The decision was taken at the Madeira Government Council meeting, when the archipelago registers 111 active cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, in a total of 11,708 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic, and 75 deaths associated with the disease.

The PSD/CDS-PP coalition executive indicates that the calamity situation will be in effect until 23:59 on October 31, 2021.

The calamity is the highest of the three levels of intervention provided for in the Basic Civil Protection Law, above contingency and alert.

A situation of calamity can be declared when, given the occurrence to which it is associated and its predictable intensity, the need is recognized to adopt exceptional measures aimed at preventing, reacting or restoring the normality of living conditions in areas affected by its effects.

In a state of calamity, unlike the state of emergency (which is an initiative of the President of the Republic, approved by deliberation of the parliament), the right to strike and demonstrate is not prohibited.

In a state of emergency, the Armed Forces are on standby and in a disaster situation it is the civil protection forces that are responsible for the operations.