Today, Monday the 18th May, Portugal is delighted to be taking another step in the process of gradually opening up the economy and social living. Coinciding with International Museum Day, this new phase is marked by the opening, not only of museums, but also of all other cultural facilities, such as monuments, art galleries, interpretive centres, palaces and churches. As well as this, restaurants, cafés, pastry shops, terraces and commercial establishments up to 400 square meters will also open.
This is the second part of a phased and controlled opening, after the 4th of May, when local businesses, bookstores, hairdressers, beauty institutes, libraries, nautical activities, golf courts, taxis, rent-a-car and some public services and transport opened their doors, all with very positive results. The curve of the effects of the pandemic in Portugal maintained its downward trend, which reinforced confidence in the measures implemented as of today, as well as those planned for the following phases.
The strict sanitary safety rules established in the country by the General Directorate of Health (DGS) will be maintained, including the mandatory use of a mask, a minimum distance of two meters between people, facilities for frequent hand hygiene of employees, visitors or customers, as well as surfaces and spaces, with limitations on their capacity. In restaurants and similar establishments, frequent ventilation and air renewal will be a priority and all decorative elements will be removed from the tables. It is also advisable to reserve seats in advance and payments should be made preferably through contactless methods.
In order to continue guaranteeing everyone’s trust in the tourist destination and in the national offer, Turismo de Portugal created the “Clean & Safe” seal. This distinguishes tourist activities that ensure compliance with hygiene and cleaning requirements for prevention and control of Covid-19 and other possible infections in accordance with the recommendations of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS). This seal covers the entire tourism value chain, including hotels, local accommodation, tourist entertainment and catering companies, which implemented specific protocols for different types of services. There has been a huge number of companies applying for this, with more than 4,000 stamps already available, showing a significant commitment of Portuguese companies in welcoming tourists with safety.
The opening of the bathing season, which will begin on June 6th, will mark a new phase of resumption of activity. Until then, the rules that must be complied with will remain in place and there will be a maximum limit of bathers per beach. This is not expected to have a very significant impact on the enjoyment of Portuguese beaches, due to the high number of extensive sands on more than 850 km of beautiful Atlantic coast. Surveillance will be reinforced in order to ensure strict compliance with the stipulated rules.
It is also expected that this phase will include the opening of other services and commercial establishments, marking another step towards the establishment of a certain normality in the social and economic life of the country.
Entry into Portugal does not require quarantine, with the exception of the islands of Madeira and the Azores.
Thanks to clear and objective measures, implemented very early on, Portugal is managing to position itself as an example at an international level in the control and management of the pandemic situation. The concerted strategy of public health, of support to companies and also the strict compliance, by citizens and companies, with the instructions and guidelines issued by governmental entities, contributed a lot to the current situation.
Portugal remains authentic, diverse, attractive, inclusive and safe. We maintain the purpose and the commitment to welcome and to ensure that everyone who visits us can travel around the country safe and with confidence.
It’s time to say #CantSkipHope and start planning!
ENDS