Portugal is already in a period of contention
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The new measures to contain the Convid-19 pandemic came into effect at 00:00 this Saturday, given the threat of the new Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which could be responsible for about 90% of infections by the end of the year.
The new measures were decided on Tuesday at an extraordinary Council of Ministers and come about a month after the Government, on November 25, approved a strategy to prevent and combat the pandemic, but which the recent emergence of Ómicron forced to update .
Many of the measures were brought forward compared to what had been approved by the Council of Ministers on 25 November, such as the “week of containment” after the New Year, which was extended, running from this Saturday until January 9, and which includes the Compulsory return to telecommuting.
Also the closure of day care centers and leisure time workshops (ATL), which was scheduled for a “week of contention” between January 3rd and 9th, was brought forward to this Saturday, with the Government ensuring support for the families.
Discos and bars with dance space will close again, after reopening in October after 18 months closed.
Since 00:00 this Saturday, a negative test is mandatory for access to hotels and adapted local accommodation, as well as for business events and family celebrations, such as weddings or baptisms.
Access to sporting and cultural events will also depend on the presentation of a negative test for the coronavirus, regardless of the number of spectators.
The capacity of commercial spaces is now limited to one person for every five square meters to avoid gatherings that take place the week after Christmas to exchange gifts.
Mainland Portugal has been in a state of calamity since December 1st due to the increase in the number of cases.
Covid-19 has caused more than 5.37 million deaths worldwide since the start of the pandemic, according to the latest report by Agence France-Presse.
In Portugal, since March 2020, 18,851 people have died and 1,266,037 cases of infection have been recorded, according to data from the General Directorate of Health.
The respiratory disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, detected in late 2019 in Wuhan, a city in central China, and currently with variants identified in several countries.
A new variant, an Omicron, classified as concerned by the World Health Organization (WHO), has been detected in southern Africa, but since the South African health authorities raised the alert on 24 November, infections have been reported in at least 110 countries from all continents, including Portugal.