Portugal introduces new measures before Christmas

&amp;NewLine;<p>António Costa's government has just announced the early implementation of certain measures originally scheduled for the first week of January, and other measures have been announced&amp;nbsp&amp;semi;<&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Covid-19&amp;colon; Portugal introduces new measures before Christmas&amp;nbsp&amp;semi;<&sol;h2>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p>The week of mandatory confinement originally scheduled for the week after New Year's Day has been brought forward to next week&amp;comma; that is, from December 27&amp;period;<&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p>"We are going to anticipate a series of measures early next week," declared António Costa at the end of the extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting held yesterday, Tuesday;<&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p><strong>The <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;vivreauportugalconsulting&period;com&sol;teletravail-au-portugal-regle&sol;" data-type&equals;"post" data-id&equals;"8532">teleworking will be mandatory<&sol;a>The closing of crèches&amp;comma; day-care centers&amp;comma; nightclubs and bars has been brought forward to midnight on December 25&amp;period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p>From this date onwards&amp;comma; a negative Covid-19 test will be required for entry to tourist establishments and local accommodation&amp;comma; for ceremonies such as weddings and christenings&amp;comma; and for business events&amp;period;<&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p>Presentation of the test has also been extended to all cultural shows and sports halls&amp;comma; whatever their capacity&amp;period; Until now&amp;comma; the test was only compulsory for shows with more than five thousand spectators in open spaces or one thousand in closed spaces&amp;period;<&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p>Commercial spaces will once again be subject to a capacity limit of &amp;colon; one person per five square meters&amp;period;<&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p>One of the new measures announced by the Prime Minister is to increase the number of reimbursed tests from four to six per month, in order to "continue to encourage screening";<strong>We remind you that these free tests are reserved for Portuguese tax residents&amp;period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p>This meeting of the Council of Ministers&amp;comma; was the last before Christmas&amp;comma; was originally scheduled for Thursday&amp;comma; but the Prime Minister decided to bring it forward to Tuesday&amp;comma; after holding talks with the President of the Republic and having informed and heard all the parties represented in Parliament&amp;period;<&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p><amp-twitter data-tweetid&equals;"1473353012483608589" layout&equals;"responsive" width&equals;"600" height&equals;"480"><&sol;amp-twitter> <&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">A series of concrete measures for holidays&amp;period;<&sol;h3>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p>On December 24, 25 and January 1, it will be compulsory to present a PCR-negative test in addition to a health pass to enter restaurants, casinos or end-of-year parties. On public thoroughfares, gatherings of more than 10 people and the consumption of alcoholic beverages are prohibited;<&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p>At the press conference at the end of the Council of Ministers&amp;comma; the Prime Minister made a series of recommendations for the Christmas period&amp;comma; in addition to the rules that have been determined&amp;period;<&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;&amp;NewLine;<p>António Costa called for gatherings to be limited "as far as possible" to the "family core" and called for the wearing of masks&amp;period;<&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;