Circulation restrictions in place this weekend, and over Easter

Circulation between municipalities in mainland Portugal is again banned between 8 pm today, Friday 19th March and 5 am on Monday 22nd March, within the scope of the state of emergency to help combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to this weekend, the ban on circulation between the 278 municipalities of Portugal will be also applied during the Easter period, every day, from Friday March 26th to Monday April 5th, according to the Government plan.

The measure intends to “guarantee that Easter is not a time of travel and meeting, but, on the contrary, another period of confinement”, justified the Prime Minister, António Costa, in the presentation of the deconfination plan.

“It is forbidden to move outside the municipality of the domicile in the period between 8:00 pm on Friday and 5:00 am on Monday this weekend, and then daily, from March 26th, without prejudice but with exceptions provided for in article 11 of decree no. 9/2020, of 21 November, which are applicable with the necessary adaptations”, reads the Government diploma regulating the current period of state of emergency.

The current 13th state of emergency, came in to force on March 17th and ends at 23:59 on March 31st, however to ensure the ban on movement between municipalities is applied during the Easter period, the state of emergency has been extended for eight days.

According to the Government diploma, there are a number of exceptions to the prohibition of movement between municipalities, including travel for the performance of professional functions (as attested by a statement issued by the employer or equivalent), for health reasons and for the fulfillment of parental responsibilities.

In addition to this restriction, the 13th state of emergency maintains the “general duty of home care”, in which the main rule is to stay at home, determining that “citizens cannot move in public spaces and roads, as well as in spaces and private roads similar to public roads, and must remain in their respective homes, except for authorised trips”, such as to buy essential goods and services,, or to practice physical and sports activities in the open air.

Original article available in Portuguese at http://postal.pt/