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Towards Christmas, the country enters this Wednesday at midnight (until the 24th) in the sixth period of the state of emergency with the perception that the cases of covid-19 have been declining in the country since the containment regulations tightened.
From the last fortnight to the present, it seems that, in the metropolitan area of Lisbon, six municipalities have gone from the second degree of risk (“very high”) to the third degree (“high”): Amadora, Cascais, Oeiras, Odivelas, Sintra and Vila Franca de Xira. Lisbon and Loures remain with the most severe restrictions. This means that these six municipalities see the prohibition of circulation on public roads between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays lifted, that is, the commercial establishments return to work closer than usual.
The PUBLIC questioned the prime minister’s office on whether some of these neighboring counties in Lisbon would maintain severe restrictions given the risk of contagion, but did not receive a response. In the past, and particularly in the north, the government decided to keep the neighboring counties of Tâmega and Sousa with very high-risk rules to prevent the spread of the virus.
In the Porto Metropolitan Area, which includes 17 municipalities, nine counties have fallen at risk “Extremely high” by risk “very high”, namely Arouca, Gondomar, Maia, Matosinhos, Oliveira de Azeméis, Porto, Vale de Cambra, Valongo and Vila Nova de Gaia. In other words, they went from the 1st degree of risk to the 2nd, and the restrictive measures to apply remain the same.
Three levels of risk
Municipalities with extreme risk levels (more than 960 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days) and very high (between 480 and 960 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants) follow more severe measures. There is also an intermediate level, with more moderate restrictions, and a level of municipalities where only the general measures of the state of emergency that cover the entire national territory remain in force. There are 92 municipalities with high risk and 73 with moderate risk, but it will be in the 113 with very high and very high risk, the vast majority in the north of the country, and according to the data revealed this Saturday by the Prime Minister, who will apply the most strict “get ready for Christmas”.
The objective, as António Costa explains, is that we arrive at the parties with the least possible number of active infections. If this happens, the risk of boom of the cases after Christmas, due to family life, it will be less from the beginning. Thus, it will continue to be prohibited to circulate on public roads on weekends from December 12 to 13 and from December 19 to 20 from 1:00 p.m. in the municipalities of very high and extreme risk.
What measures are applied at Christmas?
This will be a Christmas with some relief from the restrictions that have been in place until now. THE Circulation between municipalities will be allowed. and the same happens with circulation on public roads, but the latter will still have some limitations.
- At night from 23 to 24 is only allowed for those who travel;
- On the 24th and 25th it is allowed until 2am the next day;
- On the 26th it is allowed until 11pm.
The opening hours of restaurants will also be extended, which until now had been conditioned by the curfew in the riskiest regions:
- The nights of the 24th and 25th it can be open until 1 am;
- On the 26th they will only be able to operate until 3:30 p.m. in very high and extreme risk municipalities.
On the 24th and 25th, the closing hours do not apply to cultural establishments.
And in the new year?
The relaxed rules at Christmas are tightened again in the New Year, when it is customary to meet not only with family, but also in groups of friends. THE Circulation between municipalities will be prohibited between 00:00 on December 31 and 05:00 on January 4.. Further, forbidden public parties or open to the public and meetings on public roads with more than six people.
A Circulation on public roads is allowed until 2 am on the night of the crossing. year and until 11:00 p.m. on the first day of 2021.
The restaurants will have hours similar to Christmas:
- On the night of the 31st they can operate until 1 am;
- On January 1 they can only be open until 3:30 p.m. in very high and extreme risk municipalities.
Although the Government has not approved measures or limits for family gatherings, as will happen in several European countries, which limit meetings to six or ten people, it recommended that certain behaviors be avoided during the festive season: gathering a lot of people, spending too much time without a mask or in closed, small and poorly ventilated spaces.
If the downward trend in the pandemic is reversed in the coming weeks, the government has said it will put on the brakes to contain an uncontrolled increase in cases, deaths and hospitalizations. To do this, it will review, on December 18, the risk map and reevaluate the epidemiological situation of each municipality, proceeding, if necessary, to aggravate the measures. With Helena Pereira
