Portugal advances in distrust but, for now, still with masks

Decision to end the obligation to wear a mask in the street only in September, when the Assembly of the Republic reconvenes

Photo: João Bica

Portugal will move to the next phase of deconfinement, with the relief of the rules, already on Monday, the 23rd, but a decision on the revocation of the mandatory use of masks on public roads will have to wait for the return of the Assembly of the Republic, which will only happen in early September.

At the press conference that followed today's Council of Ministers, Mariana Vieira da Silva, Deputy Minister and of the Presidency, announced that the measures that will enter into force will come into force. were already planned for almost a month, when 70% of the population had completed vaccination.

The exception is, for now, the end of the obligation to wear a mask on public roads.

According to Mariana Vieira da Silva, despite the Government having announced, on 29 July, that in September it would be possible to remove the masks in the street, the decision to make the use of this protection «was taken in the Assembly of the Republic». body can revoke the measure.

What changes is, from the outset, the passage from a state of calamity to a state of contingency, which is less serious.

There will also be an increase in the number of weddings, baptisms and cultural shows, which rises to 75%.

Public transport will no longer have a capacity limit, while public services will operate without prior appointment, in this case, from 1 September.

In restaurants, cafes and patisseries, eight people per table can be accommodated inside and 15 outside. Commercial establishments can now have eight people per 100 square meters.

The general measures remain the same as in August, namely with regard to commercial hours and the certificate and the requirement of a negative test at weekends in restaurants and trips, as well as in gyms and sports events with more than a thousand person or 500 people in the case of a closed environment.

This alleviation of restrictions takes place more than a week ahead of schedule, since, initially, it was only expected to reach this level of vaccination coverage in September.

However, the vaccination process has proceeded at a high pace. Portugal is, moreover, "one of the countries in the world with the highest rates of complete vaccination, above the European Union average".

This relief comes at a time when our country "is on a plateau" and the number of new daily cases is very far from those seen in January, at the peak of the previous wave of the pandemic.

“In admissions, the difference is even more significant. We never approached the red lines defined in March. In intensive care, the situation is identical and we are at about half the safety level of 255 cases," said the minister.

Deaths, on the other hand, "are stable" and with "signs of decrease".

The green light to open society further gives a signal that the situation is improving, but Mariana Vieira da Silva made it clear that it is not time to relax yet, as in the past «the pandemic has already surprised» .

Thus, it is necessary to maintain personal care and avoid gatherings, among other preventive measures.

 


 

 

 



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