Portugal’s PM announces new measures for next weekend

In the next state of emergency, from 8 to 15 January, the rules currently in force will be extended. Already over the coming weekend, in all municipalities of the country with more than 240 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, movement between municipalities will be banned and an additional curfew from 1 pm to 5 am will be imposed.

The measures only do not apply in 25 municipalities, where the incidence of the virus is less than 240 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the Prime Minister announced after the Council of Ministers meeting. António Costa also warned that the measures could be tightened before the end of the state emergency.

The state of emergency was decreed for seven days instead of the usual 15 days, a decision justified at the time by the lack of available data to analyse the evolution of the pandemic during the Christmas and New Year period.

These are the 25 municipalities where the risk is moderate and therefore the tightest measures will not apply this weekend:

• Alcoutim
• Aljezur
• Almeida
• Arronches
• Barrancos
• Carrazeda de Ansiães
• Castanheira de Pêra
• Castelo de Vide
• Coruche
• Ferreira do Alentejo
• Freixo de Espada à Cinta
• Lagoa
• Manteigas
• Monchique
• Odemira
• Pampilhosa da Serra
• Proença-a-Nova
• Resende
• Santiago do Cacém
• Sardoal
• Sernancelhe
• Sines
• Torre de Moncorvo
• Vila de Rei
• Vila do Bispo