In a meeting of the Council of Ministers a set of measures was approved that will be applied from Tuesday, the day on which continental Portugal will enter into a state of contingency to "control the pandemic", with the implementation of "preventive measures", considering this is a period when children are returning to schools and employees back to work.

In addition to the rules for most of mainland Portugal, Prime Minister António Costa announced specific measures for the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto, where the risk of Covid-19 incidence is higher due to the "higher population density", determining scales of rotation between teleworking and face-to-face work and the obligation to delay entry and exit times at the workplace, as well as differentiated hours of breaks and meals for workers.

In the Autonomous Region of Madeira, the calamity situation was extended by the Regional Government until the end of September, while in the Autonomous Region of the Azores the same level was maintained until 15 September for the islands with air connections abroad - Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira, Pico and Faial - with the remaining four Azorean islands (Corvo, Graciosa, Flores and São Jorge) remaining on alert until that date.

Here are the details of restrictions and rules which will come into effect in Portugal on 15 September.

Mainland Portugal

In the context of the entry into force of the sate of contingency on Tuesday, which for most of the country replaces the state of alert in force since the beginning of July (with the exception of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, which had remained in contingency), the following measures were determined by the Government:

- Gatherings limited to 10 people

- Commercial establishments can only open from 10:00am "with the exception of pastry shops, cafes, hairdressers and gyms"

- Limitation of the closing time of establishments between 8pm and 11pm, by municipal decision "according to the specific reality" in each municipality

- Restaurants can remain open until 1am and can receive customers until 12am for meals

- In shopping centre catering areas, a maximum of four people per group are allowed to "avoid large concentrations of people".

- Ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages at filling stations

- From 8pm, ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages in all shops, with the exception of catering establishments with beverages served with meals

- Ban on the consumption of alcoholic beverages on public roads, "to ensure that informal gatherings do not multiply".

Return to school

Between 14 and 17 September, the return to school in person implies the adoption of specific measures in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic:

- Re-adapting schools to the new health reality

- Contingency plans in all schools

- Distribution of personal protective equipment

- Rules for dealing with suspicious cases, positive cases or outbreaks

- In restaurants, cafes and pastries 300 meters from schools, maximum of four people per group

Nursing homes

- Setting up district rapid intervention brigades to contain and stabilise outbreaks in homes, involving doctors, nurses and diagnostic technicians

- There are "18 teams, which will all be operational by the end of this month and will involve a total of 400 people".

- The aim is to "act very quickly in the face of any outbreak in a home" to allow the earliest possible diagnosis

Sports

- Sporting venues will remain without spectators, considering the difference in people's behaviour between being in a football stadium or in a cinema or theatre

Specific measures for Lisbon and Porto Metropolitan Areas

- The Government generally approved "for consultation by the social partners, a set of measures aimed at organising mirror work", with scales of rotation between teleworking and face-to-face work

- Obligation of time-lags, both in and out of workplaces, as well as during breaks and meals for workers

- Reduction of commuting, seeking to reduce the daily displacement of people between different municipalities. The Prime Minister called on companies in the two Metropolitan Areas, whenever possible, to adopt different timetables for the entry of employees to avoid crowds on public transport (two-thirds occupancy, wearing masks and social distancing).