Portugal looking at imposing restrictions on beach visitor numbers this summer

PORTUGAL is looking at imposing restrictions on the number of people visiting beaches this summer as part of a strategy to relax the coronavirus shutdown.

“This virus doesn’t hibernate in the summer,” Prime Minister Antonio Costa commented in an interview published on Saturday morning.

“Mass gatherings cannot happen. Municipalities will have to take necessary measures so that we can go to the beach without overcrowding.”

The Portuguese government is aiming to start easing lockdown restrictions on education centres, shops, restaurants and cafes and cultural venues next month after deciding on Thursday to extend the State of Alarm declared on March 18 to May 2.

But Costa warned that the plan to relax the lockdown, details of which will probably be announced at the end of this month, would also mean new laws would be necessary to keep people safe.

As well as possibly applying limits on beaches, the government is also considering making it compulsory to wear face masks on public transport and in schools.

In terms of cultural events, the Prime Minister said it was still not clear when they could get going again, but did say cinemas might be able to open their doors again sooner, albeit applying measures to prevent Covid-19 infection.

And in good news for sports fans, there is also hope that football league matches will be allowed to kick off again, even though fans may well not be allowed into stadiums.

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Written by

Cathy Elelman

Cathy Elelman is the local writer for the Costa de Almeria edition of the Euro Weekly News.

Based in Mojacar for the last 21 years, Cathy is very much part of the local community and is always well and truly up on all the latest news and events going on in this region of Spain.

Her top goals are to do the best job she can informing the local English-speaking community, visitors to the area and the wider world about about the news in Almeria, to learn something new every day, and to embrace very new challenge this fast-changing world brings her way.

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