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The President of the Republic spoke to the country regarding the renewal of the state of emergency for another 15 days. From the Palace of Belém, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced that the measures that will now enter into force will continue until the 17^th of April, when the state of emergency may or may not be renewed once more.

“This will perhaps be our biggest challenge in the last 45 years”, warns Marcelo.

The covid-19 pandemic “brutally aggravates poverty and inequality”, notes the President of the Republic. Also for this reason, “its economic and social effects will be more profound and lasting than the longest crises we have ever lived”, anticipates the head of state.

“We cannot cheapen the consolidation of the first phase”, warns the President of the Republic, after congratulating the Portuguese people for their efforts throughout the State of Emergency.

Highlighting the countless sectors in Portugal that have not rested, the President described four phases in the fight against Covid-19.

The first is characterised by exponential growths of the pandemic, the second by the deceleration of the outbreak and treating patients with mild symptoms at home. In the third phase, the most serious cases caused by the pandemic will have to be faced, and in the fourth phase progressive stabilization is expected of Portuguese collective life.

Marcelo de Sousa emphasized the need to focus on five fundamental objectives, as follow:

• Protecting at-risk groups, wherever they live, whether at home, in our home, or on the street;
• Use common sense to open the state of emergency to prevent situations of rupture in prison establishments, particularly among the population at greatest risk;
• To ensure that despite the many reasons – which there are – for tiredness and anxiety, this Easter we shall not exchange a few years in the life and health of everyone for a few days of vacation or extended family reunion of some;
• To ask that our compatriots who want to come from abroad comply with the strict recommendations that we will adopt for Easter and rethink to postpone their plans;
• Defining the scenarios for the academic year, taking into account the evolution of the pandemic for April.

During this second phase, the President said that “we must win the second phase and conquer April”, and warned that “we will only conquer April if we don’t let our guard down”. Additionally, he reminded us that other situations have shown that previous journeys to home towns have prolonged the pandemic for an added 30 days.

The President warns that the number of infected will reach the tens of thousands, but the next weeks will be the most decisive and there will also be tens of thousands of lives saved.

 

In a briefing with reporters following the Council of Ministers meeting, Prime Minister António Costa relayed a set of main measures contained in the decree.

Firstly, the PM affirmed that a set of rules for clarification of previous provisions will be established. For instance, there should be no gathering of more than 5 people, except of course people with family ties and large families.

Two very important measures concern the extension of the deadline for owners to clean the forests to 30th April, not forgetting the enormous risk of forest fire in the country. Additionally, there is a clarification of the exemption from user fees for covid-19 patients, whether during a diagnosis or a treatment phase.

Easter constitutes a particularly critical moment and one when it is essential to restrict circulation in the national territory.

Between 00h on Thursday 9th and 24h on Monday 13th, any travel outside the municipality of habitual residence will be prohibited, except naturally for those who have to travel for the exercise of professional activities that are allowed, or in the 3 municipalities which have territorial discontinuity ( such as Vila Real de Santo António, Montijo and Oliveira de Azeméis).

Workers who need to move to another concelho during the five days when the restriction on circulation will be tighter,  must have a declaration from the employer to prove their work address, says the prime minister.

In the same period, all national airports will be closed for passenger traffic. Cargo flights, humanitarian nature, Portuguese repatriation flights or State flights and military nature are maintained.

Other restrictive measures: The Minister of Health and the Minister of Internal Administration, taking into account WHO recommendations, will define countries / territories from which travel will require a medical consultation, in view of preventing infections from occurring.

Air transport will have a limitation of capacity set to only one third, in order to ensure the greatest possible social distance. This is a measure that has already taken place with public transportation, which will continue in effect.

In addition, measures will be taken in regard to strengthening the authorities’ competences for working conditions. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister says, in this period and despite the measures that have been adopted to support the sustainability of companies, there have been abuses. Therefore, inspectors may be required to reinforce the framework for labour inspections.

António Costa stressed that “no one has the right to take advantage of this circumstance to abuse and exploit workers or consumers”.

Finally, a law proposal will be submitted to the AR, in line with appeals launched by the United Nations High Commissioner and the Ombudsman that aim to prevent the pandemic in prisons.

The process by which the President of the Republic can grant a release of prisoners for humanitarian reasons will be streamlined (for instance, people at risk due to old age and underlying illnesses).

A partial pardon of prison sentences may be given to those serving sentences of up to 2 years or the last 2 years of their sentences, excluding those who have committed particularly heinous crimes such as murder, rape, abuse of minors, domestic violence,  or those with special responsibilities including security, armed forces or political office holders.

The partial forgiveness of sentences is subject to a condition of respect for house confinement and the absence of any type of criminal act. If this condition is broken, the release will be reversed.

 

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On 24th and 25th December the GNR, in addition to their daily operational activities, carried out a series of operations aimed at preventing and combating violent crime, through roadside inspections in the following districts / territorial commands:

Aveiro; Beja; Braga; Bragança;  Coimbra; Evora; Faro;  Leiria; Lisbon;Porto; Portalegre; Santarém; Setúbal; Viana do Castelo; Vila Real and Viseu.

As a result of these operations 51 persons were arrested as follows: 29 for driving under the influence of alcohol; 12 for driving without legal authorization; one for theft;  four for drug trafficking; one for possession of prohibited weapons and three for other crimes. 

Most significant seizures were: 147.78 doses of heroin; 34,36 doses of cocaine; 668.45 doses of hashish; a firearm; one private motor vehicle; 300 Swiss francs and 540 euros.

A total of 6225 drivers were checked and 2171 offenses were detected including: 65 driving with alcohol level higher exceeding the legal limit (in 6438 tests) and 1386 speeding (in 84 502 controls). 

For provisional data of road accidents were registered: 469 accidents; five dead; 11 serious injuries and 114 minor injuries.

On 24th December in the early morning  an armed robbery took place at the Vila Gale Cerro Alagoa Hotel (a 4 star hotel) in Albuferia.

Two men with their faces covered in stockings and armed, threatened a receptionist and fled with Euros 600.

The Judicial Police are investigating. 

It was reported on 23rd December that the PSP had arrested in Olhao three men aged 27-30 years and a woman for drug trafficking.

the arrests following an 8 month investigation and during the operation a total of 25,954 of hashish, an adapted firearm, two alarm pistols, an extendable baton and Euros 8730 in cash was seized.

The persons arrested have been placed in remand pending trial.