The measures that will tighten Portugal’s lockdown

The Council of Ministers met this Monday to reassess the measures announced last week to impose a new general lockdown which came into force on Friday. Faced with the lack of compliance and the worsening of the pandemic numbers, the Portuguese government announced new measures that will tighten the current restrictions:

• The sale or delivery of products at the front door of any establishment is now prohibited;
• All restaurants in shopping centres, even those which could operate under the take-away regime, are closed;
• All sales campaigns, promotions and liquidations promoting the movement or concentration of people are prohibited;
• It is forbidden to stay for long periods in public outdoor spaces, such as gardens;
• Mayors are asked, as in March and April 2020, to limit access to places with a high concentration of people and to limit the use of park benches and playgrounds, and individual sports venues.
• All senior universities, day centres and social centres are closed;
• The ban on movement between municipalities on weekends is reinstated, and all establishments of any kind must close at 8 pm on weekdays, and at 1 pm on weekends, except for the food retail, which may extend to 5 pm on weekends.
• All employees working in-person need a credential issued by their employer, while all service companies with more than 250 workers have to send the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) a list of all employees working in-person;