Parliament to extend COVID-19 emergency

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has asked parliament to back an extension of the state of emergency imposed to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The nationwide state decree, which came into force last week, includes a night-time curfew and a half-day lockdown on weekend days across 191 of Portugal’s 308 municipalities. It is due to expire on Monday, but lawmakers are likely to approve the president’s request for an extension into the first week of December later today. A three-tiered system of coronavirus restrictions is on the table but the government said it would only announce new measures on Saturday.