Faced with the increase in positive cases of coronavirus, Portugal has decided to go into a state of calamity. This state allows the implementation of measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in Portugal, such as limiting the number of people who can meet to 5, or the obligation to wear the mask in certain places. The state of calamity will be in place from midnight tonight. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant, tells you all about the establishment of the state of calamity in Portugal.
Coronavirus: Portugal goes into a state of calamity
Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa announced on Wednesday, at the end of the Council of Ministers meeting, that it had been decided to raise the level of alert for the state of calamity for the entire national territory. This measure, explained António Costa, stems from the evolution of the pandemic in Portugal, a situation that the Prime Minister described as "serious".
Regarding the transition from the state of emergency to the state of calamity, António Costa justified this situation as the possibility of allowing the Portuguese government to “be able to adopt, whenever necessary, the justified measures to contain the pandemic, traffic restrictions to other justified measures ”.
"It is essential that safeguarding the capacity of the health system to respond to Covid patients and all non-Covid assistance activities" but also that "teaching activities continue without incident", as well as "avoid measures that help to deepen measures that threaten employment and household income ”.
In this regard, the Portuguese Prime Minister announced that as of midnight today, more than five people will no longer be able to gather on public roads, and this limitation will be extended to other spaces of a commercial or catering nature.
The Portuguese government has also announced the limitation of family events such as weddings, baptisms and others that are scheduled as of today, with a maximum of 50 participants, "who will all have to comply with the rules of expulsion physical and personal protection such as the use of a mask ”.
Finally, António Costa also underlined the prohibition, in educational establishments, namely in universities and polytechnics, of all celebrations and university activities of a non-academic or scientific nature such as first-class welcoming ceremonies. year and other types of celebrations that involve gatherings.
Fines of up to € 10,000 to commercial and catering establishments that do not ensure "scrupulous compliance with the rules in force within these establishments" have also been announced.
