Speaking to Lusa, the president of DNA, José Gouveia, said: "In the analysis that we have done over the last few months, we think that this is the time for, at least gradually, to reopen and to end this lockdown of discotheques," he said.

The businessman said that they should start by reopening outdoor spaces, such as small bars in the city centres, giving as an example Porto or Lisbon (Cais do Sodré or Bairro Alto).

“The small bars that hold 30/40 people can reopen right away. And the open-air nightlife venues, when we are talking about outdoor sports, open-air concerts, all cultural aspects, shows, etc., it makes no sense that there are no open-air nightlife venues ”, he said.

The official stressed that he is aware that the reopening may imply "some restrictions".

"But all restrictions and measures to be taken in this matter may be feasible for businesses", he stressed.

According to José Gouveia, with the arrival of summer, ‘indoor’ establishments will also have “space to open”.

“The important thing is to start addressing the issue with the Directorate-General for Health, with other associations that have already made the appeal. It is necessary to find a consensus to start, effectively, resuming activity”, he said.

Bars and clubs in mainland Portugal have been closed since March 2020, when the first case of Covid-19 was diagnosed in the country and the President of the Republic declared the first state of emergency.