MAJOR UPDATE: 70% of country in partial lockdown from Wednesday

Major update to coronavirus restrictions on October 31, 2020.

This is the biggest tightening of pandemic restrictions in months. From Wednesday, November 4, about 7.1 million people in 121 municipalities will be placed under a partial lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus, Público reports. The major change is the civic duty to stay home. That’s the same measure put in place in 19 parishes (freguesias) in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area back in June and in three northern councils earlier this month.

Other restrictions

Other restrictions include mandatory working from home (or mismatched hours where that’s not possible), events and celebrations limited to five people, a ban on fairs and markets and restrictions on commercial trading hours. Shops must shut at 10pm, with the exception of essentials such as pharmacies, doctors, takeaway, petrol stations and rent-a-car. Restaurants can trade until 10.30pm with a limit of six people per table, except those living together.

121 more council areas affected

I’ve put a list of affected council areas at the bottom of the email but generally speaking it includes greater Lisbon, greater Porto, most of the rest of the North, a good chunk of the Central interior and parts of the Alentejo, with the Algarve mostly unaffected. The list is based almost entirely on how many infections each council has had per 100,000 people in the previous fortnight. Municipalities with more than 240/100,000 (an EU-adopted measure) will face restrictions except in the case of localised outbreaks in sparsely populated areas, such as a nursing home. By the same token, places like Montijo and Barreiro on the south side (Margem Sul) of the Tejo River are included despite having fewer cases, because they’re surrounded by areas with a higher incidence. The list will be reviewed every 15 days. Prime Minister António Costa warned November would be a difficult month, with councils likely to be added to the list rather than removed at the next update.

Council areas in red are considered high risk and subject to added restrictions.

The civic duty to stay at home has always been a little bit hazy but essentially boils down to stay at home unless you really need to go out. Exceptions include working, going to school, doing the shopping, exercising and walking the dog. Mr Costa explained it as such: “stay home, but when you go out to the supermarket, school, to the theater, to a concert, do it in accordance with [covid prevention rules]”.

Any potential move to a state of emergency (which wouldn’t imply any specific restrictions but would give government power to do a lot more) was left to an upcoming meeting between the PM and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

You can read a Reuters report in English here.

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Full list of affected municipalities

Felgueiras, Lousada, Paços de Ferreira (the first three), Alcácer do Sal, Alcochete, Alenquer, Alfândega da Fé, Alijó, Almada, Amadora, Amarante, Amares, Arouca, Arruda dos Vinhos, Aveiro, Azambuja, Baião, Barcelos, Barreiro, Batalha, Beja, Belmonte, Benavente, Borba, Braga, Bragança, Cabeceiras de Basto, Cadaval, Caminha, Cartaxo, Cascais, Castelo Branco, Castelo de Paiva, Celorico de Basto, Chamusca, Chaves, Cinfães, Constância, Covilhã, Espinho, Esposende, Estremoz, Fafe, Figueira da Foz, Fornos de Algodres, Fundão, Gondomar, Guarda, Guimarães, Idanha-a-Nova, Lisboa, Loures, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mafra, Maia, Marco de Canaveses, Matosinhos, Mesão Frio, Mogadouro, Moimenta da Beira, Moita, Mondim de Basto, Montijo, Murça, Odivelas, Oeiras, Oliveira de Azeméis, Oliveira de Frades, Ovar, Palmela, Paredes de Coura, Paredes, Penacova, Penafiel, Peso da Régua, Pinhel, Ponte de Lima, Porto, Póvoa de Varzim, Póvoa do Lanhoso, Redondo, Ribeira da Pena, Rio Maior, Sabrosa, Santa Comba Dão, Santa Maria da Feira, Santa Marta de Penaguião, Santarém, Santo Tirso, São Brás de Alportel, São João da Madeira, São João da Pesqueira, Sardoal, Seixal, Sesimbra, Setúbal, Sever do Vouga, Sines, Sintra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Tabuaço, Tondela, Trancoso, Trofa, Vale da Cambra, Valença, Valongo, Viana do Alentejo, Viana do Castelo, Vila do Conde, Vila Flor, Vila Franca de Xira, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Vila Nova de Gaia, Vila Pouca de Aguiar, Vila Real, Vila Velha de Ródão, Vila Verde, Vila Viçosa and Vizela.

This is a major update. Please share it on Facebook, in real life or anywhere else you see people a bit confused by the latest news.