Faced with a rebound in contamination and hospitalizations linked to the Coronavirus in recent weeks, Portugal is considering new restrictions.

"We must determine what measures will be necessary" to "not let the number of cases soar," Mariana Vieira da Silva, government spokesperson, told local media on the sidelines of an event in Lisbon.

Portugal thus recorded on Wednesday a new peak of 2,527 new cases in 24 hours and crossed the threshold of 500 hospitalizations, records since the beginning of September, according to the latest figures from the health authorities.

"We are not planning drastic measures like those taken in the past because the population is more protected" in particular thanks to the high rate of vaccination, she specified.

The country is indeed one of the most vaccinated in the world.

Return of the mask outdoors

The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, had estimated Tuesday evening inevitable the return of the wearing of the obligatory mask outside. This measure, introduced in October 2020, was lifted on September 13. Wearing a mask is still recommended in the event of a gathering or when it is impossible to respect social distancing.

Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa also hinted on Tuesday that the country could reinstate certain measures, especially in the run-up to the end of the year holidays. "We must act now (...) The later we act, the more risks there will be", he warned while excluding the possibility of once again imposing a state of emergency, in force almost six months between November and April. This exceptional regime had made it possible to take measures to restrict certain freedoms, such as the confinement imposed at the beginning of the year when the country was among the most affected by the pandemic.

The government has said it will make decisions after consulting scientific experts at a meeting scheduled for Friday.

Authorities continue to call on people over 65 to take a third dose of the vaccine.

Just over 86% of the population is fully vaccinated.

With 10 million inhabitants, Portugal has recorded more than 1.1 million cases and 18,283 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

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  • Europe

  • Contamination

  • Covid 19

  • epidemic

  • Portugal

  • Coronavirus

  • Health

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