Portugal to Lift Most of Its COVID-19 Restrictions
According to the most recent press release issued by the government of Portugal, as soon as the new amended rules enter into force, citizens of the country, as well as travellers who visit Portugal, will no longer be required to present a negative test result when attending large events.
In addition, the requirement to present a vaccination or recovery certificate when attending bars, restaurants, and other public venues will also be dropped, AtoZSerwisPlus.pt reports.
Apart from the above-mentioned, the authorities have revealed that there will no longer be limitations in the capacity of persons allowed in one area during the same times.
The proposed relaxed measures now need to be approved by the President of Portugal in order for them to enter into force.
Commenting on the proposal to ease the COVID-19 restrictions, the Minister of State Mariana Vieira da Silva said that the new relaxed rules would help the citizens of the country and travellers to return to a normal life.
Additionally, she revealed that the government plans to lift all of the remaining restrictions by mid-March.
It is believed that the Portuguese authorities have proposed to ease the COVID-19 restrictions as the country is not having a high number of hospitalisations.
The figures provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) show that Portugal has registered 122,966 new COVID-19 infection cases in the last seven days.
As for the vaccination rates, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) shows that as of February 19, a total of 23,179,590 vaccine doses have been administered in Portugal. It further reveals that 94.0 per cent have already completed their primary vaccination and another 70.0 per cent have received an additional vaccine dose.
Even though the requirement to present a digital certificate when attending different places will be dropped, the authorities have explained that travellers who wish to visit the country are still required to meet this entry rule.
Currently, Portugal requires all incoming travellers to prove that they have recovered, tested, or have been vaccinated against the COVID-19 disease.
Portugal recognises recovery certificates as long as the document proves that the holder tested positive within the last 180 days.
On the other hand, vaccination certificates are accepted only if the document shows that the holder has completed primary vaccination within the last nine months (270 days). Those who have been vaccinated more than nine months ago need to receive an additional vaccine dose in order for their pass to be considered valid when reaching Portugal.
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