Masks only required in high-risk, crowded places
It will continue to be mandatory to wear masks in various enclosed spaces, namely public transport, nursing homes, hospitals, supermarkets and concert halls.
The use of masks will only be required on public transport, in supermarkets, homes and hospitals and entertainment halls and significant events as of October 1, according to the measures of the third phase of unlocking announced on Thursday.
The Prime Minister, António Costa, announced the decision, which comes into force on October 1, at a press conference following today’s cabinet meeting, where the government approved the passage to the third phase of easing lockdown and associated measures in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Costa said that the criteria behind this decision were criteria of places with high frequency, such as public transport, places of risk, such as nursing homes and hospitals, and places with large crowds of people for more extended periods, such as concert halls.
The Prime Minister announced today that the country’s positive evolution in the control of Covid-19 would allow it to move from the current state of contingency to a situation of alert from October 1.
“We are in a position to move to the third phase of the [restriction relief] plan of last July 29. Portugal will move from the current state of contingency to a situation of alert from 1 October,” he said.
In Portugal, since March 2020, 17,938 people have died from Covid-19, and there have been 1,064,876 cases of infection, according to data from the health authority (DGS).
