The Government today decided to "extend the rules currently in force" in the fight against the pandemic in the continental territory, within the scope of the new state of emergency, also determining a "precautionary measure" this weekend for the municipalities with the greatest risk.

The 25 municipalities that are considered to be at a moderate risk level, with less than 240 cases of infection per 100 thousand inhabitants accumulated in 14 days, are Alcoutim, Aljezur, Almeida, Arronches, Barrancos, Carrazeda de Ansiães, Castanheira de Pêra, Castelo de Vide, Coruche, Ferreira do Alentejo, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Lagoa, Manteigas, Monchique, Odemira, Pampilhosa da Serra, Proença-a-Nova, Resende, Santiago do Cacém, Sardoal, Sernancelhe, Sines, Torre de Moncorvo, Vila de Rei,an Vila do Bispo.

"Every day counts," said the Prime Minister, stating that "it may be useful not to wait until the 15th to make new decisions and that can be taken following what is confirmed on the 12th".

Schools to remain open

The prime minister also ruled out moving forward immediately with the suspension of teaching activity in schools due to the negative evolution of the pandemic, but admitted more restrictive measures starting next week.

"There is a great consensus today between technicians and specialists that it is not justified to affect the functioning of the school year. We must not take measures that imply, as we adopted last school year, the interruption of school activity", said the head of the Government.

António Costa also said that he will listen to the social partners and the other political parties about the possibility of adopting more restrictive measures. Asked about the scenario of a new confinement, he rejected anticipating measures and signalled his "hope" that the increase in cases over the past two days will not continue until next week.

"What we have done so far is to focus the measures on the weekend; a step forward means to extend this type of measures to the rest of the week, therefore, to adopt more general confinement measures, the type we adopted last March. I did not want to be anticipating measures, as hope is the last to die, we must hope that the numbers of yesterday and today are still an adjustment of the period we experienced in the last weeks and that the data from now until the 12th will not confirm this If they confirm it, it is necessary to do what is necessary to do ", he stressed.

On Thursday, the President of the Republic decreed the renewal of the state of emergency for another eight days, until January 15, to allow measures to contain the covid-19.

New figures released

This Thursday Portugal registered 95 more deaths related to covid-19 and 9,927 new cases of infection with the new coronavirus, according to the daily report of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).

The rules for each level

Municipalities at moderate risk:

- Mandatory use of a mask in the workplace

- The possibility of performing body temperature measurements by non-invasive means in accessing workplaces, educational establishments, means of transport, commercial, cultural and sports spaces.

- The possibility of requiring diagnostic tests for COVID-19, in the access to health establishments, residential structures, educational establishments, professional establishments in the entrance and the exit of national territory - by air or by sea - and other places, by determination of the DGS.

High-risk counties:

On the weekend of January 9 and 10:

- Limitation of movement between municipalities

- Prohibition of circulation on public roads from 1 pm

General Rules

- Action to monitor compliance with mandatory teleworking;

- Mandatory use of a mask in the workplace

- Maintenance of the opening hours of the establishments (10 pm, except restaurants and cultural facilities at 10:30 pm)

- Teleworking: As long as the functions in question allow, the worker has conditions to perform them and essential services are not involved, teleworking is mandatory: For companies working in this County;

In addition to the above measures, measures of a national scope must also be observed in the Moderate Risk Counties with appropriate adaptations.

Very high and extremely high risk counties:

On the weekend of January 9 and 10:

- Limitation of movement between municipalities

- Prohibition of circulation on public roads from 1 pm

General Rules

- Action to monitor compliance with mandatory teleworking;

- Mandatory use of a mask in the workplace.

- Closing of shops on weekends from 1 pm and opening from 8 am *, except for the following establishments:

Pharmacies;

Clinics and offices;

Establishments selling food with a door to the street up to 200 m2;

Petrol stations;

From 13:00, restaurants can only operate through home delivery.

* Establishments that were open before 8:00 am may continue to do so.

For daily updates on Covid-19 updates, please visit here: https://covid19.min-saude.pt/ponto-de-situacao-atual-em-portugal/