The decision was taken by the permanent municipal subcommittee of the Civil Protection of Lagos, for an “indefinite period”, and covers areas that were identified as “pleasant places” and “more conducive to the concentration of people”, being “susceptible to generate behaviour contrary to the objectives that led to the imposition of the state of National Emergency” and that aim at social isolation, argued the autarchy.

“The promenade on the riverside front of Avenida dos Descobrimentos (sidewalk on the east side, next to the river), as well as all the beaches in the municipality, their sea fronts and car parks, are, as of today (27 March), banned from circulation”, the municipality announced in a statement.

This measure extends the restrictions that were already in force in the municipality for pedestrian and road circulation, after 16 March the municipality has already “banned the circulation of tourist buses on the access road to Ponta da Piedade (from the intersection with Praia da D. Ana)” and “on Avenida dos Descobrimentos, in the section between the roundabout of Ponte D. Maria and the roundabout of Pendulo”, added the municipality.

The riverside car park is also another place where restrictions were already in place, with the municipality stating that they could only access that area with “card / pass users”.

"Knowing that the most effective combat measure to prevent the spread of the pandemic is social isolation, and the municipality of Lagos has so far been without identified cases of contagion and disease, and it is intended to continue so", explained the municipality.

The decision will allow, according to the autarchy, "to deter human agglomeration" and give the authorities that monitor compliance with the restrictions the ability to "act to disperse gatherings of people, avoiding an escalation of the degree of associated risk.

Beaches and bathing areas are areas where local people have seen holiday homes being occupied by people from “areas where the pandemic is most active,” as a resident of Manta Rota told the Lusa news agency, who asks the authorities to prevent people from other areas from accessing the Algarve.

The Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL) has also warned of the arrival of people in the region to settle in holiday homes or second homes, considering that this behaviour can increase the number of covid-19 cases in the region and appeal to people from other regions of the country to remain in their first residences while these restrictive and social isolation measures are in place.

“I live in the town of Manta Rota, municipality of Vila Real de Santo António. The resident population is known. We have numerous rental homes and empty holiday homes throughout the year with a travelling population. Since the covid-19 pandemic, many of these houses have been occupied, people have rented houses for social isolation,” Célia Gonçalves Santos told Lusa.

The same source said that “people from areas where the infection is uncontrolled” arrive at the location, “addressing residents” to ask them if the authorities “here in the Algarve still allow to go to the beach”, and asks the competent authorities to “block the flow of people to the Algarve”.