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The limits of gatherings and spaces near schools that will be in force from next Tuesday they do not apply in the case of people even at home. As has happened so far, the limit imposed by law includes an exception that applies to large families. In the case of the measures released this Thursday, the restrictions imposed on restaurants, cafeterias and pastry shops located less than 300 meters from schools provide for maximum groups of four.
The same exception is not specified, in the statement of the Council of Ministers, regarding the limitation of four people that will also apply in the restaurant areas of shopping centers, but which should be enshrined in the law.
With the conclusion of the Council of Ministers, António Costa announced this Thursday afternoon the measures that will come into force on the 15th to combat the covid-19 pandemic. In the last three weeks there has been a sustained growth in the evolution of the pandemic “stressed the Prime Minister, calling for special care in this “new stage” that is beginning: “the behavior of this pandemic depends on the individual behavior of each one of us.” These are the measures that have just been announced:
– Meetings are limited to 10 persons, on public roads and in establishments, unless they belong to the same household.
– Commercial establishments (with the exception of gyms, hairdressers or pastry shops, for example) should only open after 10 in the morning. Supermarkets, hypermarkets or cafeterias may remain open until 11:00 p.m., but this decision, relating to the period between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., may be modified by the local authorities.
– There will be special rules for restaurants, cafes and pastry shops located less than 300 meters from schools: in this case the groups are limited to a maximum of four people (unless they belong to the same household).
– In the restaurant areas of shopping centers, no more than four people per group can join.
– Prohibition of the sale of alcoholic beverages in service areas or at fuel service stations.
– Prohibition of sale of alcoholic beverages, after 8 pm, in retail stores, including supermarkets and hypermarkets.
– Prohibition of alcohol consumption in outdoor spaces from food and beverage establishments after 8 pm, unless it is a food service.
– At the end of the month they will be operational 18 emergency brigades (made up of doctors, nurses and diagnostic technicians, for a total of 400 people) to act quickly on outbreaks in homes.
– Sports venues will continue without public.
there are some measures that will be specific to the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto, where the majority of covid-19 cases are concentrated:
– The government approved a diploma – and will now talk to the social partners – with measures so that, in companies, workers stay, rotationally, in teleworking and face-to-face work.
– The same for the time difference of the workers: the government wants different arrival and departure times and different times for breaks and meals.
Two measures that aim to reduce large trips in the two metropolitan areas of the country.
The use of a mask on the street, doubt that arose in this package of measures, does not advance. The current situation is maintained in which the use of a mask is mandatory in closed spaces.
This Thursday, Portugal registered another 585 new infections and three deaths.
The evolution of deaths and the response to intensive care are “red lines”
Asked about the “red lines” that may lead the Government to toughen the measures, António Costa began by pointing out the evolution in the number of deaths, adding the capacity to respond to intensive care in hospitals. “The first line has to do with the evolution of deaths, there is not much greater than life. Second, the responsiveness of intensive care. If suddenly we all need intensive care, the system does not respond. This is an important indicator ”, he emphasized.
Costa had already pointed out before that, despite the increase in new cases in Portugal, 97.6% of those infected did not need hospital treatment, 2.1% were in hospital and “only 0.3% needed intervention in attention “. intensive “.
António Costa also said at this afternoon’s press conference that the increase in the number of new cases is also related to greater testing capacity. “Portugal remains one of the countries that most puts its inhabitants to the test,” said the prime minister, adding that 20,527 tests were conducted on September 8, a record number.
According to the figures advanced by the Executive leader in total, 2,186,000 tests were carried out until last Sunday.
The National Health Service is doing, actually, 14 thousand tests per day, but Costa guarantees that this capacity will increase to 21 thousand tests / day. In addition to public health services, tests are also being carried out in 102 private laboratories. The prime minister announced a protocol with the Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) and the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation that “will allow a very significant increase in testing capacity.” “We must have the ability, as soon as there is a suspected case, to detect it immediately,” he warned.
The need for early detection of positive cases was also invoked for a new call for the Portuguese to use Covid Stayaway application, which so far has had 735243 downloads. “In this prevention system, application is of the utmost importance, I wanted to renew the appeal for effective use. I remember that is anonymous, voluntary and absolutely safe“, said the Prime Minister, highlighting that the application is particularly important for those who use spaces where many people are concentrated.” This application is particularly useful for students, teachers and other school professionals “, it is” very important in companies, especially the largest ones “and it is” of the greatest importance for those who are regular users of public transport “.
The contingency situation will come into effect throughout the continental territory on the 15th and will remain in effect for the next fortnight, when the measures will be re-evaluated. The contingency situation is an intermediate level between the state of calamity and the state of alert, provided for in the Basic Law of Civil Protection. The state of alert, the least serious of the three, was in force during the summer in most of the national territory. Only the Lisbon Metropolitan Area remained in a state of contingency. As of the end of July, 19 AML parishes remained in a state of calamity, due to the high number of registered cases compared to the national average.
