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Portugal eases coronavirus restrictions

Portugal will lift most of the restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic in the coming days. This decision was made by the government of the country, but now it must be approved by the president, which is why the exact date for changing the rules has not been determined.

"This is a very important moment. This is another step towards returning to normal life," said Mariana Vieira da Silva, Minister for the Office of the Council of Ministers.

The requirement to present a COVID-certificate (or a negative test for coronavirus) is expected to be removed when visiting restaurants, checking into hotels or entering nightclubs. These proofs of health will no longer be needed to attend mass events, including sports competitions.

In addition, the authorities decided to lift their recommendation to work from home whenever possible, as well as to abandon the mandatory quarantine for those who were in contact with the sick person. Only those who have confirmed COVID-19 will be required to isolate, regardless of whether they have symptoms of the disease or not.

At the same time, the authorities of the country have so far retained the previous requirements for entering the country, it is still impossible to cross the border without a COVID-certificate. As for wearing masks, they are still mandatory when traveling on public transport and when in supermarkets.

According to the latest data, 3.1 million cases of coronavirus infection have been registered in Portugal since the beginning of the pandemic, 20.7 thousand people have died. The peak of infections occurred last January, when up to 67,000 people fell ill a day. Currently, the wave of infections is on the decline, about 20 thousand new cases are recorded per day.

According to the authorities, if the number of deaths and the number of hospitalizations continue to decline, in five weeks it will be possible to lift the rest of the restrictions.

Portugal eases coronavirus restrictions