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The suspension of teaching activities on the eve of the holidays of November 30 and December 7 was also determined and there will be tolerance for a period in the Public Service these days, to have “a month of December as calm as possible,” António announced Coast.
The list of counties at risk in Portugal will include 17 counties: Aljustrel, Alvaiázere, Beja, Borba, Caldas da Rainha, Carrazeda de Ansiães, Ferreira do Alentejo, Fornos de Algodres, Golegã, Santa Comba Dão, São Brás de Alportel, Sousel, Tábua , Tavira, Vila Real de Santo António, Vila Velha de Ródão and Vila Flor.
The “risk map” in Portugal, which meets the European criteria, is now divided into four levels: “extremely high risk”, within which 47 municipalities are now found; “Very high risk”, with 80 counties; “High risk”, with 86 counties and, finally, “moderate risk”, in which there are 65 counties.
In the “high risk” regions, where there are more than 240 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the ban on traffic on public roads will be maintained between 11 pm and 5 am and action will be increased to monitor compliance with telework , which according to the prime minister is not being fulfilled in all the places where it is mandatory.
“Where teleworking is mandatory, it will really be respected,” said the head of Government, adding that the Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, has already given authorization for “effective actions to verify compliance with this obligation. “. [do teletrabalho]”.
In these municipalities, it will also be compulsory to close commercial establishments until 10:00 p.m. and restaurants and cultural facilities until 10:30 p.m.
For “very high and extremely high risk” counties, with more than 480 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, additional measures will be taken. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays of December 1 and 8, circulation on public roads will be prohibited and commercial establishments must be closed between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
Also in these places, it will be compulsory to close the commercial establishments from 3 pm on the eve of a holiday (November 30 and December 7).
António Costa highlighted that the list is dynamic and will be reviewed every 15 days, in line with the review of the state of emergency. “In the coming months, the measures to be adopted will be modeled so that they adjust as best as possible to the current reality of each municipality,” he explained.
Financial support measures
The general measures applicable to the entire national territory will be maintained, namely, the mandatory use of the mask on public roads and in a set of closed spaces. The novelty is that, from now on, the mask will also be mandatory in the workplace, except when jobs are isolated or when there is physical separation between different positions.
“Viruses are also transmitted at work and at work, the mask protects against the transmission of viruses,” António Costa explained.
The Prime Minister also announced economic support measures due to the state of emergency. The Apoiar.pt program, for an amount of 1,550 million euros, will be one of them, with loans of 750 million euros and 160 million euros non-refundable.
Other measures of economic support will be immediate access to Progressive Recovery Support, as well as advances to Social Security and quarterly VAT.
There will also be measures to support restoration and, next week, the reduction of commercial rents.
The measures were announced by the Prime Minister at the end of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers. António Costa began his speech by thanking all the Portuguese for the effort they are making one more weekend, “sacrificing their freedom”, also remembering all those who are economically harming the measures, that is, those who work in catering and commerce.
Incidence rate “extremely worrying”
The president stressed that the number of new cases of Covid-19 in the country continues to be “extremely worrying”, despite the fact that, week after week since mid-October, there has been a consecutive decline.
However, these results are still insufficient. We still have a lot to work on to achieve the desired result ”, he warned.
António Costa stressed that we must persevere to reverse the growth of new cases and “crush this very high incidence rate” and that it represents “a threat to everyone’s health, to the operation of the SNS and is a very tough challenge for all professionals who they are doing everything possible to cure patients who are already infected. “
At the end of the speech, already in response to journalists, the Prime Minister rejected the dichotomy between opening up the economy and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic and affirmed that his Government is united around a balanced vision on the measures to take. .
Asked about the clash of opinions between defenders of the primacy of the economy and sectors that want an absolute priority to combat the health crisis, the executive leader replied: “There is no such dichotomy.”
(in update)
