With COVID numbers continuing to rise in Portugal, the government is pausing its “deconfinement” across the country — and going back, in fact, to stricter measures in high-risk areas including Lisbon.
For one, we’re back to having a curfew here, from 23h to 5h, regardless of the day of the week.
And for the third weekend in a row, from 15h on Friday until 6h on Monday, restrictions are in effect on travel to and from the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (which extends all the way north to Sintra and Mafra, west to Cascais, east to Vila Franca de Xira and Montijo and south to Sesimbra and Setúbal, as can be seen here).
Just to clarify: you can, say, go from Lisbon to Caparica for a day on the beach — travel within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area is allowed (for now, fazemos figas). You just can’t go in or out of the broader area Friday to Monday.
Related: Recent Surge in Covid Cases Brings New Restrictions
Restaurants, meanwhile, must shut at 22h30 during the week and 15h30 on weekends, with a four-person maximum inside and a six-person max on the esplanadas. Grocery stores must close by 21h on weekdays and at 19h on Saturdays and Sundays. Other retail must close at 15h30 on the weekend, meanwhile.
You can still do your yoga and run in the park, don’t worry. But with no more than five of your fellow athletes.
More information here (in Portuguese).
Restrictions that apply to Lisbon also apply to other parishes on the very high risk list — which as of Thursday has been expanded to include 19 parishes, including Almada, Oeiras, Sintra, Cascais, Mafra and Sesimbra. The updated lists can be found here.
“Portugal is in a more difficult situation than it was, which has not stopped getting worse,” Mariana Vieira da Silva, the minister of state and the presidency, said Thursday during the government’s announcement of the new measures.
“This is the time to try to comply with the rules, avoid gatherings, avoid parties with many people, and try to contain these numbers,” she added.
The good news is that vaccinations have been sped up, and as of earlier this week, anyone 30 and over with a Portuguese health number can schedule a vaccination themselves, online.
Related: Illegal Immigrants in Portugal, Those Without SNS Number Can Apply for COVID Vaccine
