Communiqué of the extraordinary Council of Ministers of 20 November 2020 (Original in Portuguese here)

1.The Council of Ministers approved today the decree regulating the declaration of a state of emergency made by the President of the Republic with the duration of 15 days, from 00h00 (meaning 00.01 hrs) on 24 November to 23h59 on 8 December.

Since the epidemiological situation is not uniform throughout the country, the measures should be adjusted in accordance with the situation and the heterogeneity in each municipality, in order to graduate the intensity of the measures applicable according to the level of risk, which may be moderate, high, very high or extreme.

For the whole of the national territory, the following measures are highlighted:

• Mandatory use of masks in the workplace;
• Day-off, suspension of teaching activity and a call for the leave of private sector workers on 30 November and 7 December;
• Limitation of the movement of people between municipalities between 2300 hrs November 27 and 0500 hrs December 2 and between 2300 hrs December 4 and 2359 hrs December 8

The municipalities at moderate risk are Aguiar da Beira, Alandroal, Alcoutim, Aljezur, Aljustrel, Almodôvar, Alpiarça, Alter do Chão, Alvaiázere, Alvito, Arraiolos, Avis, Barrancos, Beja, Bombarral, Borba, Caldas da Rainha, Carrazeda de Ansiães, Carregal do Sal, Castanheira de Pêra, Castelo de Vide, Castro Marim, Castro Verde, Ferreira do Alentejo, Ferreira do Zêzere, Figueiró dos Vinhos, Fornos de Algodres, Fronteira, Góis, Golegã, Gouveia, Loulé, Lourinhã, Mação, Marvão, Mértola, Moimenta da Beira, Monchique, Moura, Mourão, Óbidos, Odemira, Olhão, Oliveira do Hospital, Ourique, Pedrógão Grande, Pinhel, Portel, Santa Comba Dão, Santiago do Cacém, São Brás de Alportel, Sernancelhe, Sertã, Silves, Sousel, Tábua, Tabuaço, Tavira, Vendas Novas, Vidigueira, Vila de Rei, Vila Flor, Vila Real de Santo António, Vila Velha de Ródão and Vouzela.

The high risk municipalities are Albufeira, Alcácer do Sal, Alcobaça, Alcochete, Alenquer, Almeida, Almeirim, Anadia, Ansião, Arronches, Arruda dos Vinhos, Barreiro, Batalha, Benavente, Cadaval, Campo Maior, Castelo Branco, Castro Daire, Chamusca, Coimbra, Condeixa-a-Nova, Cuba, Elvas, Entroncamento, Estremoz, Évora, Faro, Gavião, Grândola, Idanha-a-Nova, Lagoa, Lagos, Leiria, Lousã, Mafra, Marinha Grande, Melgaço, Mesão Frio, Mira, Miranda do Douro, Moita, Monção, Monforte, Montalegre, Montemor-o-Novo, Montemor-o-Velho, Montijo, Mortágua, Nelas, Palmela, Paredes de Coura, Penalva do Castelo, Penedono, Peniche, Peso da Régua, Ponte da Barca, Ponte de Sor, Portimão, Porto de Mós, Redondo, Ribeira de Pena, Rio Maior, Salvaterra de Magos, Santarém, São João da Pesqueira, Sardoal, Serpa, Sesimbra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Soure, Terras de Bouro, Tomar, Tondela, Torres Novas, Torres Vedras, Trancoso, Viana do Alentejo, Viana do Castelo, Vila do Bispo, Vila Nova da Barquinha, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Vila Nova de Poiares, Vila Viçosa, Vimioso, Vinhais and Viseu.

For these municipalities it is defined:

• Prohibition of circulation on public streets between 23h00 and 5h00;
• Actions to monitor compliance with compulsory teleworking;
• Maintenance of the timetables of establishments with closure at 20h00, except for restaurants, cultural equipments and sports facilities which may close at 22h30.

The municipalities with very high risk are Abrantes, Águeda, Albergaria-a-Velha, Alijó, Almada, Amadora, Arcos de Valdevez, Arganil, Armamar, Aveiro, Azambuja, Baião, Boticas, Bragança, Cabeceiras de Basto, Cantanhede, Cartaxo, Cascais, Chaves, Constância, Coruche, Covilhã, Esposende, Estarreja, Figueira da Foz, Fundão, Guarda, Ílhavo, Lamego, Lisboa, Loures, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mangualde, Mealhada, Mêda, Miranda do Corvo, Mirandela, Mogadouro, Mondim de Basto, Mora, Murça, Murtosa, Nazaré, Nisa, Odivelas, Oeiras, Oleiros, Oliveira de Frades, Oliveira do Bairro, Ourém, Pampilhosa da Serra, Penacova, Penamacor, Penela, Pombal, Ponte de Lima, Proença-a-Nova, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Resende, Sabrosa, Sabugal, Santa Marta de Penaguião, São Pedro do Sul, Sátão, Seia, Seixal, Setúbal, Sever do Vouga, Sines, Sintra, Tarouca, Torre de Moncorvo, Vagos, Valpaços, Vila Franca de Xira, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Vila Nova de Paiva, Vila Pouca de Aguiar, Vila Real and Vila Verde.

The extreme risk municipalities are Alcanena, Alfândega da Fé, Amarante, Amares, Arouca, Barcelos, Belmonte, Braga, Caminha, Castelo de Paiva, Celorico da Beira, Celorico de Basto, Cinfães, Crato, Espinho, Fafe, Felgueiras, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Gondomar, Guimarães, Lousada, Maia, Manteigas, Marco de Canaveses, Matosinhos, Oliveira de Azeméis, Ovar, Paços de Ferreira, Paredes, Penafiel, Portalegre, Porto, Póvoa de Lanhoso, Póvoa de Varzim, Santa Maria da Feira, Santo Tirso, São João da Madeira, Trofa, Vale de Cambra, Valença, Valongo, Vieira do Minho, Vila do Conde, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Vila Nova de Gaia and Vizela.

For these two levels of risk, the main measures approved are:

• Prohibition of circulation on public streets between 23h00 and 5h00 on weekdays;
• Prohibition of circulation on public streets on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays between 13h00 and 5h00;
• On 30 November and 7 December, shops must close at 15h00.

2. The decree amending the exceptional and temporary measures concerning the Covid-19 disease pandemic has also been adopted. Among the measures adopted, the following stand out:

• extension until 31 December 2021 of the validity of medical certificates of multi-use incapacity;
• speeding up the procedure for contracting doctors for certain specialities, with exemption from any formalities, until 31 December 2020;
• increase by one working day of holidays for every five days of holidays due in 2020 or 2019 and not taken by the end of 2020 for imperative reasons of service to health professionals;
• the possibility for the health units of the National Health Service with the nature of Corporate Public Entities to accept donations under the patronage regime, as well as donations from the Directorate-General of Health and the Central Administration of the Health System;
• the possibility of support being granted by local authorities to legally existing entities and bodies related to the response to the Covid-19 disease pandemic or economic recovery in the context of the pandemic;
• extension of the scope of the teleworking regime to municipalities considered by the Directorate-General of Health as being of high, very high and extreme risk, such as workers residing or working there;
• making telework compulsory in cases where the worker is covered by the protection regime for immunosuppressed and chronically ill persons, is disabled with a degree of disability of 60% or more and has a child or other dependant who is under 12 years of age, or, irrespective of age, is disabled or chronically ill, in the councils considered by the Directorate-General of Health as being of moderate risk or in territorial areas where the epidemiological situation justifies it;
• the possibility of paying value added tax in instalments for November 2020 and social security contributions for November and December 2020.

3. In addition, the Decree-Law granting compensation to health professionals involved in combating the Covid-19 disease pandemic, during the period in which the public calamity on the basis of which the state of emergency was declared, was approved:

• One day’s holiday for each period of 80 hours of normal work effectively provided during the period in question;
• One day’s leave for each period of 48 hours of overtime actually worked during the period in question;
• A one-off performance bonus equal to 50 % of the worker’s basic monthly pay.