Marriages limited to 50 people, gatherings limited to 5 people, proposal for mask to be mandatory and heavier fines for non-compliant establishments.
Prime Minister António Costa decided to speak on Wednesday at the end of the Council of Ministers to announce the move from the “contingency state” to the “state of calamity” throughout the country in the fight against the covid-19 pandemic. More restrictive measures are applied, such as limiting the roundups to 5 people, limiting marriages to 50 people, banning academic parties or starting a legislative process for the mask to become mandatory on the street.
- Gatherings limited to 5 people on public road: it means a reduction in half, in a measure that will come into force as early as midnight on Wednesday. Until now, it was possible to have gatherings of 10 people.
- Marriages limited to 50 people: the Government assumes that celebrations are a problem after the Directorate-General of Health admitted last week that 67% of the new infections resulted from three Bs: Baptisms, banquets and weddings. António Costa that all events scheduled from now on are left with this limited capacity and also with the obligation to comply with all the rules. This, of course, without exaggeration. “We will not forbid the bride and groom to kiss,” the Prime Minister said.
- Prohibition of all academic celebrations in universities and polytechnics: Measure comes after news of infections in academic festivals, at a time of the school year fruitful to this type of activities.
- Fines of 10,000 euros for commercial establishments that violate the rules.
- The Government immediately recommends the use of a mask on the public road, whenever physical distancing cannot be continued, and it will also present next Monday a bill in Parliament to urge the mandatory use of mask on public road whenever justified;
- Government will present a bill in Parliament so that the app #StayAwayCovid become mandatory in the schools, public administration, general labor, and armed forces.