Covid-19: PM foresees no need for new state of emergency

Prime Minister António Costa has called for a meeting of specialists and politicians this Friday at Infarmed, concerning the evolution of the epidemiological situation of Covid-19 in Portugal.

The last meeting at Infarmed, in Lisbon, was held on 16th September, at a time when Portugal was recording significant progress in the evolution of the vaccination rate, and reduction in the incidence and transmission rate (Rt) of Covid-19.

This Friday’s meeting, scheduled for 15:00hrs, takes place at a time when the process of vaccinating people over 65 and health professionals with a third dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 is underway, but when Portugal is registering an increase in both the incidence of the disease and the transmission indicators.

The Prime Minister said he does not foresee the need for a new state of emergency, but assured that despite the dissolution of parliament, the Government will not hesitate to adopt more restrictive measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic if necessary.

“I honestly do not anticipate that we will have to adopt measures that imply a state of emergency”, said António Costa, stressing that “the parliament, even dissolved, will maintain measures to monitor the Government’s performance.”

Costa admitted being “concerned by the evolution of the number of infected by the new coronavirus”, but stressed that he did not consider it “predictable that such strict measures will have to be taken again”, given that vaccination has “not only greatly decreased the incidence rate” but, above all, has “also ensured that even people who are infected are less severely affected”.