Portugal to lift coronavirus state of emergency from May 3

Portugal’s lockdown, which shut most non-essential services last month to contain the spread of the coronavirus, will be lifted gradually from May 3, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Tuesday.

“What matters in this new phase is that the Portuguese know that containment remains important so we must take small steps and constantly evaluate,” he told a news conference.

Portugal has reported 24,322 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus and 948 deaths, while in neighbouring Spain more than 23,000 people have died.

The country declared a state of emergency on March 18 when the death toll was just two, with around 642 confirmed cases. It has conducted 370,000 coronavirus tests since March 1, one of the highest testing rates worldwide.

Even before the state of emergency was imposed, the government closed schools and nightclubs, banned gatherings of large groups, suspended flights to Italy and halted tourism with Spain.

Some restrictions will remain in place, Rebelo de Sousa said. “The end of the state of emergency is not the end of the outbreak, it’s not the end of control,” he said.

The full plan will be announced on April 30.

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