"I honestly do not anticipate that we will have to adopt measures that imply a state of emergency", said António Costa, stressing that if necessary "the parliament, even dissolved, maintains measures to monitor the Government's performance" that allow for new measures to be taken “in light of current legislation”.

The prime minister admitted his "concern" regarding the evolution of the number of people “infected by the new coronavirus", but stressed that he did not consider it "predictable that measures will have to be taken again with the dimensions" that they had in the past, given that vaccination has "not only greatly decreased the incidence rate” but has “also ensured that even people who are infected are now less severely ill”.