With the increase of new cases of coronavirus in Europe, the Government of Portugal has decided to take a few steps back with regard to the advances towards a “new normal”. Beginning in December, Portugal returns to the “state of calamity”, superior to the “state of alert” current during the months of October and November. The indication of more severity in the scale of risks of the pandemic will have practical effects: the first of them being a return to the requirement of masks in closed places, such as bars, restaurants, shops and shows, for instance.
According to the Portuguese Government, considering the rate of incidence of cases of coronavirus in November, specialists agree that, if no measures were taken, Portugal might register around 10 thousand cases at Christmas, reaching 40 deaths a day. With that, the return to a state of calamity holds items that are essential for the containment of the pandemic, such as the obligatory use of masks in the street, that may be analyzed again by the Portuguese parliament, as proposed by the Socialist Party.
And, close to one of the most important dates of the year, Christmas, there will also be rules for those who enter Portugal, obliged to present a PCR test or negative antigen for Covid-19 in order to enter the country, even for travellers who have already been vaccinated. The fine for airlines that do not require the tests is € 20 thousand (R$ 124 thousand) for each passenger that disembarks on Portuguese soil without the necessary verification.
With that, the digital certificate becomes obligatory again for those who wish to go to restaurants, tourist spots, musical and sporting events, and gyms. Another important measure taken by the Portuguese government is the creation of the week of containment of contacts. This means that the year-end holidays in the country will be prolonged by seven more days, and students will go back to school on the 10th of January, instead of on the 3rd The measure aims to prolong the tracking of cases and reducing the chances of contagion after the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
