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At a time when criticism of the handling of the pandemic is thicker and the parties are more divided, on Friday (20) the President of the Republic justified the renewal of the state of emergency by dramatizing the evolution of infections, hospitalization , intensive care and murdered in the country. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also tried to stop the social radicalization against the measures, even censuring “physical violence” between people in favor and against the confinement.
To everyone, in particular to the parties that did not want to say “yes” to the renewal of the state of emergency, which was only approved by the PS, PSD and former PAN deputy Cristina Rodrigues, was emphatic: “Make no mistake, I will not hesitate to propose them (the renewals) so that the Government has a sufficient basis to approve what must be approved”. And from this state of emergency that had just been decreed, from 00:00 hours on November 24 to 23:59 hours on December 8, he admitted that a new term could be decreed “from December 9 to 23 , or even further renovations later, “implying that these measures may extend until Christmas and New Years.
What we have to take for granted is that “The state of emergency lasts as long as necessary to combat the pandemic.”
The presidential determination was explained by the evolution of the pandemic. “Despite signs of a slight decrease in the virus spread indicator and a slowdown in the growth of cases in counties where interventions have been carried out the longest, the number of deaths, the number of intensive care, the number of hospitalized patients generally increases and reach the maximum level in late November and early December, ”said Marcelo.
And the experts confirmed that “the measures take more and more time to take effect and the later they are taken the less effective they will be and the longer they will have to last”.
“Measures take longer and longer to take effect and the later they are taken, the less effective they are and the longer they will have to last”
Already making the bridge to the decisions that will be taken in the Council of Ministers this Saturday, in which three levels of severity can be created in the municipalities, Marcelo assured that “now we have more specific data on the cases that allow us to add to the global measures measured. adjusted to the situation of groups of municipalities with degrees of severity in their incidence, in the severity of the pandemic ”.
The President of the Republic insisted that the third wave is likely to occur between January and February. And it will be even higher the higher the number of cases a month before ”.
It is in this sense that he defended the importance of “strongly containing” the pandemic process, although apparently contagion rates may slow down.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa exposed the opinion of the Portuguese and political leaders about the “brutal pressure that exists on the National Health Service and even on the national health system in general.”
The pressure, he said, “which is going to increase in the coming days and weeks and which must be prevented from culminating in generalized critical situations.” He insisted again on the idea that the pandemic must be controlled in December and in the first months of 2021.
“Because there are two obvious realities: the vaccine that has to be for everyone who wants it, and another, reaching generalized critical situations in our health structures will be dramatic for patients with covid and for many more patients who do not. suffer, “he said.
He used arguments to dismantle critics of the more restrictive measures. Even those who, mainly because of the economy and society, for any other reason do not understand, do not accept the global and national echo of covid-19, will have to admit that in fact there are covid-19 hospitalized and in intensive care who have the right to life and health. And that there are non-covid-19 patients who have exactly the same rights to life and health as the first “.
“There is time to demarcate the fields and judge those responsible, the time is not yet, the elections are for that”
Marcelo assured that it is possible to combine the harshest measures with the functioning of the economy and culture and asked that there be no divisions between those who defend health to the detriment of the other two and vice versa.
After some demonstrations against the measures, including the one promoted in Lisbon by restaurant entrepreneurs, and in which there was some animosity against journalists, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa felt the need to make another appeal. That “physical violence must be rejected in the democratic debate” and that parties and social partners continue to converge.
“There is time to demarcate the fields and judge those responsible, it is not yet the time, the elections are for that”, said. This message was also directed to the parties, especially those of the opposition that have been criticizing the government and the General Directorate of Health for handling the pandemic in this second wave.
“Of course, there are Portuguese and there are many who criticize what they understand by omissions, advances, zigzags on the control of the pandemic. Everything that comes to be or is poorly explained is criticized,” admitted Marcelo. And he recognized that whoever lost his job, his salary or saw the company “drowned” is in this situation.
“Of course, there are Portuguese and there are many who criticize what they understand to be omissions, advances, zigzags on the control of the pandemic. Everything that becomes or is poorly explained is criticized.”
As you know that “any renewal of the state of emergency motivates criticism from parties and social partners”, but recalled that in these nine months, which “are an eternity” for the Portuguese, “there are those who suffer in 1st class, others in 2nd and others in warehouses “.
“Are we going to lower our arms now? Or because the evolution of the pandemic is unpredictable? Or because those who face it, with me in the front line, do not correspond to what is expected of them?” – questioned the President of the Republic, in the communication to the country, from Belém. And gave the answer: “We will not give up or lower our arms!”
Supported by the renewal of the state of emergency, the Council of Ministers can take the measures it deems necessary to contain the pandemic in this second wave. The ministers were meeting all afternoon on Friday and will only conclude the work this Saturday, when António Costa tells the Portuguese what awaits them in the next fifteen days.
During the week, the government tried to curb the news that came out about individual measures, such as the three levels of severity in the municipalities to accommodate differentiated measures or even the possibility that universities have to return to distance education. “Speculation,” the government guaranteed.
