More on the new rules for Lisbon: no drinking in public and the crime of disobedience in force
A short Portuguese news update in English on June 23, 2020.
This is just a short update to make sure you’re across the latest rules, which were formalised by the Council of Ministers late last night.
We already know from yesterday’s evening newsletter that all commercial establishments in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, except restaurants, must shut at 8pm and gatherings of more than 10 people are banned. But the new rules published last night in the Diário de República government portal (there should hopefully be an English translation available in a couple of days) also ban drinking in public at all times, likely because of the big outdoor parties we’ve seen recently. According to Observador, that restriction extends to park quiosques with esplanades but not to restaurants and drinking spots with their own outdoor areas. Service stations will also be banned from selling alcohol.
As for whether you’ll be able to have a glass of wine with dinner, there was some confusion initially but that seems to have been cleared up. It appears restaurants can operate as normal when serving meals inside or in their own exterior spaces and keep delivering meals or selling takeaway after 8pm, but you won’t be able to order drinks with your delivery/takeaway. Observador is pretty explicit in its interpretation: “If the consumption is to be done in the establishment during the meal, there is no restriction”.
Breaking any of these rules constitutes the crime of disobedience, with penalties of fines or jail time.
There were some calls for a sanitary cordon to be imposed around Lisbon but Prime Minister António Costa rejected that idea yesterday, Diário de Notícias reported.
Additionally, 15 freguesias (parishes) will remain in a state of calamity, including all of the councils of Amadora and Odivelas, six from Sintra, Camarate and Sacavém in Loures, and Santa Clara in Lisbon, Diário de Notícias reports. The list is subject to change and will likely include more parishes before it is complete.
I’ll have more on the situation in Lisbon and the rest of the country tomorrow.
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