Council of Ministers Press Conference Thursday 8th July 2021
After another Council of Ministers, this Thursday, July 8, a new balance is made on the epidemiological situation in the country. The minister Mariana Vieira da Silva says that the daily average of cases rose 54%, so there will be more municipalities entering the list of high and very high risk. “Portugal remains in the red zone of the matrix,” stresses the minister.
There is one more municipality at high risk (last week there were 26) now 27.
- Albergaria-a-Velha
- Alenquer
- Aveiro
- Azambuja
- Bombarral
- Braga
- Cartaxo
- Constância
- Ílhavo
- Lagoa
- Matosinhos
- Óbidos
- Palmela
- Portimão
- Paredes de Coura
- Rio Maior
- Salvaterra de Magos
- Santarém
- Setúbal
- Sines
- Torres Vedras
- Trancoso
- Trofa
- Viana do Alentejo
- Vila Nova de Famalicão
- Vila Nova de Gaia
- Viseu
There are currently 33 municipalities at very high risk (19 a week ago), i.e. with an incidence of more than 240 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Which are in the red zone?
- Albufeira
- Alcochete
- Almada
- Amadora
- Arruda dos Vinhos
- Avis
- Barreiro
- Cascais
- Faro
- Lagos
- Lisboa
- Loulé
- Loures
- Lourinhã
- Mafra
- Mira
- Moita
- Montijo
- Mourão
- Nazaré
- Odivelas
- Oeiras
- Olhão
- Porto
- Santo Tirso
- São Brás de Alportel
- Seixal
- Sesimbra
- Silves
- Sintra
- Sobral de Monte Agraço
- Vagos
- Vila Franca de Xira
The Government has decided that from this Friday onwards a negative test or the digital certificate will be required for access (in the whole continental territory):
- To tourist and local accommodation establishments;
- Access to meals inside (does not apply to meals on terraces, for example) of restaurants located in high and very high risk municipalities (with effect from 19h on Friday and until 22h30), throughout the weekend.
“This means a reinforcement of security in the access to these establishments,” explains the Minister of the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva. One of the objectives of this requirement, she explains, is “the normalisation of restaurant opening hours” and “the maximisation of security, minimising restrictions”, she says.
“Today we have a new instrument for this and with this we can generalise its use and that is the effort we are making starting this week,” she added.
“We make a weekly assessment that we share with you here about the situation of the pandemic and the measures presented here are those that at this moment, given the evolution of the numbers,” contextualises the minister before justifying “the extension of the use of the digital certificate”.
The requirement to present a negative test or digital certificate applies:
- From 19h on Friday;
- All day Saturday
- The whole of Sunday;
- From Monday until 18h59 on Friday negative tests are not required.
Restaurants (and hotels) will also be able to sell self-tests so that clients can take covid-19 tests and access the interior of restaurant and hotel spaces, explains the Minister of Economy, Pedro Siza Vieira.
Four types of tests are allowed:
- PCR test, carried out within 72 hours prior to submission;
- Antigen test with laboratory report, carried out within 48 hours prior to its submission;
- Rapid antigen test using the self-test method, carried out within the 24 hours prior to submission in the presence of a health or pharmaceutical professional who certifies its performance and result;
- Rapid self-test antigen test carried out on the spot, at the door of the establishment to be visited, under the supervision of the persons in charge of these premises.
In the case of hotels, the measure applies nationwide, requiring the following:
- A negative test or the presentation of the digital certificate at check-in;
- The guest can carry out a self-test in front of a member of the reception staff.
- In both the catering and hotel sectors, the measure does not apply to children under the age of 12 who are accompanied by an adult, nor to employees of the establishments themselves.
The minister stressed that the obligations to respect the rules will be as much for those who frequent restaurants as for those who go to hotels. For customers, fines can range from 100 to 500 euros. For owners, fines can range from 1,000 to 10,000 euros.
The ban on entering and leaving the Lisbon metropolitan area on weekends has ended, confirms Mariana Vieira da Silva. The minister explains that since the Delta variant already “exists throughout the national territory”, the measure no longer makes sense. “They had as a fundamental objective the containment of the Delta variant. On the other hand, from now on we have other ways [of fighting the contagion], namely the use of the digital certificate in the access to restaurants and hotels”, she added.