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What to expect as the State of Emergency comes to an end

What to expect as the State of Emergency comes to an end

As Portugal continues to be praised internationally for the way it has handled and contained COVID-19 across the country, it has announced that as of May 4th, the State of Emergency will officially come to an end.

 

Replaced with a State of Calamity, certain measures across the country will still be in place for 15 days to contain and mitigate the virus.

 

General measures will include:

  • Mandatory use of masks in closed and crowded spaces such as public transport, schools, supermarkets and stores.
  • Events with more than 10 people are prohibited
  • Family members will be allowed to attend funerals
  • Unless there is a justified reason, Portugal’s population still has a “civic duty” to stay home

 

Additional measures that will take effect from May 4th are:

  • Small establishments, no more than 200 square metres, have been authorised to open again such as hairdressers/barbers, libraries, real estate agencies, car dealers, bookshops among others
  • Businesses that decide to reopen will be limited to one client every 20 square metres with the mandatory 2 metre distance between them
  • Outdoor, individual and non-professional sports have been authorised whereas group sports will continue to not be allowed
  • Telework (working from home) remains mandatory for the month of May where possible
  • Restaurants, cafes, nightclubs and bars will continue to remain closed

 

Establishments that are under 200 square metres but are located in shopping centres will remain closed to the public as well. 

 

Confirmed by the president of the Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal (CCP), Joao Vieira Lopes, to the press where it was then released on Wednesday morning by the Observador newspaper. He stated hairdressers and barbers will have restrictions and limitations on their capacity enabling them to continue the rules of social distancing and as anticipated, all services will need to be made via appointments.

 

Following on from this, according to the president of CCP, the second phase will aim to start on May 18th and will allow larger stores and restaurants, up to 400 square metres, to open again. Some areas may execute some exceptions if they believe establishments over 400 square metres need to reopen.

 

The third phase will commence on June 1st, this will be when shopping centres are expected to reopen. Although these dates are not entirely set in stone and things could change, this is the plan that was presented at Wednesday's meeting by prime ministers. Measures implemented will be analysed every 15 days. 

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