Covid-19 in Portugal: decontamination measures

April 30, 2020

In Portugal, containment began in mid-March when there were still only around 100 confirmed cases of covid-19 in the country. A progressive decontainment plan associated with a timetable was put in place by the Council of Ministers on April 30, 2020 in order to contain the evolution of covid-19 in Portugal. The measures are being implemented in 3 phases:

the first measures will come into force on May 4,
then on May 18,
then on June 1.

These measures are not “fixed” and may be reversible, but nothing is certain and everything will depend on the evolution of covid-19 in Portugal. The aim is to: “boost the economy by controlling the pandemic”.

Masks must be worn in enclosed spaces (supermarkets, public transport, all enclosed spaces).

All the re-openings mentioned in this article are subject to restrictions on distance, number of people, wearing of masks, hygiene, pre-bookings and pre-marked appointments, and so on.

Restaurants – Cafés

may 18, 2020: reopening of restaurants, cafés, pastelarias (bakeries, pastry shops). Measures to be observed include:

limit capacity by half,
provide hydro-alcoholic gel at the entrance,
separate tables by at least one meter,
employees must wear masks.

Bars: no reopening date for the moment

Bars-restaurants – covid-19 in Portugal

Work

may 4, 2020: for companies that can use teleworking, teleworking will remain the norm.

june 1, 2020: telecommuting will continue to be the preferred option, but return to companies with arrangements such as shifts during the day or from one week to the next, or staggered working hours. The aim of these measures is to avoid peak hours on public transport and too many workers on company premises

Telecommuting – covid-19 in Portugal

Schools

may 4, 2020: universities will be able to decide whether or not to return to face-to-face teaching. The rectors of the universities of Porto, Coimbra and Lisbon have already indicated that all face-to-face courses will remain suspended until the end of this academic year.

may 18, 2020: resumption of some face-to-face courses with modified timetables for the first (11 ano) and final (12 ano) years. Reopening of crèches(optional: parents can continue to benefit from state aid until June 1).

june 1, 2020 : reopening of kindergartens (pré escola).

September: no reopening before September from CP (1 ano) to seconde (10 ano). Distance learning activities will continue until the end of the school year.

Examinations: School examinations for access to higher education will continue but will be postponed. The new dates are July 6 to 23(1st phase) and September 1 to 7 (2nd phase).

School – covid-19 in Portugal

Shops

may 4, 2020: reopening of small shops(up to 200m2), bookshops and hairdressers (by appointment).

may 18, 2020 : stores up to 400m2 re-open.

june 1, 2020 : reopening of shopping centers and department stores (over 400m2).

Photo credit: @maxresdefault

Leisure – Sports

may 4, 2020: reopening of individual sports facilities, such as tennis courts and golf courses. Libraries reopen.

may 18, 2020: museums, monuments and galleries reopen.

june 1, 2020 : return of professional soccer matches behind closed doors, in a limited number of stadiums. Cinemas and theaters reopen.

Sports halls, discotheques, churches: no reopening date for the moment.

Public services

may 4, 2020 : most public service counters reopen.

june 1, 2020 : reopening of the loja do cidadão.

Hotels

Tourism is one of the pillars of Portugal’s economy. It alone accounts for 15% of GDP. According to a study by Oxford Economics, the number of tourists to Portugal is set to fall by 40% in 2020(compared with 2019). Portugal would be the country most affected by the drop in tourism, after Italy and Spain.

june 1, 2020: hotels should gradually reopen, but nothing was confirmed at the Council of Ministers meeting on April 30, 2020.

A “Clean & Safe” label for tourism professionals has been introduced. Its purpose is to indicate to customers establishments that guarantee compliance with hygiene and cleaning requirements for the prevention and control of Covid-19 in Portugal. The label, valid for 1 year, can be obtained free of charge from April 24 on Turismo de Portugal’s digital platforms:

RNET ( National Register of Tourist Enterprises ) or
RNAAT ( National Register of Tourist Agents ) or
RNAVT ( National Register of Travel and Tourism Agents ).

This label will be issued by the Turismo de Portugal organization, which will carry out regular random checks.

Clean & Safe label – covid-19 in Portugal

Beaches

The Prime Minister is recommending that residents of Portugal plan their summer vacations in Portugal, but nothing has been announced yet about summer vacations. Here’s what might be in store for beaches this summer:

Some beaches may not open,
A system to limit the number of visitors will probably be put in place, depending on the space available on the sand and in order to respect a distance of 2 meters between people,
Mask use will probably be compulsory in beach restaurants and bars.

In the meantime, from May 4, 2020: beaches will be accessible only to people wishing to practice a water sport (no more than 10 people together).

Beaches – covid-19 in Portugal. Photo credit: @profissionaisdesaudept

Borders – Flights

The land border between Spain and Portugal is closed at least until May 14, 2020, with the exception of 9 land crossings subject to severe restrictions (restrictions in detail on this page of the French Embassy in Portugal). The next meeting of the European Council (May 13, 2020) is expected to decide whether or not to open the EU’s internal and external borders.

Flights between Portugal and France for May are as follows:

TAP is planning 2 flights a week between Lisbon and Paris from early May.
Air France is planning 3 direct flights a week between Lisbon and Paris from May 4 (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday 12.15 p.m. from May 4 and Monday, Thursday, Saturday 12.15 p.m. from May 17).

More information on travel between France and Portugal on this page

Airport – covid-19 in Portugal

In conclusion

These measures are not “fixed” and may be reversible. Nothing is certain and everything will depend on the evolution of covid-19 in Portugal. More details in Portuguese on the Estamos ON page. You can find a summary of the measures in the infographic below.