Government to approve lockdown easing plan effective from May 3

The government on Thursday will approve measures for the last phase of the lockdown easing plan that should include the return of major outdoor events, all sports and the lifting of hourly restrictions on restaurants, cafes and pastry shops.

The measures will come into effect on Monday, May 3, already outside the period of the state of emergency, which ends on Friday and will not be extended, by decision of the President.

In addition to the return of large outdoor and indoor events, in this case in groups with reduced capacity, the fourth and final phase of the easing plan provides for the lifting of hourly restrictions in restaurants, cafes and pastry shops, which have to limit the number of people at tables to six inside and 10 outside.

The return of all sports and physical activity in the open air and in gyms, as well as weddings and christenings, although with only 50% of the capacity, are also included in the plan.

However, the measures may be revised if Portugal exceeds 120 new cases of infection with the new coronavirus per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days, or if the transmissibility index (Rt) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus exceeds 1.

In the communication to the country on Tuesday, the president thanked the Portuguese for their efforts to comply with the restrictive measures but warned that he could decree a state of emergency again if the situation becomes complicated again.