Costa considers that the mandatory use of masks is more restrictive than the use of the StayAway Covid application

The Prime Minister admitted this Saturday that “there was a misunderstanding and certainly a bad explanation” about the mandatory use of the application StayAway Covid, in relation to which there is a “great ignorance”, and the mandatory mask is considered “more restrictive of freedoms”.

As socialist general secretary, António Costa participated in a digital meeting promoted by the PS and was asked about criticism of the government’s bill that requires wearing a mask on the street and using the mobile phone application. StayAway Covid in a work or similar, school and academic context, under penalty of a fine of up to 500 euros.

“Personally I must tell you that I consider the mandatory use of the mask to be even more restrictive of freedoms, which seems to have had a total consensus, than having an application that I have been using since September 1 and that I never felt the least bit uncomfortable or limited, while with the mask, to be honest, not only do I feel uncomfortable, but I feel limited, ”replied journalist María Elisa, who led the session.

From António Costa’s perspective, “there is great ignorance about the application” and this explains “a large part of the reaction.” “I think there was a misunderstanding and certainly a bad explanation,” he said, making it clear that from the point of view of the protection of rights, freedoms and guarantees “there is no traceability of movements and anonymity is fully preserved.”

For the socialist leader, “there is a great gain” that was obtained from the fact that “people were once again alert to the need to control their behavior and through their behavior to control the spread of the pandemic.”

The prime minister justified this draft law with the need to “give a clear indication” that it was not possible “to continue letting go and that people had to change their behavior.” “One of the reasons I had doubts about the timeliness of a state of emergency [quando foi acionado] it is because I had the perception that perhaps the state of emergency would be more useful later, because at that time people voluntarily stayed at home, “he admitted.