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The Prime Minister wants to “get to Christmas with the situation duly controlled” and, therefore, defends that “the pressure on spring” is maintained until then. Upon leaving the Infarmed meeting, António Costa did not want to say if he would allow any relief of the rules at Christmas, although he left that door open.
One thing is certain: the restrictive measures that will be in force until Three Kings Day will be known on Saturday, and at that time the Prime Minister will define everything that can and cannot be done during the holidays. This is to give security and stability to the framework of measures, which is based on “demanding” steps that involve the Government, the President of the Republic and the Assembly of the Republic, with a new state of emergency, said António Costa.
The chief executive welcomed the fact that the peak of the second wave had already “doubled” and the country is now entering “the descending phase.” “This means that the measures adopted have been giving results but that it is essential to consolidate this process,” he said.
“It was agreed to maintain the pressure on spring” so that the indicators continue to evolve downward, he added: “We cannot at this time alleviate the situation, so that this downward dynamic continues. Coming to Christmas with the situation properly controlled ”.
Costa also said that in January and February there are “greater risks” of a third wave, but at that time the vaccination process will already be underway.
The holidays admit some relief at Christmas
After listening to the forecasts of Infarmed epidemiologists, the leaders of the parliamentary parties went to Belém, where they went to hear from the President of the Republic the guidelines for the renewal of the state of emergency.
The first was João Cotrim Figueiredo, leader of the Liberal Initiative, who distinguished Christmas from the New Year. At Christmas, the deputy defended that “people should have the opportunity to be together”, arguing that it is necessary “to relax the hours of curfew, circulation between municipalities.” “We believe that it is important, after a difficult year, to celebrate a Christmas, which will not be a normal Christmas, but a possible one,” he said. But it was recognized that the New Year “does not have the same symbolism”, he still defended that “there must be a relaxation of the time of the previous day.”
The deputy and leader of Chega, André Ventura, even declared that the President of the Republic admitted “certain flexibility” in restrictive measures during the Christmas season. Or at the time of the curfew, which may be later, or even with greater flexibility of movement between municipalities ”. André Ventura also revealed that the President of the Republic was available to “move influences” with the Government so that there would be some relief in the flexibility of the ongoing measures.
The scene of some relief at Christmas was also admitted by other parties. The PAN says that the meeting was able to assess a position of “positive trend” to the proposals to limit the number of people in these meetings and that these meetings always occur between the same people.
In the evening, the PSD leader also said that “it can be healthy for the Portuguese to be able to live Christmas and have a little escape from all this that is happening,” he said. “I understand that the Government can decree for Christmas a less rigorous situation in relation to these measures that may be in force, since it is a special holiday, because people have been very martyred. If Christmas were too tight, we would be better off in terms of health but not in social terms. As for New Year’s Eve, if it is tighter than Christmas, I understand that it is going well ”.
Also the leader of the CDS, Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos, considered that at Christmas there should be “a tenuous and serene examination of the rules of travel and family reunion”, because it is “a family party” and “at the same time a religious court.” it is important to underline ”.
The PCP agrees: “We are approaching a very special time, which is Christmas, and it was a good time for the Government to reconsider in relation to mobility issues, encouraging people to protect their health, to protect of their own health. and yours ”, declared Jerónimo de Sousa, arguing that this period is important for“ sectors that today have the rope around their necks, pass the term ”, such as restaurants, hotels and tourism. “The damage is done, but it could give a new soul to these productive sectors,” he said.
The state of emergency remains without consensus
The renewal of the state of emergency is inevitable, but the parties are expected to hold the November 20 vote in parliament tomorrow: in favor, only PS, PSD and the independent deputy Cristina Rodrigues, BE, CDS and PAN vote in favor and must abstain and PCP, PEV, IL and Chega are opposed. Some parties, such as PAN, CDS and BE, preferred to vote on the specific measures defined by the Government, rather than the president’s decree, which only indicates which fundamental rights can be suspended.
That was what the president of the CDS defended, justifying the ignorance of the concrete measures: “We do not give blank checks to the Government.” Although he affirms that the CDS “accompanies the President of the Republic in the need of a state of emergency”, he defended that the Executive must have “the manliness and institutional cooperation with the opposition parties to listen to them, sit them at the table, similar to what happened in the first wave ”.
The PAN spokesperson said that he did not want to renew the state of emergency, considering that “some moderation” should be maintained, but that he would like to be able to vote on the government’s resolution.
Only the Block has not yet decided on the vote, waiting to see the presidential decree and also contesting having to vote without knowing the concrete measures. In any case, Catarina Martins wants the restrictions that have a direct impact on some sectors of the economy and on workers “to be accompanied by support measures.”
The leader of the blockade also expressed concern about the way in which the country and the people are explained “what this virus is and how it spreads.” “Each family and each person must make informed decisions about how they are and how they are together and for that it is important that everyone has information. We believe that at this time there is no adequate communication of risk in Portugal, nor is there adequate information on the causes and transmission, ”he said.
For the PCP, the measures adopted under the state of emergency “have no added value” in the fight against covid-19 in Portugal and that the Government should reconsider restrictions on mobility. “Life is giving reason to the PCP” and demonstrating that “the measures included in this legal framework have led, on the one hand, to the misunderstanding of more Portuguese and, on the other, to the worsening of the economic and social situation” .
“The protesters told us: we only wanted security measures applied to us, for example, in relation to the Festa do Avante, in terms of mobility, in terms of the number of people,” he said. According to Jerónimo de Sousa, “all this happens because of this idea of health protection, of which the Portuguese, in fact, are giving a beautiful example, although many times they face these measures, which they do not add, they do not have measures to fight the epidemic “.
Also the deputy and leader of the Ecological Party “Os Verdes” (PEV) Mariana Silva insisted on the thesis that it is the behavior of the Portuguese that prevents the spread of covid-19 and that it does not depend on the state of emergency, so they vote against. . Mariana Silva defended that “communication is fundamental” and that “a state of emergency will not be necessary.” “The Portuguese are expected to do what they have done to date, which was to comply with the measures although they are not in a state of emergency,” he said.
“What we consider is that it is not necessary to question the freedoms and guarantees and rights of citizens to really stop this spread and this pandemic that we are experiencing. What is really needed is to strengthen some of the areas, such as the National Health Service, public transport, the inspection of workplaces and companies, “he told the press.
