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Portugal May Allow Travel Between Municipalities Over Christmas

Portugal May Allow Travel Between Municipalities Over Christmas

Portugal may allow movement between municipalities during the long Christmas weekend, even as it tries to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The government will decide on Dec. 18 whether to forgo travel restrictions during the Dec. 23-26 period, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said at a press conference on Saturday. Movement between municipalities was limited during the last two long weekends.

There will be curbs over the New Year weekend, when public parties will also be barred, Costa said. Other restrictions will generally remain in place through Jan. 7, including a limit on movement in public spaces from 1 p.m. on weekends in municipalities reporting a higher number of new infections.

Costa has said he wants to try to contain the pandemic while avoiding the tougher confinement measures adopted in March and April, when schools were shut.

  • Portugal on Saturday reported 6,087 new confirmed coronavirus cases in a day, less than the daily record of 6,994 reported on Nov. 19.
  • The number of patients in intensive-care units fell by nine to 517. The country’s national health service has a capacity of about 960 intensive-care beds, Health Minister Marta Temido said on Nov. 18.

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