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The Prime Minister announced that the Government will support micro-enterprises, particularly in the commercial and catering sectors, with 80% non-repayable funds for expenses with compliance with safety and hygiene standards.

António Costa referred to this program at the end of his intervention at the National Palace of Ajuda, after the Confederation of Commerce and Services and the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) signed a cooperation protocol for good practices in combating the spread of Covid-19.

“We’re taking a new step in creating a program specifically aimed at micro-enterprises and, in particular, those in the commercial and catering sectors, with a view to supporting 80% non-refundable expenses between 500 and 5,000 euros that are incurred with the acquisition of individual protection material for workers and cleaning of workplaces “, declared the leader of the executive.

At this point, the Prime Minister referred that the program, with respect to state contributions, “will also extend to a set of other investments that companies will be called upon to make under the protocol with the Directorate-General for Health.”.

“We know that compliance with safety standards will represent increased costs. Therefore, in order to keep companies alive and jobs, and to preserve income as much as possible, the Government has been adopting a set of measures that aim to ensure liquidity to companies”, he defended.

As he had stated in the interview with RTP, on Thursday night, António Costa reiterated that the Government will pay until the 15th of this month all the lay-off requirements that entered until April 30th.

“Throughout this period, companies have already been able to benefit from payment moratoriums, whether from Social Security contributions or tax contributions. Others have had moratoriums in terms of leasing,” he said.

According to the prime minister, “there are more than 12 thousand companies in the trade and services sector that have requested support for credit lines, more than four thousand have already seen these operations validated by the Portuguese Mutual Guarantee Society and, as such, are in conditions to be hired by the respective banks”.

 

Clinics and dental offices will resume their activity, although conditioned, on Monday, with appointments to be previously scheduled by phone or email and users to wear a mask before being served by the doctor.

The information was provided to Lusa by the president of the Portuguese Dental Association, Orlando Monteiro da Silva, on the day that the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) published an orientation on dental medicine during the covid-19 pandemic, which covers clinics, offices or oral health services.

The DGS guidance is effective as of Sunday, the day when Portugal enters the state of calamity, which translates into the phased application of measures of deflation.

Since March 15, clinics and dental offices have been closed, with medical care being provided only in urgent and urgent cases.

In practice, as of Monday, according to the president of the Portuguese Dental Association, clinics and offices will be able to resume their activity, albeit with restrictions.

Consultations will now have to be booked in advance by phone or email, with the user answering a questionnaire to assess the risk of contagion by covid-19: if you have symptoms, if you have been ill or if you have been in contact with patients .

In case of symptoms or illness, the user is advised to postpone the consultation.

If the care you need is urgent and urgent, the appointment is rescheduled for late morning or afternoon, at specific times, so that the user does not cross with others.

In other situations, in which the user has no symptoms or infection, the appointment is scheduled for a due date.

Users have to wear a surgical mask, only removing it when they were being consulted and receiving medical care, explained the president Orlando Monteiro da Silva, adding that the waiting rooms will have limited capacity, to guarantee the necessary distance, and will no longer have magazines, leaflets or water dispensers to avoid their handling and, thus, the risk of infection by the virus.

The air must be renewed frequently, preferably with open doors and windows.

At the entrance to the offices and clinics there will be hand sanitizing gel.

In the doctor’s office, only companions are allowed to enter in special situations, such as when the user is a minor. In this case, the companion must be seated two meters away from the dental equipment and with a surgical mask.

Given the “close proximity” to users, dentists and other oral health professionals are exposed “to respiratory droplets and aerosols that can be created during clinical procedures, making the consultation office a potential source of virus transmission”, refers to the guidance of the DGS, pointing out that “additional measures must be taken to ensure that the transmission of this virus is minimized”.

“Nobody knows when this second wave will emerge”, underlined Paulo Morgado, guaranteeing that none of the services dedicated to combating covid-19 will be deactivated”.

The President of the Regional Health Administration (ARS) of the Algarve today warned of the possibility of a second wave of covid-19 coinciding with the flu period, stressing that the authorities are already preparing preventive measures.

“The second wave [of the pandemic] may coincide with the next flu is one of our concerns and we are already working to prevent the next winter”, namely, through the vaccination of more people, said Paulo Morgado.  According to that official, who was speaking at the weekly press conference of the District Civil Protection Commission, in Loulé, the authorities are “on the alert” for a possible second wave, which, joining “the flu wave creates a ‘stress’ health services ”.

“Nobody knows, nor does anyone have a way of predicting when this second wave will emerge”, he stressed, guaranteeing that none of the services in operation and in preparation in the Algarve dedicated to combating covid-19 will be deactivated.   However, the results achieved so far in the region give the president of the ARS confidence that health services will be able to respond to a second wave, “also because society is also much more prepared”.

Asked about the reinforcement of health professionals scheduled for the summer, Paulo Morgado said that health authorities intend to use “all legal mechanisms” at their disposal so that there is a reinforcement, assuming that the number of health professionals in the region is “Deficit”.

“The final model is still lacking in terms of response for the summer, but mobility is not excluded. We will try to create this extra mechanism in addition to direct contracting ”, he stressed, noting that“ the number of tourists is expected to be much lower than last year ”.

At the time, the regional delegate of Health of the Algarve stated that the situation in the region is, at this moment, “much calmer”, without community transmission, although there are still 162 infected people recovering at home.

With regard to rural communities of migrants, where some outbreaks of the disease have emerged, the situation is “very positive”, with most of the infected people already recovered, said Ana Cristina Guerreiro.

The president of the District Civil Protection Commission, António Pina, reinforced the idea that the mayors of the region want to “intensify the inspection actions” and will ask the security forces to be “even more active” during the deconfinition phase. “The municipalities will have all their capacity to inspect public spaces, sports and restaurants”, concluded the president of the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL).  Source – Lusa.

“After listening to the experts, social partners and parties and after listening to the President of the Republic, the Council of Ministers approved the state of calamity”, declared António Costa.

António Costa revealed that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa agreed “there is no need to continue in a state of emergency” and that it is possible to lower the level of containment from a state of emergency to a state of calamity. However, he warned that the danger has not yet passed. “The risk remains high and the pandemic remains active,” said António Costa. “Every day the numbers vary and that is why what is important to look at is the long trend that we are having”.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that the vast majority of infected patients are being treated at home, which leaves some room for response from the National Health Service. Therefore, “and with all the precautions that safety demands”, the Government believes it is possible to mitigate the restrictions imposed.

António Costa recalled that for this there are conditions that must be guaranteed: it is the case of disinfectant gel, masks, a strategic consolidation of the SNS, and the guarantee of a good distribution network.

In Portugal, 307.302 tests have already been carried out, announced the Prime Minister. “The number of tests that are carried out is much greater than the number of people who are actually infected”, he said.

The prime minister also said that the decrease in the number of people hospitalized in intensive care “has been consistent over the past few weeks”. There is also a “stabilization” in the number of deaths.

“If we look at the list of recovered patients, it has been steadily increasing. This means that we have gone through a phase of exponential growth, in which it was possible to control the risk of growth”, explained the Prime Minister.

The transition from a state of emergency to a state of calamity “has risks”, says António Costa. “Each of us has to adopt hygiene and distancing rules, in order to protect ourselves and others. As we reopen some activities, we are aware that the risk will increase”, explains the Prime Minister.

The situation will be assessed every 15 days. “I will not be ashamed to take a step back if necessary. This is a route that we have to take with confidence and together”, he added.

“The state of emergency is over, but the virus remains the same,” says the prime minister, adding that it will continue to be necessary to avoid unnecessary trips as much as possible.

“We are all aware that until there is a vaccine available on the market and accessible to all of us, or until there is treatment, we will have to continue to live and continue without our normal lives”, insists the Prime Minister.

“We must make this effort so that the path is a step forward and not a step back. I am not one to take steps back, but I guarantee that I will do it if necessary. This is what we owe to all who have already lost their lives, to those who are infected, to the families of those who have lost loved ones, to those who know infected people and to health professionals who do their best”, said Costa.

“We will not lose in the next month what we have achieved so hard in the past two months,” appealed the prime minister.

 

WHAT CHANGES

Regarding the rules to be adopted, there will be a mandatory confinement duty for sick people and those under active surveillance, with a civic duty of home confinement continuing. There cannot be gatherings of more than ten people and funerals will be held only with the presence of family members.

Regarding religious celebrations, the DGS will also create a set of rules for them.

The prime minister warned that “it will continue to be mandatory” that all functions that can be carried out in teleworking thus remain, at least throughout the month of May.

From June 1, there will be partial teleworking, with irregular shifts. The priority, explains the prime minister, is to reopen companies and businesses that cannot function remotely.

In public transport there will be mandatory use of masks, a maximum capacity of two thirds and the mandatory hygiene and cleaning of transport.

António Costa announced that on Monday, the 4th of May, deconcentrated customer service counters will open by appointment. On June 1, the citizen’s stores will open.

In terms of commerce and restaurants, stores up to 200 square meters may be reopened as of May 4, such as bookstores and car trade. Hairdressers, aestheticians and barber shops will reopen but with appointments, complying with the rules of hygiene and individual protection”, explained the Prime Minister.

From May 18, stores up to 400 square meters will be able to reopen. Restaurants, cafes and pastry shops can have a capacity of up to 50%. As of June 1, commercial spaces over 400 square meters and stores inserted in shopping centres will be reopened.

With regard to schools, the 11th and 12th year students will start face-to-face classes, and from June 1st day care centers, ATL’s and pre-school will be able to reopen. In culture, libraries and archives will reopen from May 4. From the 18th, museums, monuments, palaces, art galleries and exhibition rooms will reopen. On June 1, cinemas, theaters and concert halls will be able to return to business.

In relation to sport, starting on Monday, individual sports may be resumed (without the use of changing rooms) and at the end of the month, the 1st football league and the Portuguese Cup may be resumed.

The Armed Forces have already started cleaning operations at schools that may reopen to receive 11th and 12th year students and the process should be completed within the next few weeks, said the minister of National defense.   João Gomes Cravinho, today accompanied the Minister of Education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues in one of these actions, at the Amadora Secondary School, where around 50 operational assistants participated in an awareness campaign.   “Planning is almost complete. As for this week and for the next few weeks, planning will make it possible to reach all schools where there may eventually be face-to-face classes”, said the Minister of National Defense, adding that about 520 schools are signaled.

During the awareness campaign, aimed at cleaning professionals who will ensure the daily hygiene work when the face-to-face classes are resumed, Army personnel transmitted some indications about the correct use of personal protective equipment, waste management, and cleaning procedures, which should be reinforced.   According to a guideline of the Directorate-General for School Establishments (DGEstE), with the guidance of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) and the Armed Forces, published today, classrooms, for example, must be cleaned whenever there is a change classrooms and cafeterias right after using one group and before another enters the space.

During the visit of the government to the Amadora Secondary School, the Army also demonstrated the disinfection actions, which will be carried out whenever there is a case of infection or suspicion of infection by the new coronavirus in educational establishments.  “The Armed Forces had 15 chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense teams and adapted very quickly to this challenge, first downgrading it because, in reality, they were prepared for another type of danger in their interventions, and, second, multiplying the teams”, underlined the Minister of National Defense.   According to João Gomes Cravinho, the Armed Forces will have 82 teams by the end of the week, with another 15 receiving training from the Army.  Source – Lusa

One third (33.4%) of the more than 5,000 health professionals who participated in a study by the National School of Public Health (ENSP), related to covid-19, does not comply with the daily self-monitoring requested by the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).

“Carrying out daily self-monitoring should be the rule in terms of both protecting the health of the professional and reducing the likelihood of the risk of contagion, as recommended by the guidance of the Directorate-General for Health since March 21, 2020”, highlighted in a statement Florentino Serranheira, executive coordinator of the study.

The “Occupational Health” questionnaire of the Barómetro Covid-19, from the ENSP of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, with the contribution of 5,180 health professionals and whose results were released today, also shows that 36.6% of the respondents are without a system covid-19 risk management system, that is, the protection and surveillance of your health in your workplaces during the pandemic.

 

Psychosocial area self- monitoring

The researchers stressed that “the risks for health professionals go far beyond the virus”, as, in addition to the risk of contracting covid-19, anxiety, insufficient sleep hours, fatigue and back pain have an influence in health and in the performance of the activity of health professionals.

“When characterizing the professional risk factors to which health professionals are exposed, it is clear that they are not exhausted by the SARS CoV-2 virus, agent of covid-19. Contact with patients (or suspected cases) of covid -19 has repercussions at a psychological level, showing that almost three quarters of respondents have high or very high levels of anxiety in response to the stress situations they experience “, stressed the ENSP team.  Furthermore, according to the survey, almost 15% of respondents have moderate or high levels of depression.

It has been found from the above survey that almost half of health professionals (44.8%) report that they sleep less than six hours a day.  “This fact, associated with the feeling of fatigue, which has worsened for almost 90% of health professionals since the last survey, can have repercussions on their health and professional performance. In fact, almost four out of five health professionals (78.7 %) considers their (physical) fatigue level to be much worse, compared to the previous week “, pointed out Florentino Serranheira.

Then, 44.8% of health professionals reported that they had not practiced physical activity in the last week and only 2% reported exercising every day.  “This may possibly be related to the high number of allusions to the presence of musculoskeletal pain (or discomfort) at the level of the spine that they did not previously have and which may be related, in addition to the demands of the work, for example with overload caused by the PPE [personal protective equipment] they use “, stressed the investigator. One-third of health professionals do not perform daily self-monitoring – barometer

The National Republican Guard (GNR) identified 23,968 situations of non-compliance with the cleaning of forest land and installed 290 administrative offenses for burning and burning, of which eight people were arrested and 44 were identified for the crime of fire. forestry.

In response to the Lusa agency, GNR reiterated that the inspection phase of forest cleaning works is scheduled to start on “May 1st”, that is, on Friday, with the owners, in case of non-compliance, subject to administrative offenses, with fines ranging between 280 and 120,000 euros.

“The inspection phase has not yet started, as the deadline for carrying out the fuel management works has been extended until April 30,” stated the GNR.

At issue is the deadline for carrying out land clearing operations, which ended on March 15, but was extended until April 30, by decision of the Government on April 2, following the decree-law that established exceptional measures and temporary covid-19 disease pandemic.

Within the scope of Operation Safe Forest 2020, GNR carried out “an extensive plan to monitor / raise awareness of the 1,114 priority parishes” due to the high risk of fire, which involved 670 non-priority parishes, culminating in the “identification of 23,968 situations in non-compliance ”in relation to the cleaning of forest land.

Thus, of the 3,092 parishes in Portugal, GNR monitored the cleaning work in 1,784 parishes, which resulted in around 24 thousand non-compliances, situations that risk administrative proceedings starting on Saturday, following the inspection phase.

Non-compliance with the cleaning of forest land was “already communicated to the respective municipalities”, said the GNR, without mentioning which areas are more problematic.

In addition to these situations, this security force registered “eight detainees and 44 identified for the practice of forest fire, and 290 administrative offenses were also prepared, for violation of the burning and burning rules”.

In the case of administrative offenses, punishable by a fine, from 280 to 10,000 euros, in the case of a natural person, and from 1,600 to 120,000 euros, in the case of legal persons, “the procedural process is independent of the extension of the deadline for carrying out cleaning operations “, explained the GNR.

On April 2, more than two weeks after the date of March 15, the Government announced the extension until April 30 of the deadline for the owners to ensure the cleaning of the forest land, in the scope of the renewal of the state of emergency due to the Covid-19.

“It is important not to forget that the country has an enormous risk of forest fire and that this risk requires a major cleaning effort”, emphasized the Prime Minister, António Costa, explaining that the decision to extend the deadline aimed “to create better conditions so that people can fulfill this obligation, taking into account the strong movement limitations that exist “.

In view of the non-compliance by the owners with the deadline for cleaning land, city councils must ensure, until May 31, that all fuel management works are carried out.

In case of non-compliance by the municipalities, “the following month, 20% of the twelfth of the current transfers from the Financial Equilibrium Fund (FEF) are retained”, according to the Exceptional Regime for the Secondary Networks of Fuel Management Bands.

The deadline for clearing forest land ends today, after being extended due to the covid-19 pandemic, so the owners, in case of non-compliance, are subject to infractions, with fines between 280 and 120,000 euros.

In this context, the National Republican Guard (GNR) begins, as of Friday, the phase of inspection of the forest cleaning works, already accounting for the “identification of 23,968 situations in default”.

In response to Lusa, GNR indicated that the breaches identified in the cleaning of the forest are the result of “an extensive monitoring / awareness plan for the 1,114 priority parishes” due to the high risk of fire, which involved 670 non-priority parishes.

At issue is the deadline for carrying out land clearing operations, which ended on March 15, but was extended until April 30, by decision of the Government on April 2, following the decree-law that established exceptional measures and temporary covid-19 disease pandemic.

In addition to this extension of the deadline for cleaning the forest, the model for preventing and fighting forest fires may undergo “new adjustments”, as the covid-19 pandemic evolves, said the Secretary of State for Internal Administration, Patrícia Gaspar, at a parliamentary hearing on April 16 at the Assembly of the Republic in Lisbon.

“There is no clear model to tell us how the situation will be on the ground in 15 days or a month from now, so we may still have to make further adjustments as the situation evolves,” said Patrícia Gaspar, within the scope of the parliamentary hearing to provide clarification on land clearing and fire prevention in this exceptional period of covid-19.

Despite the extension of the deadline, “around 24,000 non-compliance situations have already been identified”, said the Secretary of State for Internal Administration, explaining that this information was transmitted to the municipalities, “so that there can be a work of proximity, to raise awareness of these people, for the imperative need to clear the land “.

“As of May 1, GNR will begin inspection in priority areas”, including in 1,114 parishes with a high risk of fire, pointed out the minister, noting that “what matters is not passing fines”, but rather signaling land that needs to be cleaned, so that this can be ensured together with the municipalities.

On April 2, more than two weeks after the date of March 15, the Government announced the extension until April 30 of the deadline for the owners to ensure the cleaning of the forest land, in the scope of the renewal of the state of emergency due to the Covid-19.

“It is important not to forget that the country has an enormous risk of forest fire and that this risk requires a major cleaning effort”, emphasized the Prime Minister, António Costa, explaining that the decision to extend the deadline aimed “to create better conditions so that people can fulfill this obligation, taking into account the strong movement limitations that exist “.

According to the law of the National System for the Defense of the Forest Against Fires, after the deadline to ensure the management of forest fuel, the owners are subject to fines, in case of non-compliance, ranging between 280 and 120,000 euros.

In view of the non-compliance by the owners with the deadline for cleaning land, city councils must ensure, until May 31, that all fuel management works are carried out.

In case of non-compliance with the deadline by the municipalities, “the following month, 20% of the twelfth of the current transfers from the Financial Equilibrium Fund (FEF) are retained”, according to the Exceptional Regime of the Secondary Networks of Fuel Management Bands.

The phased plan for reopening the economy was presented by the Government to the social partners this Wednesday, the 29th April. The measures presented by the Prime Minister to social consultation and political parties are part of a basic document prepared by the Government and an indicator of the calendar and strategy.

But it is natural that in the Council of Ministers there are fine-tuning and changes, even as a result of the several meetings that took place this Wednesday.

During the meeting, António Costa stressed that this is a forecast plan, which will be adjusted if Covid-19 spreads faster than anticipated by health authorities.

May 4^th

The first stores to open will be the smallest, up to 200 square meters, already on Monday, May 4. At the same time, services such as hairdressers, barbers or beauticians (with only half capacity and by appointment) will open, as well as individual sports spaces, such as tennis courts, as long as changing rooms remain closed. As for the reopening of gyms, a date has not yet been set.

Also from Monday, public services such as finance offices will be open to the public, but not citizen’s bureaus, to avoid the risk of big gatherings.

May 18^th

As for cafes and restaurants, the plan drawn up by the Government indicates that it will be possible to have a coffee or have a meal, at the table, from 18 May. There will be limits on the number of people who can do this, at any given moment, and the Hotel and Restaurant Association is developing a framework of good practices to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Also on the 18th of May day care centers will open for part of the children. A maximum number is not defined, since the decision will be up to the parents: at least during the first phase of this opening, parents can choose to stay at home receiving family aid (entitled to 66% of the remuneration). Such support will be cut from June 1, the day when day care centers will be available to everyone, as pre-school education also reopens, if the pandemic allows it. On May 18, occupational activity centers for people with disabilities will open, several sources confirmed to PÚBLICO.

Still on the 18th of May, stores of up to 400 square meters open their doors. The last step will be shopping centers, on June 1st.

The reopening of trade will have limits on the number of people allowed to be inside an enclosed space. It is expected to be the same as what is already imposed on bakeries, of four people per 100 square meters. That is, as of Monday, there cannot be more than eight people in the same store at the same time.

Also among the protection measures for workers and customers will be the mandatory use of a mask and the provision of hand sanitizer at the entrance. The most sensitive point will be the changing rooms of clothing stores: they will either be closed or will have to be disinfected after each use. The clothes themselves will have to be disinfected after they are tried on.

The prime minister is meeting with the President of the Republic today after receiving the parliamentary parties in São Bento, to analyse the new framework of measures to contain the covid-19 pandemic after the end of the state of emergency.

A source from the Presidency of the Republic confirmed to the Lusa agency that this meeting was taking place, stating that this is the usual weekly meeting, but in the form of a dinner.

António Costa’s dinner with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa takes place after the President of the Republic has already announced on Tuesday that he will not extend the state of emergency, which ends on the 2nd of May.

On Thursday, April 30, after the Council of Ministers, the Government announces the new legal framework following the end of the state of emergency, being likely to resort to the declaration of a state of calamity due to the covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Basic Law for Civil Protection, the Council of Ministers resolution that decrees the situation of calamity may establish “limits or constraints on the movement or permanence of people, other living beings or vehicles”, as well as “sanitary and safety fences”.

After the Council of Ministers, on Thursday, António Costa will meet with the President of the Republic.

Regarding the timetable for the return to economic activity, the Prime Minister said that this Thursday it will be known which commercial sectors will resume their activity with safety standards on the 4th and 18th of May and 1st of June. According to António Costa, “the confinement release rules will come into force every 15 days, the first on 4 May, the second on 18 May and the other on 1 June”, although they do not yet include all sectors of activity.

“Therefore, after the Council of Ministers, we will announce the activities that the 4, the 18 or the 1 of June might resume – and always with restrictions on capacity and in terms of protection of individual equipment, whether for those who are attending, or in some cases for customers”, he stressed.

António Costa added that the executive’s objective, with this phased reopening calendar, “is to measure the impacts of the previous measure every 15 days, seeing if it is possible or not to take another step” in terms of lifting restrictions.