Measures to take effect during the renewal of the state of emergency, beginning 24th November

The Portuguese Government have announced new measures to control the covid-19 pandemic, which include a ban on movement between municipalities between 27 November and 2 December, and 4 and 9 December, across the two bank holiday weekends.

Mainland Portugal will be, as of 00:00 on Tuesday (November 24), in a state of emergency, for 15 days, for the fifth time since the beginning of the pandemic, and new measures were decided at the meeting of the Council of Ministers Friday for that period.

Among them is also the mandatory use of masks in workplaces across the continent, as well as the tolerance of time and suspension of teaching activity on November 30 and December 7, just before national holidays.

The Government also called for the dismissal of private sector workers on those days.

The Executive also divided the 278 municipalities of the continent into four groups, according to the risk levels of transmission of the coronavirus that causes the covid-19 disease: “extremely high”, “very high”, “high” and “moderate”.

António Costa also announced the postponement of the quarterly payment of VAT and payments to Social Security and advanced that the Minister of Economy will announce support for commercial income next week.

The renewal of the state of emergency takes effect at 00:00 on Tuesday, one minute after the current one ends, and runs until 23:59 on December 8th.

These are the measures announced and that will take effect in those 15 days:

 Mainland Portugal 

– Prohibition of movement between municipalities between 23:00 on November 27 and 05:00 on December 02, and between 23:00 on December 04 and 05:00 on December 09.

– Suspension of teaching activity and call for the dismissal of private sector workers on 30 November and 7 December

– Mandatory use of a mask in the workplace.

“Extremely high” and “very high” risk counties – In addition to the measures applied to the entire continental territory, the following also apply:

– Prohibition of circulation on public roads between 11 pm and 5 am on weekdays.

– Prohibition of circulation on public roads on Saturdays and Sundays between 13:00 and 05:00.

– Prohibition of circulation on public roads on the 1st and 8th of December between 13:00 and 05:00.

– Closing of commercial establishments at 3 pm on November 30 and December 7.

– Supervision of compliance with mandatory teleworking.

– On business days, commercial establishments close until 22:00, except for restaurants and cultural facilities, which close until 22:30.

“High” risk counties – In addition to the measures applied to the entire continental territory, the following also apply:

– Prohibition of circulation on public roads between 23:00 and 05:00.

– Supervision of compliance with mandatory teleworking.

– On business days, commercial establishments close until 22:00, except for restaurants and cultural facilities, which close until 22:30.

Companies 

– The Government announced the postponement of the quarterly payment of VAT until the 30th of this month, which can also be paid in three or six installments without interest.

– Social security contributions also benefit from a payment deferral in three or six installments, also without interest.

– Support for restoration will be maintained in all municipalities where activity restrictions remain, with the announcement of the disclosure, next week, of additional measures to support restoration and retail.

Health 

– Procedure for hiring doctors of certain specialties will be streamlined by the end of the year.

– Extension, until December 31, 2021, of the validity of medical certificates for multipurpose disability.

– Increase in one working day of vacation for every five days of vacation due in 2020 or 2019 whose enjoyment does not take place until the end of the year for imperative reasons of service to health professionals.

– Health professionals will have one day of vacation for each period of 80 hours of normal work “effectively rendered” in that period.

– Health professionals will have a performance bonus, paid only once, corresponding to the amount equivalent to 50% of their basic monthly remuneration.

The 47 municipalities at “extremely high” risk, having more than 960 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants in the last 15 days, are:

– Alcanena

– Alfândega da Fé

– Amarante

– Amares

– Arouca

– Barcelos

– Belmonte

– Braga

– Caminha

– Castelo de Paiva

– Celorico da Beira

– Celorico de Basto

– Cinfães

– Crato

– Espinho

– Fafe

– Felgueiras

– Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo

– Freixo de Espada à Cinta

– Gondomar

– Guimarães

– Lousada

– Maia

– Manteigas

– Marco de Canaveses

– Matosinhos

– Oliveira de Azeméis

– Ovar

– Paços de Ferreira

– Paredes

– Penafiel

– Portalegre

– Porto

– Póvoa de Lanhoso

– Póvoa de Varzim

– Santa Maria da Feira

– Santo Tirso

– São João da Madeira

– Trofa

– Vale de Cambra

– Valença

– Valongo

– Vieira do Minho

– Vila do Conde

– Vila Nova de Famalicão

– Vila Nova de Gaia

– Vizela

The 80 counties with a “very high” risk level for having between 480 and 960 cases of covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants in the last 15 days are:

– Abrantes

– Águeda

– Albergaria-a-Velha

– Alijó

– Almada

– Amadora

– Arcos de Valdevez

– Arganil

– Armamar

– Aveiro

– Azambuja

– Baião

– Boticas

– Bragança

– Cabeceiras de Basto

– Cantanhede

– Cartaxo

– Cascais

– Chaves

– Constância

– Coruche

– Covilhã

– Esposende

– Estarreja

– Figueira da Foz

– Fundão

– Guarda

– Ílhavo

– Lamego

– Lisboa

– Loures

– Macedo de Cavaleiros

– Mangualde

– Mealhada

– Mêda

– Miranda do Corvo

– Mirandela

– Mogadouro

– Mondim de Basto

– Mora

– Murça

– Murtosa

– Nazaré

– Nisa

– Oeiras

– Odivelas

– Oleiros

– Oliveira de Frades

– Oliveira do Bairro

– Ourém

– Pampilhosa da Serra

– Penacova

– Penamacor

– Penela

– Pombal

– Ponte de Lima

– Proença-a-Nova

– Reguengos de Monsaraz

– Resende

– Sabrosa

– Sabugal

– Santa Marta de Penaguião

– São Pedro do Sul

– Sátão

– Seia

– Seixal

– Setúbal

– Sever do Vouga

– Sines

– Sintra

– Tarouca

– Torre de Moncorvo

– Vagos

– Valpaços

– Vila Franca de Xira

– Vila Nova de Foz Côa

– Vila Nova de Paiva

– Vila Pouca de Aguiar

– Vila Real

– Vila Verde

The 86 counties at “high” risk of contagion from covid-19, for registering more than 240 and up to 480 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants in the last 15 days are:

– Albufeira

– Alcácer do Sal

– Alcobaça

– Alcochete

– Alenquer

– Almeida

– Almeirim

– Anadia

– Ansião

– Arronches

– Arruda dos Vinhos

– Barreiro

– Batalha

– Benavente

– Cadaval

– Campo Maior

– Castelo Branco

– Castro Daire

– Chamusca

– Coimbra

– Condeixa-a-Nova

– Cuba

– Elvas

– Entroncamento

– Estremoz

– Évora

– Faro

– Gavião

– Grândola

– Idanha-a-Nova

– Lagoa

– Lagos

– Leiria

– Lousã

– Mafra

– Marinha Grande

– Melgaço

– Mesão Frio

– Mira

– Miranda do Douro

– Moita

– Monção

– Monforte

– Montalegre

– Montemor-o-Novo

– Montemor-o-Velho

– Montijo

– Mortágua

– Nelas

– Palmela

– Paredes de Coura

– Penalva do Castelo

– Penedono

– Peniche

– Peso da Régua

– Ponte da Barca

– Ponte de Sor

– Portimão

– Porto de Mós

– Redondo

– Ribeira de Pena

– Rio Maior

– Salvaterra de Magos

– Santarém

– São João da Pesqueira

– Sardoal

– Serpa

– Sesimbra

– Sobral de Monte Agraço

– Soure

– Terras de Bouro

– Tomar

– Tondela

– Torres Novas

– Torres Vedras

– Trancoso

– Viana do Alentejo

– Viana do Castelo

– Vila do Bispo

– Vila Nova da Barquinha

– Vila Nova de Cerveira

– Vila Nova de Poiares

– Vila Viçosa

– Vimioso

– Vinhais

– Viseu

The 65 counties at “moderate” risk of contagion from covid-19, for having less than 240 cases of covid-19 per 100 thousand inhabitants, are:

– Alandroal

– Alcoutim

– Aguiar da Beira

– Aljezur

– Aljustrel

– Almodôvar

– Alpiarça

– Alter do Chão

– Alvaiázere

– Alvito

– Arraiolos

– Avis

– Barrancos

– Beja

– Bombarral

– Borba

– Caldas da Rainha

– Carrazeda de Ansiães

– Carregal do Sal

– Castanheira de Pêra

– Castelo de Vide

– Castro Marim

– Castro Verde

– Ferreira do Alentejo

– Ferreira do Zêzere

– Figueiró dos Vinhos

– Fornos de Algodres

– Fronteira

– Golegã

– Góis

– Gouveia

– Loulé

– Lourinhã

– Mação

– Marvão

– Mértola

– Moimenta da Beira

– Monchique

– Moura

– Mourão

– Óbidos

– Odemira

– Olhão

– Oliveira do Hospital

– Ourique

– Pedrógão Grande

– Pinhel

– Portel

– Santa Comba Dão

– Santiago do Cacém

– São Brás de Alportel

– Sernancelhe

– Sertã

– Silves

– Sousel

– Tábua

– Tabuaço

– Tavira

– Vendas Novas

– Vidigueira

– Vila Flor

– Vila de Rei

– Vila Real de Santo António

– Vila Velha de Ródão

– Vouzela

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