The measures, which were approved on Monday by the Regional Government of Madeira, are part of the fight against the covid-19 pandemic. The regional executive also decided to keep the weekend curfew between 6pm and 5am announced last week. In a statement made on Monday to journalists, the president of the Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque (coalition PSD / CDS-PP), justified the new restrictions with the increase in the number of cases of covid-19 in recent days, associated with the variant of the virus found in the United Kingdom, which put some municipalities in the region at high risk.

Miguel Albuquerque indicated that the curfew, as well as the new closing time of economic activities and the suspension of face-to-face classes, among other measures to contain the covid-19, will be in force between midnight on 13 January (today) and 11:59pm on 31 January. The governor explained, after an extraordinary meeting of the Government Council, that on weekends and holidays the ban on the road is between 6pm and 5am, a measure already approved for the days 9 and 10 January and 16 and 17 January.

All industrial, commercial and service activities are closed at 6pm on weekdays and at 5pm on weekends and municipal holidays. The Government of Madeira also decided to suspend face-to-face classes for students of the 3rd cycle and secondary education in all schools in the Autonomous Region of Madeira between Wednesday and 31 January.

Miguel Albuquerque clarified, however, that the new opening hours of commercial activities do not apply to pharmacies, clinics and doctors' and veterinarians' offices, oxygen services and medical gases at home and fuel filling stations only for the supply of vehicles. The governor also indicated that all establishments of games of chance, casinos, bingo or the like should close at 5pm on weekends of 16 and 17, 23 and 24 and 30 and 31 January.