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António Costa spoke to the country this Thursday, April 30, after a meeting with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, which followed the meeting of the council of ministers, from which the map for the return to possible normality emerged, in the context of the pandemic of the new coronavirus – SARS-CoV-2 -, responsible for covid-19. Some measures were already being discussed by associations from different sectors, which were committed to the restrictions to be adopted.
With the support of graphics and images, the Prime Minister justified the “transition period”, from the state of emergency to the state of calamity, with the stabilization of the number of infected.
According to António Costa, in the fight against the spread of covid-19, in the last two months, the country “registered a positive evolution”. The Cabinet then approved Portugal’s transition plan from a state of emergency, ending Saturday, to a state of calamity.
Due to lack of definition, the government established “a set of conditions”, namely, the availability of masks and disinfectant gel on the market; regular cleaning of spaces; reducing the maximum capacity; hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette; and a physical distance of two meters.
These are “small steps towards blurring,” the prime minister explained. So, let’s go to the specific measures, sector by sector:
Trade and catering
Next Monday, 5/4, local stores will reopen: stores with an open door to the street with areas of up to 200 square meters.
Regardless of the respective area, they can also open hairdressers, barbers, manicurists and the like, as well as bookstores and car shops.
Two weeks later, on May 18, they will be able to open stores with an open door to the street of up to 400 square meters, or parts of stores of up to 400 square meters (municipalities can allow larger areas).
On that date, restaurants, cafes and patisseries, as well as terraces, will also be reopened.
Uptown stores and shopping malls only reopen on the first day of June.
However, to attend these spaces, it is necessary to meet a series of specific conditions: in stores it is mandatory to wear masks, the spaces only work after 10 a.m.
In hairdressing, it is mandatory, in addition to meeting other conditions, to make an appointment in advance.
Restaurants are still limited in capacity (50%) and can only operate until 11pm, in addition to other specific conditions.
Job
The professional practice will continue by telework, whenever the functions allow it. Only from June 1, partial telework will be admitted, although with obsolete schedules or reflected equipment.
Transport
Public transport runs with 2/3 of the capacity, and the use of a mask is mandatory. Vehicles will be disinfected.
Utility
Deconcentrated public service counters (such as finance offices, conservatories, etc.) will reopen on Monday. However, the use of a mask is mandatory and the service is subject to prior appointment.
Citizen stores will reopen, under the same conditions, only on June 1.
Schools
Students in years 11 and 12 (or years 2 and 3 of other secondary training offerings) return to classes between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., on 5/18. The reopening of these schools will be limited to the basic subjects of access to higher education.
High school students will only have face-to-face classes for the subjects for which they intend to take exams to access higher education, and the use of a mask is mandatory.
Children can return to daycare; however, the option to support the family remains. For children in kindergartens and kindergartens, the use of a mask is not mandatory.
On the same date, social facilities in the disability area were reopened.
On June 1, ATL and Preschool will reopen.
However, it should be borne in mind that, in the case of Higher Education, it is up to the institutions to decide which models to adopt, and some will start from next week.
Sport
As of May 4, the practice of individual outdoor sports is authorized, which does not imply the use of changing rooms or swimming pools.
The I Football League and the Portuguese Cup will resume.
António Costa explained that the restart of the I League, in which 10 games will be played, as well as the final of the Portuguese Cup, will take place “without a public presence within the stadiums.”
In the case of the First Soccer League, the return is scheduled from May 30 to 31, subject to the approval of the General Directorate of Health of a health plan.
“[O regresso] It is also conditioned on the evaluation that the stadiums meet all the essential conditions for this activity to resume, “reinforced the Prime Minister.
Costa stated that the resumption of professional football is limited to the main echelon.
The Prime Minister justified this possible programming with the medical conditions of the clubs and the strength of the protagonists.
The AI League, led by FC Porto with a points advantage over champion Benfica, was suspended on March 12, after 24 games, it will return from May 30 to 31, as well as the Portuguese Cup final between ‘ dragons and ‘eagles’.
The same does not apply to the II League, which is not covered by the measures, which have promotion places, on the date of suspension, Nacional, with 50 points, and Farense, with 48.
Beaches
Access to the beaches and the sea will be possible from Monday to practice water sports, according to the plan approved today by the Government. Costa explained that “there will be some access to the beaches that will be possible” from 4, “specifically for the practice of nautical sports activities.”
Religion
The government predicts that funerals may allow relatives of the deceased to be present, without specifically setting a limit on attendance at these ceremonies.
The prime minister said that for funerals “the rule that it is up to mayors as local civil protection authorities to define the maximum number of people who can attend a funeral,” but considered that in some cases “they have been excessive.”
“We recognize that the rules that have been in force in some parts of the territory have been excessive, so it is the respect that we must have for the memory of those we have lost, for the respect and attention that we also deserve and that mourns the loss of a loved one, that This limit will not allow to limit the number of family members. And therefore, family members will be able to attend and participate in the funeral ceremonies of any loved one they may lose, ”said António Costa.
Regarding community religious ceremonies, the government plan foresees the resumption, for all confessions, on the last weekend of May, in accordance with the standards defined by the General Directorate of Health.
“In the dialogue that we have had with the religious denominations, it was established that, in terms of the dialogue that each one has had with the DGS, taking into account, from the beginning, the specific characteristics of the respective temples or places of worship, of the very forms of services that are different in each of the religious denominations, steps will be taken to allow restrictions on community celebrations in any religion to be lifted from the weekend of May 30 to 31, “the prime minister said.
Culture
Libraries and archives will also reopen this Monday. Two weeks later, museums, monuments, and palaces reopened; but also art galleries and the like.
On June 1, cinemas, theaters, auditoriums and their shows can be opened, although with marked seats, reduced capacity and physical distance.
Borders
The borders remain closed until at least May 15 and there are no plans to reopen. The airports remain open, to ensure territorial continuity with the Azores and Madeira, although the remaining flights are practically paralyzed.
See the reopening plan systematized by the government:
The reopening in May was already scheduled two weeks ago.
On April 16, in Parliament, the Prime Minister declared that it was necessary in May “to observe the activities that the state authority imposed the closure: from the beginning, but also the restoration”, defending “prudent and gradual actions”. “
“We must start with the small neighborhood business, the one that brings together fewer people, requires less travel distance, serves the local economy better and better. It responds to the most immediate needs of citizens; Then, we can proceed to other stores with open doors to the street; And finally, we also have to get to big stores. “
Regarding the hairdressing sector, the government leader said that “this is a great challenge: personal care, namely, hairdressing or barbering: we must have specific safety standards for professionals and also for users, but we must give responds and we must be able, during the month of May, to create conditions so that we also have these services open again, “said Costa, without ever committing to a specific date.
The measures now presented come after the positive results in the development of the pandemic in Portugal. However, for the Prime Minister, there are only “two possible directions: taking steps forward (…) or taking steps backwards”. “I will never be ashamed or have any suggestion to take a step back,” explained António Costa, saying that he will take “that step if necessary.”
“Whether the fact that the state of calamity does not allow the same degree of limitation of liberties as the state of emergency allows, or also the fact that the special duty of protection was often misinterpreted, particularly towards the elderly, seeing them not as a duty to protect the elderly and often stigmatize them, face them as a threat to society, we understand that in this new calamity situation it was important to introduce change, “he said.
Thus, beginning on Sunday, with the calamity taking effect, “instead of a general duty of collection and a special duty of protection, there will be” a single civic duty of collection. “
“This is a common duty for everyone: children, young people, middle-aged people, the elderly, people who have risk factors based on other diseases or people who do not have risk factors,” emphasized António Costa.
Regarding the duty of prophylactic confinement, which the health authorities determine for anyone infected with covid-19, or for anyone under surveillance, the Prime Minister stressed that he remains.
“This mandatory confinement rule determined by the health authorities based on the Public Health Law remains in force and its violation continues to constitute a crime of disobedience,” he added.
Events or meetings with more than ten people are also prohibited and the maximum capacity for closed spaces is five per 100 square meters.
Portugal today registers 989 deaths associated with covid-19, 16 more than on Wednesday and 25,045 infected (over 540), according to the epidemiological bulletin published today by the General Directorate of Health. Compared to Wednesday’s data, where 973 deaths were recorded, today there was a 1.6% increase in deaths.
Regarding the number of confirmed cases of infection with the new coronavirus (25,045), DGS data shows that there are 540 more cases than on Wednesday, representing an increase of 2.2%.
The northern region has the highest number of deaths (566), followed by the central region (198), Lisbon and the Tagus Valley (199), the Algarve (13), the Azores (12) and the Alentejo that recorded in a In this case, the epidemiological situation report is progressing, with data updated until midnight on Wednesday.
