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The current state of emergency began on the 9th and ended at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, November 23. but the renewal takes effect from 00:00 on Tuesday, November 24.
“Despite signs of a slight decrease in the virus spread indicator and a slowdown in the growth of cases in counties where interventions have been carried out the longest, the number of deaths, the number of intensive care, the number of hospitalized patients generally increases and reaches peak values between late November and early December “, the head of state began by explaining in a statement to the country from Belém.
Explaining the decision to renew the state of emergency, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that experts consider that “The measures take longer and longer to produce the desired effects” and that “the later they are taken, the less effective they will be and the longer they will have to last.”
“Now we have more specific data on cases that allow us to add to the common or global measures measures adjusted to the situation of groups of municipalities with varying degrees of severity in their incidence, that is, in the severity of the pandemic,” continued the Republic President.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also said that there is likely to be “a further increase in cases” or “a third wave” between January and February. According to the head of state, this possible new wave early next year “the greater the number of cases in the previous month”, the greater.
“In other words, it is important to try to forcefully contain the pandemic process in December, although it seems that the days prior to the peak of the so-called second wave had already passed,” the President of the Republic warned.
If all this requires the consideration in due time of a second renewal of the state of emergency from December 9 to 23, or even more subsequent renewals, make no mistake: I will not hesitate for a second to propose them so that the Government has a basis . enough to approve what needs to be approved “.
The President of the Republic also wanted to recall that, “In the thinking of political leaders, as in that of all Portuguese, the brutal pressure that exists on the National Health Service is present.” “Pressure that will increase in the coming days and weeks”, according to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, which implies the requirement to “attempt to contain the course of the pandemic in December and certainly also in the first months of 2021”.
In addition to not having a vaccine in the coming months, The President of the Republic warned that “reaching widespread critical situations in our health structures will be dramatic for covid patients and for the many non-covid patients.”
Considering the reasons given for the renewal of the state of emergency, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa affirmed that “What we have to take for granted is that the state of emergency lasts as long as necessary to combat the pandemic, always with democratic control and the content that emanates from the Constitution.”.
For this reason, the president asked the Portuguese not to “facilitate” in December.
In communication to the country, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also called for “possible convergence” in the fight against covid-19 and that the Portuguese do not “irretrievably divide” at this time, saying that later there will be many elections to judge those responsible..
Continue, as before, in solidarity, at one point, in such a long process of collective ordeal, thus ratifying their civic and ethical responsibility, and that they are not irreparably divided between the defenders of life and health and the defenders of the economy. , of society and culture, between defenders of sanitary harshness and defenders of economic openness ”.
And that they reject physical violence in the democratic discussion for and against anything. And that parties and social partners continue to make convergence possible. There is more than time to pass judgments on facts and authors, to mark fields and to find and judge those responsible. There will be many choices for that. This time it is another one: the time to converge as much as possible, even if you do not agree, “he added.
The head of state considered that “It is natural that there are Portuguese – and there are many, and in the worst phases of pandemics like this, there are many more – who criticize what they understand by errors, omissions, advances, setbacks, zigzags.”
In May and June in Greater Lisbon, in August and September in the second wave, in October, today, tomorrow, later, criticizing everything that is late or poorly explained, due to a spokesperson or decision defect ”. , he said.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also defended that, despite all the criticism of the measures and the state of emergency, this is not the time to “lower our arms” in the fight against this epidemic.
“We will not resign or lower our arms”, he stated. We will do what we have always done in almost nine centuries of history: resist plagues, fight wars, lose and regain independence, not surrender and have to rebuild lives, sometimes thousands of miles away. ”
