Government warns that next week a “further 16 municipalities” may be at very high risk

Yesterday, the Portuguese Government warned that next week, if the epidemiological situation continues, “another 16 municipalities” will be at a very high risk level of incidence of Covid-19, as Albufeira, Lisbon and Sesimbra are now.

“I would like to draw attention to the fact that, given the data for this week, next week, if they continue, we will have 16 more councils in this situation [of very high level of risk], mostly in the Metropolitan Area of ??Lisbon and Algarve regions” , said the Minister of State and Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, at a press conference, after the meeting of the Council of Ministers, in Lisbon.

There are also another 25 municipalities at high risk, which are: Alcochete, Almada, Amadora, Arruda dos Vinhos, Barreiro, Braga, Cascais, Grândola, Lagos, Loulé, Loures, Mafra, Moita, Montijo, Odemira, Odivelas, Oeiras, Palmela, Sardoal, Seixal, Setúbal, Sines, Sintra, Sobral de Monte Agraço and Vila Franca de Xira.

Of the 278 municipalities in mainland Portugal, 250 are in the new phase of the decontamination plan, in force since June 10th, able to further alleviate restrictions to control the pandemic.
But of these 250, there are also 19 municipalities in a state of alert, because they have registered for the first time. an incidence rate above the defined thresholds – 120 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days (or above 240 if they are municipalities with low population density).

The councils on a state of alert, close to reaching the high risk level are: Alenquer, Avis, Castelo de Vide, Castro Daire, Chamusca, Constance, Faro , Lagoa , Mira, Olhão , Paredes de Coura, Portimão, Porto, Rio Maior, Santarém, São Brás de Alportel , Silves , Sousel and Torres Vedras.

The rules are: mandatory teleworking when activities allow; restaurants, cafes and patisseries can be open until 22:30 during the week and until 15:30 on weekends and holidays (indoor with a maximum of four people per group and on terraces with a maximum of six people per group) ; cultural shows until 22:30; weddings and baptisms with 25% of the capacity; food retail until 21:00 during the week and until 19:00 at weekends and holidays and non-food retail until 21:00 during the week and until 15:30 at weekends and holidays.

Should these councils retreat in to the high risk category, the rules applicable are: mandatory telework when activities allow; restaurants, cafes and patisseries can be open until 22:30 (indoors with a maximum of six people per group and on the terrace with 10 people per group); cultural shows until 22:30; weddings and baptisms with 50% of the capacity; food and non-food retail trade until 21:00; permission to practice all sports, without public; permission to practice physical activity outdoors and in gyms; events abroad with reduced capacity, to be defined by the General Directorate of Health (DGS) and Citizen Shops with face-to-face service by appointment.

Information on the Government’s Covid-19 decontamination plan is available at https://covid19estamoson.gov.pt/.

For those councils not on alert or not at a level of high risk, the new phase of the deconfinement plan which came into force on June 10th, telework is recommended in activities that allow it; commerce can operate according to the respective licensing schedule; restaurants, cafes and patisseries (maximum of six people inside or 10 people on terraces) can be open until midnight for admission of customers and 01:00 for closing and cultural facilities can be open until 01:00 (excluded access, for entrance purposes, from 00:00), with the concert halls limited to a capacity of 50%.
Other rules that apply in this new stage are that public transport can circulate with a capacity of two-thirds, or with the entire capacity if they have only seating positions (taxis and transport vehicles in uncharacterized vehicles from electronic platforms – TVDE – with limited capacity for the rear seats); capacity for weddings and baptisms remains limited to 50% of the space; and amateur sports events can now have spectators, with reserved seats and capacity restricted to 33% of the space.

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