What changes from today, and your guide to safely working out and in (the office)
English language coronavirus news in Portugal on June 1, 2020.
New confirmed cases levelled off a bit over the weekend and today we see the lowest number of new infections detected for a week. As was the case last week, they’re practically all (96.5% according to Diário de Notícias) in the Greater Lisbon area. The number of deaths per day remains basically unchanged since May 21 and recoveries have been pretty steady too since that enormous recalculation last weekend. Unfortunately we’re seeing slightly more new cases than confirmed recoveries, meaning the number of active cases, now at 11,724, is increasing slowly.
A quick reminder: here’s what changes today
Today we welcome changes of various magnitudes in everything from shopping and entertainment to school and exercise. Here’s a quick reminder of what’s changing, via Público. Pre-schools are opening for kids three years and up, restaurants can open to capacity if they have barriers between tables, gyms are back in session and theatres and cinemas. Outside of Lisbon, shopping centres, shops greater than 400 sq m and Lojas de Cidadão can reopen and up to 20 people can gather at once but none of that is yet allowed in the capital. Lisboetas must also wear a mask in private cars such as Ubers and Bolts, which can only be two-thirds full. Diário de Notícias also highlights that the somewhat vague civic duty to remain inside no longer applies.
Your guide to safely working out and in (the office)
If, like many of us, you used the lockdown as an excuse to overindulge, today might be a turning point, as gyms reopen. The Directorate-General for Health is very keen to ensure they don’t turn into possible contagion hotspots so has released a strict set of rules, Público reports. Whether in or out of the building itself, gym junkies must stay three metres apart, with equipment facing the same way so people aren’t standing face-to-face and handles covered with cling wrap, replaced daily. All physical contact is advised against and you must wear a mask while entering and exiting, but thankfully not while working out. Change rooms, saunas and solariums will remain closed and group classes for pregnant people, old people and those with chronic illnesses are advised against.
Público has also put together a guide for those returning to work this week as mandatory working from home is replaced by “partial telework”. Businesses are encouraged to stagger the hours of different teams day-to-day or week-to-week and design a contingency plan in case a worker falls ill and designate an isolation room for the same eventuality. Occupational health specialist Professor António Uva says doors, railings and anything else touched by hands are “risk zones” for contagion. Ideally, they should be washed after being touched but at the least, you should wash your hands after touching any such areas. DGS recommends masks in all enclosed spaces but Professor Uva warns against mandatory wearing of gloves, particularly because it can give a false sense of security. He says windows should be open if possible and it is best to leave the air conditioner off, again only if possible, but if it needs to be on it should be switched to extraction mode rather than circulation. Ideally, desks should be two metres apart and workers should check their temperature every morning and night and stay home if they have any symptoms. I know that’s a lot to take in but there are a couple more questions answered in the article.
Shopping centres are back, with a difference
The return of shopping centres outside the Lisbon Metropolitan Area comes with a lot of new restrictions, Público reports. Along with the obligatory mask wearing, physical distancing and occupation limits you would expect, they must have their own contingency plans and new rules for how people move about. They’re meant to ensure people don’t cross each other's paths too much and include clearly one-way routes and que spacing signalled by arrows on the ground and defined entries and exits from shops. There’ll also be permanent sanitation teams, reorganised restaurant seating and limits on touching items or trying on clothes, which should be sterilised afterwards by a worker. Público is also expecting many shops to be rolling out the discounts to quickly get rid of stock and make up for lost earnings. A decision is due on Thursday about centres whether or not to open centres in Greater Lisbon.
In brief
Portugal's public debt hit €262.1 billion. The April figure is a €7.3 billion jump since March and the highest since the central bank started tracking the stat in 1995. (Diário de Notícias)
COVID-19 isn't just new, it's also complex. Portuguese researchers identified three dozen symptoms and 35 associated diseases. (Diário de Notícias)
The beaches are full but Cristo Rei (Christ the King) is deserted. There were about 50 people at mass, down from a normal capacity of 750. (Diário de Notícias)
65,000 businesses have already renewed their simplified lay-off claims, but some have left the scheme. (Diário de Notícias)
Thank you so much again to everyone who has already subscribed or bought me a “tosta mista”. It really makes a big difference. If you missed the email explaining how to do it you can check it out here or hit one of these buttons to help out.
On a lighter note
I’m not sure how many of you voted in the sardine design competition I shared last week but here are the winners. There are some cool concepts, from a beautiful coming together of neighbours inspired by the lockdown to a celebration of the humble senha (ticket) you have to take when waiting at a busy pastelaria or just about any government office. Three of the seven winners aren’t actually Portuguese, instead hailing from Turkey, Italy and Canada.
I’m hoping to keep as many expats informed as possible, so please share this with any friends you think might find it useful.