Due to the sustained Covid-19 contagion rate, Portugal has decided to impose a state of health emergency until November 23rd, announced Prime Minister Antonio Costa on November 8th. Curfew measures will be in place, and traveling on public roads will be forbidden on weekends after 13h.
“These are measures to control the pandemic without imposing a new generalized lockdown,” Costa said. “Unfortunately we have to minimize social interaction. It’s the only way to control the pandemic.”
The curfew will apply to 121 communes on lockdown, the Prime Minister said at the end of an extraordinary cabinet meeting. About 70% of Portuguese live in these communes.
In early to mid October, the number of daily contagions in Portugal rose from 2,000 to 6,000. On November 8th, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa declared that the state of health emergency will hopefully last until November 23rd. The measures are aimed at flattening the contagion rate curve. The government has chosen to impose these measures now in the hopes of avoiding stricter measures in the short term. Earlier this year, Portugal decided to implement a six-week state of emergency.
More information on the state of health emergency can be found here
