New steps towards freedom confirmed to start August 1st

The Prime Minister, António Costa, confirmed yesterday that the restrictions on commerce and restaurants will end on August 1st, maintaining the mandatory use of digital certificates or negative tests indoors on bank holidays and weekends. Covid certificates or negative test results will also continue to be necessary for air and sea travel and entry into hotels/ accommodation, and within the new regulations this rule has been extended to entry into gym classes, spas, casinos, cultural events, weddings and baptisms.

“We will generically eliminate the time limitations on activities, and therefore both commerce, catering, and shows will be able to resume their normal hours, with a general limitation of everything being closed at two in the morning,” said the head of Government at ‘briefing’ after the meeting of the Council of Ministers yesterday, which took place today at Palácio da Ajuda, in Lisbon.

António Costa also stated that the elimination of these limitations is combined with the “intensive use” of the digital certificate or negative tests, which are still necessary to enter the closed spaces of restaurants on weekends and holidays, as well as to access tourist accommodation.

As part of the new deconfinement process, it was also announced that certificates or negative tests will continue to be required for air or sea travel, group classes in gyms, spas, casinos cultural events, weddings and baptisms.

It will also be necessary to use a digital certificate or a negative test in events (cultural, sporting or corporate) with more than 1,000 people in an open environment or 500 in a closed environment, and also for weddings and baptisms with more than 10 people.

In the first phase of distrust, starting on Sunday, weddings and baptisms may have a capacity of up to 50%, which will increase to 75% in the second phase as soon as 70% of the population has completed vaccination, something that Government estimates reaching in early September.

In the third phase, when 85% of the population has been fully vaccinated – something the Government is aiming for by October – the restaurants will be able to operate without limits on people per group.

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