Graça Freitas: «It is necessary to reduce contacts, but without ceasing to live»

The general director of Health, Graça Freitas, said today that it is necessary to reduce contacts, but without giving up living, working, going to school, theatre, cinema or shopping.

“We have to continue to live. We just have to reduce the number of contacts, without stopping going to work, school, theatre, cinema, or shopping” said Graça Freitas at the usual press conference on the situation of the pandemic in Portugal, during which she thanked to the health professionals who have been following the patients for eight months.

Addressing citizens in general, the Director-General of Health recalled that the only measures against the spread of the new coronavirus, which causes Covid-19 disease, are behaviors.

“Today, eight months have passed since the first case of Covid-19 in Portugal and we all learned with each passing day. I appeal not to let our guard down, no matter how tired we are,” he said.

"We are in an ascending phase and it is our responsibility to flatten the curve", he added, insisting that the fewer contacts there are in the day-to-day, the less chance there is of transmitting the disease.

Graça Freitas also explained what she means when she refers to a bubble in the warnings she has made so that people do not mix up contact bubbles.

“What is a bubble? It's an isolated place where I can be with some people. It's the family that lives in the same house. Our friends and colleagues are not from my bubble. We cannot make it easy at work and at school when we are more relaxed”, he explained.

“It's at home, social life, work that we have to make an extra effort every day”, he stressed.

Graça Freitas also appealed to those responsible for different sectors of activity to create conditions so that students, workers, visitors to spaces and shows can be safe.

Portugal today surpassed the maximum number of deaths and hospitalizations by Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with the record of 46 deaths and 2.255 hospitalized patients, 294 of which in intensive care, according to the General Directorate of Health (DGS).