en 
The Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, addressed the nation on 13 January and announced the new stricter lockdown rules to be applied across the country.
His primary focus was on highlighting the need for everyone to stay at home whenever possible.
“The fundamental message from the decisions that we have made, is to highlight the need for everyone to stay at home, as was practiced in March and April”, said the Prime Minister.
The rules for the lockdown in general will be the same as were applied in the first phase, which were applied from March to April last year. The only major change for this will be that children will be able to attend schools, with all educational establishments remaining opening.
António Costa explained that the possibility of closing schools had been up for discussion but the Minister of Education highlighted that sending students home would lead to greater risks than the spreading of the virus of a generation of children. “We will keep all educational establishments fully operational”, he added.
In his message he also highlighted that the vaccine against the Covid-19 virus had given hope to many that we would be able to overcome the pandemic but that this had also led to a general relaxation by the Portuguese people which he felt justified the return to full lockdown. He added: “There should be no fatigue in trying to combat the pandemic because the collective pain of having more than 100 deaths a day in the country is simply unacceptable,” he added that the price we are paying is “unbearable”.
Working from home will continue to be mandatory however the seriousness of not following these rules has been stated by the Prime Minister who added that there will be “very serious fines” for those who breach the teleworking rules.
“Working from home really is mandatory whenever possible. To ensure compliance with this obligation, we consider that a violation of this to be very serious and will result in fines. As a sign to the population about the severity of this issue we ask every individual to be responsible and all fines predicted for pandemic violation are doubled,” said the prime minister.
For those who are unable to work from home António Costa has assured that the simplified layoff regime will be automatic for all businesses forced to close and to guarantee support to all those affected. He added that he sympathized with people losing their social life and freedoms but added that “life is priceless” and the price that the country is having to pay now is because the pandemic is “unbearable”.
"We have reached a point where it is not possible to hesitate about what needs to be done," António Costa continued, stating that "we fought collectively to avoid what we are deciding today. We started taking the first measures on September 15th and were adapting the measures according to the evolution of the pandemic. We pulled the handbrake for the New Year. The cost of human life is priceless and we have reached a point where it is not possible to hesitate in relation to what needs to be done ", he explained.
All businesses that were closed in the first lockdown will once again close, this will include hairdressers and gyms, with restaurants only being able to offer take away options. Supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open with restrictions on the number of people able to enter.
The prime minister made it clear that on the whole the rules for the lockdown would be the same as during March and April, with the exception of schools.
The new lockdown rules will come into force for the entire country from Friday, 15 January.
Originally from the UK, Daisy has been living and working in Portugal for more than 20 years. She has worked in PR, marketing and journalism, and has been the editor of The Portugal News since 2019. Jornalista 7920
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A new lockdown that keeps schools open is not a lockdown in anything but name.
Students mix at school and then go back home to their families.
By James from Algarve on 15 Jan 2021, 07:56
It is extremely frustrating how difficult it is for us that have just started learning Portuguese to find information about the pandemic and the government's measures in English or other languages. Even on government government and government sites everything is in Portuguese only. If it wasn't for the wonderful people in our area helping us we would be totally clueless, then again not even the locals have all the information needed so I guess it is a matter of general lack of information flow.
By G from Beiras on 15 Jan 2021, 11:00
I agree with "G". And the infromation published in English (like on this site) is always late. And only frations are written.
But also
I can also read the official information in Portuguse . And it is not lack of information that is the problem. The problem is that 1) It is to much information 2) It is not consistent !! 3) It changes to often 4) It has been detailed down to Concelho 5) It has been detailed down to day of the week and time of day
The inconsistent information, followed by a matrix of concelho vs time is not possible to understand.
By Gustav from Algarve on 15 Jan 2021, 12:44
You can't create laws aginst ignorance and stupidity.
If people does not care. What to do ?
Last Wednesday I had to visit a large "mall". The floor had clear arrows painted to show what side to use in what direction, when walking. I followed the arrows. But met a lot of people going in teh wrong direction and on the wrong side. They did not care at all.
All I can do is to stay away from places with people
(But I am not allowed to be outside on empty places. Stay home. Does not make any sence)
By Gustav from Algarve on 15 Jan 2021, 12:48
@G, ever heard of Google Translate? Or is a right-click of your mouse too much to ask?
By Billy Bissett from Porto on 15 Jan 2021, 14:44
People who have lost relatives or friends. People who have empathy for the suffering of others. Can not understand why it is so difficult to wear a mask and keep safe distancing. It is hard to understand why your selfishness should kill other people.
I stopped a young man and asked if he needed a mask. No, he said I have one in my pocket. Very smart. You are responsible for everything you do. If you think you are able to say forgive me later in your life, let me tell you. YOU CAN NOT UNKILL PEOPLE.
By Gunnar Vilhelmsson from Porto on 15 Jan 2021, 17:05
The Great Reset is in full swing. Tech billionaires are increasing wealth exponentially, while small businesses are forced to close in their millions. The agenda is clear yet people are so caught up in this Cult of Fear that they fail to see that there is zero logic in the measures that make sense from a health perspective. Schools open but don't leave your home. Reduce toll fees to encourage the use of public transport but close restaurants. Buying milk is safe but a doll for your child is dangerous. Don't worry, you can buy it on Amazon. A supposedly deadly virus is everywhere, yet you can discard your virus and bacteria soaked mask on the side walk - no biohazard bins necessary. Inject the most vulnerable population with the exact same virus, which is a key factor in the death rate every flu season, along with advanced age and/or serious pre-existing medical conditions. While spreading virus fear propaganda, call every death a virus death. Switch to the vaccination agenda, every death after the shot is because of old age or pre-existing conditions.
By Gerhard from Algarve on 16 Jan 2021, 11:23
Zu "G" - noch nie vom Google-Uebersetzungsprogramm gehoert?
By rakete from Algarve on 17 Jan 2021, 17:17
For everyone who seeks clarity and an English language explanation of the lockdown rules and other safety matters, please refer to and support this outstanding source if you can: https://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/ Many thanks to David Thomas and his team for his tireless efforts to make government-speak comprehensible!
By Judith Carol Irwin from Beiras on 21 Jan 2021, 16:46