Communique of Council of Minister updates

Communiqué of the electronic Council of Ministers 11th March 2021 (Extract)
1.The Council of Ministers today approved the decree that regulates the state of emergency decreed by the President of the Republic.

The following changes are introduced compared to the current regime:

resumes, as of March 15, on-site educational and teaching activities in public, private and cooperative education establishments and in the social and solidarity sector, pre-school education and the 1st cycle, as well as day care centres, family day care centres and childminders;
resumes, as of March 15, of the on-site activities of family support and curriculum enrichment,
as well as activities provided in ATL’s, academic support centres and the like, only for children and students who resume educational and teaching activities
as of March 15, the possibility of restarting the activity of establishments of non-essential goods that intend to open their activity exclusively for the purpose of home delivery or goods available at the door of the establishment, at the entrance or through a collection service products previously purchased through remote media (click and collect);
as of March 15, it is determined that non-food retail stores and service provision activities in operation close at 21:00 on weekdays and at 13:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays and food retail trade activities close at 21:00 on weekdays and at 19:00 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays;
the pharmacies’ schedule is applicable to establishments selling non-prescription drugs (Parafarmácias);
as of March 15, in restaurants and similar drinks are allowed on take-away;
it is clarified that the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages in retail establishments, including supermarkets and hypermarkets and take-away (from 20:00) is applicable until 06:00;
as of March 15, the hairdressers, barbers, beauty institutes and similar are allowed to operate by appointment;
as of March 15th, it is allowed the opening of establishments that sell books and musical supports; car dealership and bicycle trade; real estate brokerage services; parks, gardens, green spaces and leisure spaces, as well as libraries and archives;
as of March 15, the ban on travel outside the continental territory, carried out by any means, namely road, rail, air, river or sea, by Portuguese citizens is lifted;
the prohibition of movement between municipalities applicable on the weekend of March 20 and 21, and daily from March 26, 2021.

Deconfinement plan – (Please read also our PowerPoint in English below)

2. A resolution was approved that establishes a gradual strategy for lifting the confinement measures in the context of combating the Covid-19 disease pandemic with four phases, with a period of 15 days between each one in order to assess the impacts of the measures on evolution of the pandemic, as well as levels of incidence and growth.

It is determined that the timetable foreseen for the different phases of deflation can be altered in view of certain epidemiological criteria for the definition of the control of the pandemic and also considering the existence of capacity of response by the National Health Service.

Strategy for lifting the confinement measures:

General rules

– teleworking whenever possible

– opening hours of establishments: 9:00 pm during the week; 1pm on weekends and holidays or 7pm for food retail

– ban on movement between municipalities, which will apply daily between 26/03 and 5/04 (Easter)

From 15 March

– measures defined in the decree regulating the state of emergency decreed by the President of the Republic

From 5 April

– 2nd and 3rd cycle of basic education (and ATLs for the same ages)

– social facilities in the area of disability

– museums, monuments, palaces, art galleries and the like

– stores up to 200 m2 with door to the street

– fairs and non-food markets (municipal decision)

– terraces (max 4 people)

– physical activity and training of individual sports for up to 4 people and gyms without group classes

From 19 April

– secondary and higher education (and ATLs for the same ages)

– cinemas, theatres, auditoriums, theatres

– citizen stores with face-to-face service by appointment

– all stores and shopping centres

– restaurants, cafes and pastry shops (max 4 people inside or 6 on terraces) until 10 pm or 1 pm at weekends and holidays

– physical activity and training of individual outdoor sports for up to 6 people and gyms without group classes

– outdoor events with reduced capacity

– weddings and baptisms with a 25% capacity

From 3 May

– restaurants, cafes and pastry shops (max 6 people inside or 10 on terraces) with no time limit

– physical activity and training of individual and collective sports

– large outdoor and indoor events with reduced capacity

– weddings and baptisms with 50% capacity

3. The decree-law establishing support measures for workers and companies in the context of the Covid-19 disease pandemic was approved.

Decree President of Republic Passed to Assembly of the Republic 10-3 Download
Council of Ministers PowerPoint 11th March – Informal English Translation Download