Portugal to declare nationwide state of alert
The internal affairs minister and health minister are to announce a "the state of alert” throughout the country on Friday.
Portugal’s internal affairs minister and health minister are to announce a “the state of alert” throughout the country on Friday, putting the means of civil protection and security forces and services on standby.
The cabinet briefing began near 01:00 – a meeting that was interrupted late Thursday morning for prime minister António Costa to meet with all parties with parliamentary seats – and the measures adopted by the government to deal with the new coronavirus were announced.
Among the extraordinary and urgent measures in response to the epidemiological situation of the new coronavirus that have been approved by the government is the organisation of public services, “namely the strengthening of digital services, the establishment of frequency limitations to ensure the possibility of maintaining a security distance and the centralisation of information to citizens about the operation of services in person”.
It was also decided that the public authorities should accept “and for all legal purposes, the display of documents whose validity expires during the period of validity of this Decree-Law or in the 15 days immediately preceding or following”.
The restriction of the operation of discos and similar, the prohibition of passengers disembarking from cruise ships, except for residents in Portugal, the suspension of visits to old-people’s homes throughout the country and the establishment of frequency limitations in shopping centres and supermarkets to ensure the possibility of maintaining safety distance were other measures approved.
In a statement to the country on Thursday evening, António Costa announced that schools of all levels of education will suspend classroom activities from Monday due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
