On Thursday (July 30, 2020), the Council of Ministers approved a resolution that continues the process of lifting lockdown restrictions that began on April 30, 2020, renewing only the declaration of alert and contingency. This means that the entire country remains on alert, with the exception of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML), which is now entirely on contingency level, thus no longer distinguishing the 19 parishes that were under a state of calamity. But there are more changes.
State of alert and contingency
- Restaurants and similar establishments
- Bars and nightclubs
- Reopening of activities
- Gatherings of people
- Controls at airports
Rules from August 1
- State of alert and contingency
- Maintenance of the alert situation throughout the mainland, with the exception of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area;
- Maintenance of the contingency situation throughout the Lisbon Metropolitan Area;
- The state of calamity ceases to apply to the 19 parishes, where the contingency situation now applies;
Restaurants and similar establishments
The rules for the operation of restaurants and similar establishments remain in force, but the possibility of access to the public for new admissions is extended until midnight and these establishments are required to close at 1:00 a.m.
Bars and nightclubs
Bars, other drinking establishments without entertainment, and drinking establishments with dance floors remain closed, but may now operate as cafés or pastry shops without changing their economic activity classification, provided that they comply with DGS rules and the spaces intended for dancing remain unusable for that purpose.
Bars and nightclubs that choose this option may operate until 8:00 p.m. in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) and until 1:00 a.m. (with entry limited to midnight) in the rest of mainland Portugal, as may restaurants, which from Saturday (August 1, 2020) may operate with these extended hours.
Reopening of activities
National, regional, and municipal caves, whether public or private, are reopening.
Sports activities that were still closed are reopening, and specific rules are being defined for physical and sports activities—physical and sports activities, in a training and competitive context, can be carried out without an audience.
Gatherings
- Limit of 20 people for places in a state of alert;
- Limit of 10 people for places in a state of contingency, namely for the AML.
Controls at airports
Citizens flying to Portugal from countries outside the European Union will have to be accompanied by a Covid-19 test carried out in their country of origin - this will be the responsibility of the airlines before boarding, which risk fines of up to €2,000 for violating the rules.
Passengers from Schengen countries and 12 other countries considered safe by the European Union and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are exempt from presenting these tests.
Portuguese citizens or citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries who have not taken the test at the point of origin due to shortcomings in their country may do so immediately upon arrival at the airport and remain in isolation until the result is known.
"It is determined that passengers on flights originating in countries considered to be at epidemiological risk who do not present, at the time of departure, proof of a negative RT-PCR molecular test for SARS-CoV-2 infection, carried out within 72 hours prior to boarding, may be refused boarding. It is also clarified that the relevant body temperature is equal to or higher than 38ºC," reads the statement from the Council of Ministers.
It should be noted that all rules will be reassessed every 15 days, with the Executive having set the next assessment for August 13.
Source: idealistanews