Despite the state of emergency that prohibits agglomeration, Choupal was today full of people playing sports and walking in that space, despite the state of emergency decree “The general duty of home collection, and at all costs should avoid traveling outside the home beyond the necessary ones” due to the high contagiousness of the new coronavirus, which causes Covi-19 disease, a state of emergency was declared in Portugal on March 18, by the President of the Republic.
The spread of the virus can bring about the collapse of the National Health Service, the Minister of Health and the DGS often refer, who even today in a press conference reiterated that prophylactic isolation is a way to contain the spread of the virus, which is already at the stage of community contamination.
The exceptional situation and the proliferation of registered cases of contagion of COVID-19 required the “application of extraordinary and urgent measures to restrict rights and freedoms, in particular with regard to the rights of movement and economic freedoms, in conjunction with the European authorities, with a view to preventing the transmission of the virus.
Prevent disease, contain the pandemic, save lives and ensure that the fundamental supply chains for essential goods and services continue to be ensured, as announced by the Government.
The authorities considered it urgent “to adopt the measures that are essential, adequate and necessary to proportionally restrict certain rights to save the greater good that is public health and the lives of all Portuguese.
Travel rights are offered in three situations: people who are sick or under active surveillance, the people in risk groups and the remaining population.
To the first group[[sick or under active surveillance]«Mandatory isolation is imposed, either by hospitalization or by home internment, constituting a crime of disobedience for violation of this rule».
To people in risk groups, “Namely over 70 years old or with morbidities” (namely, serious illnesses), “a special duty of protection is imposed, whereby they should only leave their homes in very exceptional circumstances and when strictly necessary, to ensure or purchase of goods, or to go to the bank, the post office or health centers, small hygienic walks, or to walk pet animals ».
“Outside these situations, they must avoid at all costs, for their own protection, any displacement”, added the Prime Minister at the time of the announcement of the state of emergency, calling for the effort that families, neighbors, social networks, municipalities and parish councils have allowed many of these elderly people to avoid necessary travel. “It is very important that they are protected from the risk of contamination of the disease”.
To the rest of the population, who does not belong to any risk group and is not sick or under active surveillance, «the general duty of home collection is mandatory, and at all costs must avoid traveling outside the home beyond the necessary ones ».
«We have a wide range of exceptions [que estarão enunciadas no decreto], but which are essentially limited to the need to go out for a professional activity, assist family members, accompany minors in short periods of outdoor recreation, walk with pets or other situations defined in the decree ».
