SIC television has carried a report this lunchtime showing how police up and down the country are ‘controlling public transports’ checking that people travelling have the proper justification to do so.
As of 1pm today, over eight million Portuguese are essentially being confined to their homes.
These are the inhabitants of the 191 boroughs currently under ‘high risk’ virus restrictions (click here).
As huge parts of the mainland shut down for yet another weekend in partial lockdown, protests have been taking place in Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Guimarães (the two latter involving restaurateurs, shopkeepers, hotel sector workers and others whose livelihoods have been massively impacted by State of Emergency rules).
Lisbon’s protest centres on issues caused by the pandemic for those in the ‘culture sector’, while Porto’s has been led by security guards who now have no work due to the lack of events being held.
Various support schemes have been announced by the government, but protestors say none of them cover the crippling losses that people and businesses are having to cope with.
Meantime, further measures are due to be ‘rolled out’ today in an announcement from the government expected at 6pm.
Minister for Interior Administration Eduardo Cabrita has warned that the current total of 191 boroughs under toughest restrictions is likely to be increased to over 200.
