The measures that allow travel by emigrants to Portugal “will be articulated with the countries of origin”, said today the Secretary of State for Health, admitting that “there is still nothing defined” regarding a possible mandatory quarantine.
“These are situations that are not yet completely defined, but they will certainly meet what we all want, which is to have our emigrants with us, but with properly planned security measures. We still don’t have anything defined [sobre períodos de quarentena]. These measures will be articulated with the different countries of origin ”, said António Lacerda Sales.
The Government of Spain today made public that it has decided that all persons entering the country from Friday onwards will be quarantined for 14 days.
Cross-border workers, transport workers and their crews, as well as health professionals who will carry out their work activity, are exempt from this measure, as long as they have not been in contact with people diagnosed with covid-19.
During these two weeks, people arriving from other countries “must remain at their home or accommodation”, being able to go out only to purchase food, pharmaceuticals and essential goods, to be assisted in health centers, services and establishments and for reasons of force majeure or need.
Asked if Portugal is considering taking similar measures, the minister said, at the daily press conference on the covid-19 pandemic in Portugal, that “these measures are part of the dynamism of the outbreak” and stressed that they will be “articulated with the different countries of the different origins “, speaking and” partners of Europe and beyond “.
“In relation to Spain, for example, the border is closed, but it serves goods, cross-border workers and emergency situations. We are in constant contact with the Spanish Government in order to be able to articulate measures and decisions and we will also do it with other countries of origin ”, said the Secretary of State.
António Lacerda Sales pointed out that “there is not much left” to seek “to understand what the results of the lack of definition were”, reiterating that “decisions will be made with flexibility and in due proportionality”.
“We are attentive to the situation of the emigrants whom we like very much to have in Portugal every year (…) Over time, I think we will be able to start making a balance and have some answers”, said the government official.
Portugal accounts for 1,163 deaths associated with covid-19 in 27,913 confirmed cases of infection, according to the latest daily bulletin from the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) on the pandemic.
In relation to the previous day, there are 19 more deaths (+ 1.7%) and 234 more cases of infection (+ 0.8%).
Of the infected people, 709 are hospitalized, 113 of whom are in intensive care units, and the number of recovered cases is 3,013.
Portugal entered on May 3 in a calamity situation due to the pandemic, after three consecutive periods in a state of emergency since March 19.
This new phase of combating covid-19 provides for mandatory confinement for sick people and under active surveillance, the general duty of home collection and the mandatory use of masks or visors in public transport, public attendance services, schools and commercial establishments.
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