to the executive leader, “the return to normality that we had in February will not return now.”
“We have established a calendar (…) with the commitment to evaluate every 15 days if we are in a position to take the next step. We must be prepared to arrive on May 14 and say that we are not in a position to take the next step” . Or, worse yet, remove some of the restrictions we released. “
“Every time we remove a restriction, the risk of contamination increases,” he said, referring to new measures for deflation. Next month, “We will have more freedom, but more freedom means more responsibility.”
“What is our life going to be like now?” The question was from Carlos Daniel, but it may be that of many Portuguese. António Costa did not answer the question directly and raised the issue of wearing a mask.
The Prime Minister clarified that the Government’s recommendation is its use “in public transport, in schools, in commerce and in public spaces where there are many people.” Costa did not clarify its mandatory nature, but recommended its use indoors. Elsewhere, the “norm is common sense.”
And who doesn’t wear a mask in the obligatory places? “Fines” are only foreseen for those who do not use them on public transport, where it is more difficult to guarantee elimination and social distance, said António Costa.
Even for lack of definition, the executive leader admitted that the beaches will be “one of the most difficult problems” that the government will have to solve. “To go to the beach, we will have to take the necessary precautions that we have when we are in other outdoor spaces,” he said, anticipating “management difficulties.” Without anticipating “or that it is not predictable”, Costa explained that the Government, even so, will try to reach a good solution with the captaincies and municipalities.
At summer festivals, the Prime Minister reaffirmed what he had already said hours earlier, at a press conference after the Council of Ministers. The “final” decision will only be made during the week, but acknowledges that “an enormous probability that it will not be made.” Even so, the Prime Minister admits that there may be a transition from festivals to spaces with marked places, such as soccer stadiums or “makeshift places”. “If you have everyone in your chair, the risk is obviously less,” he said.
