The President of the Republic decreed today (13 January) to modify the state of emergency in force from Thursday (14 January) and to renew it for a further fifteen days, until 30 January, to allow measures to contain Covid-19.

"The renewal of the state of emergency until 23:59 on 30 January, which I have just signed, once made possible, given the seriousness of the situation, by more than 90 percent of MPs, has a very urgent and precise end: to try to contain and reverse the rapid growth of the pandemic, visible in recent days in cases, admissions, intensive care and, even more so, in deaths", says Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in a note published on the Presidency of the Republic's website.

The Assembly of the Republic authorised today this declaration of a state of emergency with votes in favour by PS, PSD, CDS-PP and PAN, an enlarged majority compared to previous votes in November, December and early this month, in which only socialists and social democrats had voted in favour.

Non-attached MP Cristina Rodrigues also voted in favour, BE abstained again, while PCP, ENP, Chega, Iniciativa Liberal and non-attached MP Joacine Katar Moreira voted against once again.

This is the ninth state of emergency decree in the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Constitution, it is up to the Head of State to decree the state of emergency, which allows the suspension of the exercise of some rights, freedoms and guarantees, but to do so he must listen to the Government and have the authorisation of the Assembly of the Republic.

This decree modifies the state of emergency currently in force, with new rules that apply in the last two days of the previous decree, which ends at 23:59 on 15 January, and renews it for a further fifteen days, from 00:00 on Saturday 16 January until 23:59 on the 30 January.