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It was still in August when the Government warned that as of September 15, the country would regress again, to reduce the risk of contagion with the covid-19 pandemic. One of the changes will be in the number of meetings, which are again limited to ten people. But the Prime Minister, António Costa, announced this Thursday other measures that will come into force as of September 15, the date on which the continental territory will enter a contingency situation. The return to work, for example, will be more conditioned in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto, with the need for “mirror equipment”, mandatory obsolete schedules and even reduced trips.
Other measures include, for example, prohibiting commercial establishments from opening before 10 am (with the exception of cafes, patisseries, hairdressers and gyms); the closing hours of the establishments are from 20 to 23 hours (to be decided by the mayors); the restaurant areas of shopping centers can only have groups of four; in establishments and the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited at service stations (at any time of the day) and after 8 pm in other commercial establishments (except when accompanied by meals); and it is also forbidden to drink alcohol on the street.
The measures approved by the Council of Ministers also include the maximum limit of four people per group in restaurants, cafeterias and pastry shops 300 meters from schools. And there will have to be contingency plans in all schools.
Other measures that are part of the group listed this Thursday by the Government determine the existence of “18 district brigades for rapid intervention to contain and stabilize outbreaks in homes”, which will be made up of a total of 400 professionals, including doctors, nurses and technicians diagnostic. It was also confirmed that the sports venues remain without public.
Lisbon and Porto encouraged to continue teleworking
The metropolitan areas of the country, on the other hand, will have even stricter rules, since the higher population density makes the degree of contagion greater. Thus, the use of public transport and the return to work will be more conditioned in these areas.
The document with the summary of the measures also refers, in the chapter related to metropolitan areas, to the need for “mirror teams”, to the “rotation schedules between telework and face-to-face work”, to a “ mandatory lag ”. , “Differentiated entry and exit times”, “different times for breaks and meals” and “reduced trips”, that is, António Costa explained, an effort should be made so that there is less movement from home to work.
Red lines
Asked about the “red lines” that could lead the Government to decree a new confinement or toughen measures for the country, the Prime Minister affirmed that the first is related to the evolution of deaths and the second to the country’s response capacity in as for intensive care.
“The first red line has to do with the evolution of deaths. There is no greater good than life and this is fundamental. Second, our responsiveness to intensive care. We have never been in a borderline situation and our intensive care capacity has been constantly reinforced. We were at the bottom of Europe at the beginning of the crisis, next year we will have reached the European average, but obviously if we all suddenly need intensive care, the system does not have the capacity to respond and therefore this is an important indication “, António Costa said.
Another indicator, according to the prime minister, is the country’s response capacity in hospital terms. Costa stressed that it must be taken into account that “hospital services and the National Health Service cannot be 100% dedicated to covid-19 because there is” a vast set of other diseases that must be treated and where it is being done. ” recovery effort ”.
