The malls consider that the curfew is a ″ big blow ″ for the sector and the economy

“This mandatory retirement measure on weekends is a serious blow to commerce and restaurants, and to the Portuguese economy in general,” says the president of the APCC, António Sampaio de Mattos, in a statement released this Sunday, highlighting that understanding that health Public health is at the forefront of priorities.

The travel ban on the weekends of November 14 and 15 and November 21 and 22, starting at 1:00 p.m., in the 121 counties with the highest risk of contagion, was approved on Saturday by the Council of Ministers and provides only exceptions like travel. for business, return home, emergencies or pets that walk.

The association, in a released statement, says it is “surprised” by this government measure and defends that “Companies no longer support forced closures”, because they are situations that cause great losses, job losses and contribute to the slowdown of the economy.

But in the same week that we signed a protocol with the Ministry of Economy and Digital Transition that aims to encourage the anticipation of Christmas purchases in order to avoid crowds of people in commercial spaces, we are surprised by a measure that exactly can cause these crowds of people at other times of the day and week, ”warns the official.

António Sampaio de Mattos also argues that this measure will have consequences for the economy and “irrevocably affect” the levels of employability through bankruptcies in shops and restaurants, and even shopping centers.

The Government approved this Saturday the measures of the state of emergency that will come into force between Monday and November 23, anticipating a night curfew during the week in the 121 municipalities with the highest risk of contagion, where there is “a high risk of transmission of covid-19 “, which covers 70% of the resident population, including all the municipalities of the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto.