Portugal: New festive lockdown measures announced

• 23 December, 21

Prime minister, António Costa, has appealed to the Portuguese to contain “as much as possible, Christmas celebrations to their family nucleus”, warning that this Christmas will not be “normal”.

“I appeal to the families to try to prevent the Christmas celebration from involving lots of people and in a large extended family groups. This is not yet the normal new Christmas in our lives and that is why I appeal to everyone to contain as much as possible the Christmas celebrations in their family nucleus”, he asked.

What are the new rules?

• Ban on more than 10 people on public roads on New Year’s Eve
• Free tests increasing
• Discos and bars closed from Saturday
• Mandatory remote working from 25 December
• Mandatory test at all sporting and cultural events
• Closing of day care centres and ATL
• Commercial spaces with limited capacity – The capacity of commercial spaces will be limited to one person for every five square meters to “avoid crowding”.
• Negative test required at New Year’s Eve parties, casinos and restaurants – Access to restaurants, casinos and New Year’s Eve parties will require a negative test for Covid-19, which will cover the 24th, 25th, 30th and 31st of December and January 1st.

Cre: Portugalnews