After two months of mandatory confinement, the Portuguese Government presented today the plan for a gradual reopening of the economy starting next week. As general rules, companies should continue to apply remote work and citizens shall maintain the general duty of confinement until Easter.
The State of Emergency has been renewed until the 31st of March. The pandemic risk will be assessed every two weeks, focused on two criteria: the number of new cases per 100,000 population at 14 days and the transmissibility rate.
Portugal is currently the third country in the European Union (EU) with a lower incidence rate of covid-19, according to the latest data released this Thursday, 11th March, by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC). A month ago, Portugal occupied the worst position in Europe, with an incidence rate of 1190. In the last 24 hours, the health authorities registered 627 new cases of Covid-19 and 18 related deaths. Below is a summary of the key rules to be applied gradually.
Measures to be implemented from the 15th march
- Opening of nurseries, preschools and primary schools
- Hairdressers, bookshops, car stands and real estate offices may open
- Libraries and archives will be able to receive visitors
- Working hours for business: until 9 pm on working days and until 1 pm at weekends, with the exception of supermarkets, which can be open until 7 pm
- Circulation between councils remains prohibited during weekends and between the 26th of March and 5th April
- Borders with Spain closed until Easter
Openings from the 5th April
- Schools up to 9th grade
- Museums, monuments, art galleries, palaces and similar
- Social facilities in the area of disability
- Non-food fairs and markets (subject to municipal decision)
- Terraces in restaurants and coffeeshops (maximum of four people)
- Low risk sports activities
- Outdoor physical activity for up to four people and Gymnasiums without group classes
Measures to be implemented from the 3rd of may
- Restaurants and bakeries may open indoors with restriction of 6 people per table and will once again operate without hourly limits
- Gymnasiums can fully function
- Large outdoor events and indoor events with reduced capacity
Measures to be implemented from the 19h April
- Opening of high schools and universities
- All shops and shopping centres may open
- Restaurants, cafés and pastry shops (maximum of four people or six on the terrace) can function until 10 pm (or 1 pm on weekends and public holidays)
- Cinemas, theatres, auditoriums open to public
- Citizens’ shops with face-to-face service, but by appointment
- Sports activities with medium risk are allowed
- Outdoor physical activity up to six people
- Outdoor events with reduced capacity
- Weddings and christenings with 25% of capacity
Tiago Vidal
Partner and Managing Director LLYC Portugal
Responsible for the operations of LLYC in Portugal, Tiago Vidal leads a team of experts responsible for the development and implementation of Reputation Management strategies, Communications and Public Affairs in leading companies in sectors such as Finance, Real Estate, Energy, Transport and Logistics, Distribution, Automotive, and FMCG. He was previously Head of Corporate Communications at Sonae Sierra, where he led all B2B communication activities in 14 countries. During his 16 years at Sonae Sierra, Tiago was responsible for reputation management, brand, corporate marketing and PR, relationship with stakeholders and crisis communications, including IPO’s, mergers and acquisitions.
Maria Eça
Client Services Director
Maria is responsible for the Public Affairs and Crisis&Risks areas in LLYC in Portugal, working with clients from the banking and insurance sector, health, online gambling and retail. She is advising companies such as Leroy Merlin, Liberty Seguros and Unilever. She has also participated in M&A and foreign investment projects.
With over 8 years’ experience as a journalist, specializing in economics and society, Maria worked at TVI (private television), where she had the chance to follow and report Portugal’s key issues and relevant news about the main companies operating in the country, on a daily basis.
