As of today, asymptomatic positive cases will also no longer be isolated in the autonomous region, maintaining the rule only for symptomatic positives.

The alert situation is in force until 23:59 on March 31 and implies the maintenance of the vast majority of measures to control the Covid-19 pandemic, with some exceptions, such as the end of the mandatory use of masks outside.

This measure came into force in Madeira on August 1, 2020 and, although it was accepted by the population, it caused controversy, especially regarding legal support and proportionality in view of the epidemiological situation in the autonomous region, with only nine cases of Covid-19 at the time.

The Madeiran executive (PSD/CDS-PP) placed, however, the focus on prevention and the defense of public health, justifying the resolution with the danger of contagion resulting from the forecast of the arrival of 150 thousand tourists during the summer and the resumption of school classes in September, which would involve around 40,000 students, 6,000 teachers and 4,000 employees.

A year and seven months later, the Madeiran government considers that there are “safe conditions” to dispense with the mandatory use of a mask on the street, justifying the decision with the fact that the complete vaccination rate against SARS-CoV-2 is higher than 90% and the mortality rate below 0.8%.