Portugal goes into lockdown again as Covid-19 cases continue to rise

  • ECO News
  • 9 January 2021

"This new lockdown is going to be very close to what existed in March and April," said the Minister of the Presidency this Saturday.

It is official, the country is going into lockdown again, almost a year after the first one, at the beginning of the pandemic. The announcement was made by the Minister of the Presidency this Saturday, but further details will not be known until next week.

“This new lockdown is going to be very close to what existed in March and April, ensuring that we close nothing that has not been closed previously, such as the agriculture, industry, and distribution sector,” Mariana Vieira da Silva said this Saturday in statements broadcast by SIC Notícias.

Mariana Vieira da Silva also mentioned that “as soon as the Parliament approves the new decree on the state of emergency, the Council of Ministers will meet immediately to take decisions.”

This new lockdown was already anticipated since the government admitted it was almost certain. Prime minister António Costa wanted to listen to the political parties, but preferred to wait for Tuesday’s Infarmed meeting to decide on the specific measures to be implemented.