Portugal’s President rules out fresh emergency; sees new phase in Covid-19 battle

  • Lusa
  • 28 April 2020

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced that the state of emergency will end at midnight on May 2 at midnight.

Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, on Tuesday announced that the state of emergency will end at midnight on May 2 and that the country will enter the phase of opening up the economy and society, step by step.

“The state of emergency will end after this second renewal on May 2 at midnight,” the head of state said. “It is hoped that it will not be necessary in the future to resort to the state of emergency again. If necessary, this will be considered.”

According to de Sousa, who was speaking to journalists at the headquarters in Lisbon of Infarmed, the national medicines agency, following a briefing by health and science experts, Portugal is now entering a “third phase” of the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.

This phase, he said, “remains one of controlling the situation” but now with “a resumption or an opening – either of the terms can be applied – by small steps.”