Portugal's Plan for Lifting Lockdown

The country has been in lockdown since mid-January and, now that the number of Covid-19 cases has dropped significantly, the Portuguese Government has defined a plan for opening up. Reopening means that there will be a gradual lift of measures and, every two weeks, new services can start operating again, as follows:

General rules:

• Working from home whenever possible
• Establishments’ closing hours:
• 9pm on weekdays
• 1pm on weekends and holidays or 7pm for food retail
• Prohibition of movement between municipalities on 20^th and 21^st March and in the Easter period (26^th March- 5^th April)

From 15^th March onwards the following services will open:

• Nurseries, pre-schools and basic education (1^st cycle), as well as extracurricular activity centres for those ages (6 to 10 years old)
• Establishments of non-essential goods for home delivery or at the door/window or through click and collect service
• Closing hours for non-food retail and service providers:
• 9pm on weekdays
• 1pm on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
• Closing hours for food retail:
• 9pm on weekdays
• 7pm on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
• Fairs and non-food markets (by Municipal decision)
• Drinks are allowed in take-away service
• The sale of alcoholic beverages is forbidden from 8pm until 6am
• Hairdressers, barbers and beauticians by appointment
• Establishments that sell books and music
• Parks, gardens and leisure spaces, as well as libraries and archives
• The circulation between municipalities is prohibited on the 20^th and 21^st of March and during the Easter period (from March 26^th to April 5^th)

From 5^th April onwards the following services will open:

• Basic education (2^nd and 3^rd cycle), as well as extracurricular activity centres for those ages (10 to 14 years old) and social facilities in the area of disability
• Museums, monuments, palaces and art galleries
• Stores up to 200m²
• Fairs and non-food markets (by Municipal decision)
• Restaurants with outdoor tables (max 4 people)
• Low-risk sports
• Outdoor physical activity up to 4 people and gyms without group classes

From 19^th April onwards the following services will open:

• Secondary schools (15 to 18 years old)
• Universities
• Cinemas, theatres, auditoriums
• Lojas do Cidadão by appointment
• All stores and shopping centres
• Restaurants and cafés (max 4 people or 6 at outdoor spaces) until 10pm or 1pm at weekends and holidays
• Medium-risk sports
• Outdoor physical activity up to 6 people and gyms without group classes
• Outdoor events with reduced capacity
• Weddings and baptisms with 25% capacity

From 3^rd May onwards the following services will open:

• Restaurants and cafés (max 6 people or 10 at outdoor spaces) with no time limit
• All sports
• Outdoor physical activity and gyms
• Large outdoor events and indoor events with reduced capacity
• Weddings and baptisms with 50% capacity

Source: https://covid19estamoson.gov.pt/plano-desconfinamento-datas-regras/