Most Portuguese regions will enter the third phase of easing COVID-19 exclusion next week, but stricter rules will remain in place in municipalities where transmission rates remain high, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Thursday.
“This set of measures is neither price nor punishment,” Antonio Costa told a news conference. “These are social measures for the safety of the population, for people.”
Portugal, which imposed a blockade in January to curb the then-worst COVID-19 boom, began lifting restrictions last month and has since reopened some schools, restaurant and café terraces, museums and hair salons.
For the past two weeks, people have been flocking outside to enjoy the warmer spring weather, to see friends and family, and to enjoy a meal outside after more than two months.
As of Monday, high schools, universities, cinemas, shopping malls and indoor restaurants will reopen in the vast majority of the 278 municipalities on the Portuguese mainland, but under restrictions to reduce the risk of contamination.
Outdoor events, weddings, baptisms can also be resumed, but under capacity rules.
However, in municipalities where the limit of 120 cases per 100,000 people has been reached, the rules will differ.
Seven municipalities, including the tourist town of Albufeira in the southern Algarve region, known for its beaches and golf courses but now almost deserted, will not go to the third phase of the closure.
With a step back, four municipalities, such as the largest city in the western Algarve Portimao, will introduce stricter closure rules, such as closing cafe terraces and other non-essential businesses.
“It’s really a fight against the pandemic we have to do together,” Costa said. “The effort cannot be wasted until the vaccination process is effective.”
Portugal, a country of just over 10 million, has suffered 829,358 cases and 16,933 deaths since the start of the pandemic. It has so far administered nearly 2.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
No crisis in recent history has hit Portugal’s tourism – dependent economy so hard, with GDP shrinking by 7.6% last year, its biggest annual slump since 1936.
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