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It is not yet known how or when the beaches will reopen, but several municipalities and entities, such as Turismo de Portugal, have presented various proposals. According to the Express, on the table are measures such as the delimitation of safety zones with ropes, the installation of sensors at the entrances to control the entrances into the arena, the use of drones to monitor bathers, the maximum times to stay on site – to ensure rotation – or to raise “loading flags” to warn visitors about the influx of each beach.
The Express also adds that the Armed Forces are preparing an action plan that provides for the reinforcement of Marines, gunners and other military personnel to sensitize bathers on the beach.
The beaches will have a maximum limit of bathers to meet the social distance
Some of these measures are part of a document prepared in April by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), after meetings with representatives of inter-municipal communities (CIM), the Federation of Concessionaires, the Maritime Authority, Tourism of Portugal, the Directorate – General of Health (DGS) and mayors. APA is now preparing a manual with rules that will apply on the beaches.
According to what the Minister of the Environment, João Matos Fernandes, had already said, given that there are more than 50 proposals involved, this manual should only be completed “at the end of next week”. “We speak with a large number, 86 municipalities, with the beach support associations, with the entities that carry out the inspection,” said João Matos Fernandes. The measures should also take into account the conclusions of the studies on how long the virus resists in the sand or the necessary safety distance in the sand or water.
One of the ideas presented by some mayors of the Algarve, reveals this Saturday’s edition of Público, is the hiring of private security to strengthen surveillance of the arenas. “Some cameras are available to hire security guards who, together with the captaincies, can guarantee compliance with the standards that the DGS will define,” explained António Pina, president of the Inter-municipal Community of the Algarve (Amal). Isilda Gomes, mayor of Portimão, agreed, explained that the matter has not “yet been closed” and said that the private security guards “will only have a deterrent role, of course, surveillance will be the responsibility of the Maritime Authority.”
Catarina Gonçalves, national coordinator of the Blue Flag program of the Blue Flag Association of Europe (ABAE), had already said that a manual was being created with the APA and that it would be ready “in the first week of May”, which was not it happened. The official said, at that time, that there would be a maximum capacity on the beaches, according to the “recommendations” of the DGS, namely “what is the safe space for shades and umbrellas” and the distance between people.
“More practical questions that have to do with the cleaning of spaces, the use of masks, the use of terraces and bars, whether it can be done or not and under what conditions if it is done, the walkways, showers, seagulls, slides, hammocks, all this will have to have hygiene procedures, obviously much stricter ”, emphasized Lusa.
Article updated on Saturday at 9:20 a.m., with information on the possible hiring of private security guards by the municipalities of the Algarve
