(ANSA-AFP) - LISBON, SEPTEMBER 10 - The Portuguese government today decided to tighten its health restrictions just before the start of the school year, in order to curb the increase in the number of new coronavirus cases.
Based on the measures adopted in the Council of Ministers, which will come into force on Tuesday, the number of people who can meet will drop from 20 to 10 across the country, as is already the case in Lisbon and its region.
And as in the capital, the sale of alcoholic beverages will be banned anywhere from 8pm, as will their consumption in public spaces.
"We have seen a sustained increase in the number of new cases since the beginning of August," Prime Minister Antonio Costa told the press.
Portugal yesterday reported 646 new cases in 24 hours, the highest figure since April 20.
The head of the government added that most of these new infections involved people between the ages of 20 and 39 and most of them did not have any symptoms of the disease.
With 10 million inhabitants, Portugal recorded a total of 1,852 deaths from Covid-19 and 62,126 officially confirmed cases, according to the official report released today.
The announcement of the restrictions comes as some one million Portuguese youth will return to school between Monday and Wednesday, and the prime minister has also called on companies to continue promoting teleworking or alternating work arrangements as much as possible.
(ANSA-AFP).