Nighttime curfews are back for Portugal’s highest risk municipalities – nine of which are now in the Algarve.
Presenting the latest decisions by the Council of Ministers, Mariana Vieira da Silva said that “there are no conditions for maintaining the pandemic controlled”.
Contagions are spreading in younger age groups, she explained, while older people already vaccinated are showing “significantly lower” incidences of infection.
This has powered the idea that an 11 pm curfew in ‘problematic areas’ will stop younger age groups mixing to the degree that they are, and thus reduce the current rapid spread of the Delta variant.
The curfews are for everyone, she stressed – even those who may be in possession of Covid Digital Certificates.
They will come into force from tomorrow (Friday evening), with people only ‘allowed out of their homes’ at 5am the following day.
The curfews apply to 19 municipalities of “very elevated risk” and a further 26 of “elevated risk”.
The first group includes: Albufeira, Sesimbra and Lisbon (in the same position as they were last week) plus Almada, Amadora, Barreiro, Cascais, Constância, Loulé, Loures, Mafra, Mira, Moita, Odivelas, Oeiras, Olhão, Seixal, Sintra, and Sobral de Monte Agraço.
As well as this new limitation on circulation, these municipalities have to follow the following measures:
- Obligatory remote working when the job permits
- Closure during week of restaurants and cafés at 10.30pm (inside tables taking a maximum of four people, outside a maximum of six)
- Closure at weekends of restaurants and cafés at 3.30pm
- Cultural ‘spectacles’ (shows) to stop at 10.30mpm
- Weddings/ Baptisms to be allowed 25% capacity
- Gymnasiums without any group classes
- Shops open during week until 9pm
- Shops open during weekends until 3.30pm
- Food shops open during weekends until 7pm
With these new rules, Greater Lisbon’s two-weekends of ‘lockdown’ are remaining in place, meaning the capital will be locked down from 6pm on Friday (not 3pm as in the last two weekends) until 6am on Monday.
The 26 municipalities of elevated risk are: Alcochete, Alenquer, Arruda dos Vinhos, Avis, Braga, Castelo de Vide, Faro, Grândola, Lagoa, Lagos, Montijo, Odemira, Palmela, Paredes de Coura, Portimão, Porto, Rio Maior, Santarém, São Brás de Alportel, Sardoal, Setúbal, Silves, Sines, Sousel, Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira.
Their restrictions for the time being almost the same as those in the “very elevated risk bracket”, with the exception that gyms are still allowed to run group classes, weddings and baptisms are not so restricted and the numbers allowed in restaurants and cafés are slightly higher: a maximum of six inside at a table at one time, and 10 per table on outside terraces. Restaurants and cafés are also not restricted at weekends, in other words, they can run seven days a week until 10.30pm.
Meantime, a further 22 municipalities have been put ‘on alert’, for numbers in their areas already exceeding 120 infections per 100.000 (or 240 in low density areas). These municipalities are: Albergaria-a-Velha, Aveiro, Azambuja, Cartaxo, Bombarral, Idanha-a-Nova, Ílhavo, Lourinhã, Matosinhos, Mourão, Nazaré, Óbidos, Salvaterra de Magos, Santo Tirso, Trancoso, Trofa, Vagos, Viana do Alentejo, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Vila Nova de Gaia and Viseu.
The press briefing heard that the country’s “capacity for vaccinating rapidly” was being constantly assured by new arrivals of vaccines.
The over-60s waiting for their second dose of AstraZeneca will “all be vaccinated on July 11”, she said – stressing that incidence in the vaccinated population was much lower than in the non-vaccinated.
“We should all be vaccinated when our time comes”, she insisted.
