The Assembly of the Republic approved a new extension of the state of emergency until May 2 with the votes in favour of PS, PSD, CDS, PAN, BE, the abstentions of PEV and André Ventura, of Chega, and the votes against of the PCP, from deputy João Cotrim Figueiredo, from the Liberal Initiative, and from non-registered deputy Joacine Katar Moreira.

The decree proposed by the President of the Republic provides for the possibility of a “gradual, phased or alternate opening of services, companies or commercial establishments”.

In the explanatory memorandum to the decree, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa considers that the “gradual reactivation” may be achieved “with possible openings with adapted operating hours, by sectors of activity, by size of the company in terms of employment, the area of the commercial establishment or geographical location, with adequate monitoring “.

The President of the Republic stresses, however, that for this to be possible, “it is necessary that epidemiological data continue to show a decrease in the spread of the virus, that the response capacity of the National Health Service continues to be assured and that the testing capacity is robust and that monitoring is convenient”.

After the partial suspension of the “right to move and settle anywhere in the national territory” being imposed in the first two declarations of state of emergency, the third decree determines that these restrictions imposed by the authorities may be “symmetrical or asymmetric, namely in relation to people and age groups or places of residence, which, without discriminatory nature, are appropriate to the epidemiological situation and justified by the need to reduce the risk of contagion and implement measures to prevent and combat the epidemic “.

It is up to the Government to present the measures that materialize the guidelines contained in the decree.