Portugal may change from a state of calamity to a state of contingency on July 1

Government projections show that on July 1 the country may go from a state of calamity to one of contingency. After the Council of Ministers meeting, António Costa also said that regions such as the Algarve and Alentejo could even move to a “mere state of alert.”

“If we continue to evolve positively as it has been happening, we forecast that from July 1st we can make a change from a state of calamity to a state of contingency, and perhaps some regions like the Algarve and Alentejo, even already to a mere state of alert,” the Prime Minister said in a press conference.

Besides that, from 15 June onwards, some changes will be applied to the third phase of deconfinement, with new rules and measures in force throughout the country. These are the new rules and measures:

• The special limitations established for the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon are no longer in force – concentrations of up to 20 people are now permitted (the limit was ten people); establishments with an area of over 400 square metres or inserted in shopping centres and the respective food and drink consumption areas are no longer suspended;
• Water parks and language schools and tutoring centres are opened;
• The rule of limiting the circulation of private vehicles with more than five seats to two-thirds of the occupants is extended to the whole territory, unless all occupants are from the same household, because of the difficulty of social distancing in motor vehicles, especially in the transport of workers;
• Continues to be established as a rule that facilities that have resumed or will resume their activity may not open before 10 a.m.;
• It is determined that activities and spaces that remain closed may open when they have specific guidance from the Directorate-General for Health.