Prime-Minister António Costa said today that, with or without a state of emergency and despite some "success in lowering the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic", it will be necessary to prolong the preventative measures that have been adopted to date.
Speaking to journalists at a new pandemic hospital support unit in Lisbon, António Costa said that the President of the Republic "will take the initiative this week to either renew or not the state of emergency.” At that time the Government will give its opinion to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and then there will then be "a decision made by the Assembly of the Republic" based on the current progress in fighting the spread of the virus..
"I believe that, without foretelling the future, what is expected is that we will have successfully been successful in lowering the peak of this pandemic - that is, the point at which the greatest number of people will be infected -, but at the same time prolonging the duration of this pandemic, this means that we will also have to prolong the measures that have been adopted.”
Regarding the upcoming religious and cultural festivities, the Prime Minister made it clear that "it will really have to be a different Easter" and that "people cannot go to out", nor can they go to the Algarve on holidays, as families cannot celebrate this season outdoors in large groups "all together". It is an "essential sacrifice to save us all", stressed António Costa. "The best way to act together right now is to be apart," he said.
