Portugal will impose a week of confinement after Christmas, the Czech Republic will close the hotel business at 10:00 p.m. and several cities in Italy will request the use of the mask in the center.
The coronavirus continues to spread across Europe and several governments have announced restrictions again to try to contain the rise in infections. Portugal and the Czech Republic have decreed a state of emergency, and several cities in Italy will again require the use of the mask on the street.
Portugal
The Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, has announced that the country will return to a state of health emergency as of December 1.
Costa’s announcement again brings with it the obligation to wear masks in closed spaces, present vaccination certificates or negative coronavirus tests to be able to access bars, restaurants, leisure spaces and sporting events, in addition to the control of air borders in which the health pass must be presented.
Also, bet on telecommuting whenever possible and carry out coronavirus self-tests.
These new measures are expected to remain in force until February of next year, with a week of containment from January 2 to 9, with a view to returning to classrooms a day later, in which teleworking will be mandatory and nightclubs will remain closed.
According to the latest data, Portugal has a cumulative incidence of 251 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days.
Czech Republic
The state of emergency entered into force last midnight in the Czech Republic and will be in force for 30 days, in order to curb infections after registering the record of infections this week. The state of emergency was already in force in March 2020, and then between October 5 of that year and April 11, 2021.
The country has the second highest incidence of infections in the world, with a cumulative rate in this last week of 1,137 positives per 100,000 inhabitants, only behind Slovakia, with 1,295, according to the British observer medium Our World in Data.
Among the new restrictions that come into force is the reduction of the opening hours of bars, restaurants and nightclubs, which will remain closed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
In addition, Christmas markets and the consumption of alcohol in the open air, as well as catering services in shopping centers, are prohibited.
Italy
The inhabitants of the cities of Milan, Aosta, Bologna, Bergamo and Padua, all in northern Italy, should wear the mask in the center during Christmas to prevent coronavirus infections.
In addition, the regions of Lazio, whose capital is Rome, and Veneto have requested the Government to require people to wear this protection device in the center of all cities and in street markets.
Padua will demand it from this Friday until December 31 and Bologna also from Friday until January 9.
The measure tries to contain the spread of infections, although for now it will be applied only in some municipalities that have decided to do so and not at the national level.
The Italian government approved on Thursday a decree that among other things reinforces the use of the health certificate, excluding the unvaccinated from leisure.
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