From 1 May until 3 May the government will ban all travel between municipalities using the same measures that were seen over the Easter period, despite the state of emergency finishing on 2 May.”Over this weekend, which is extended, the Government will enact a ban on travel between municipalities, just as it happened during the Easter period. The objective of the travel ban being to dramatically limit the circulation of people “, said the prime minister.
When discussing the Labour Day celebrations due on 1 May, António Costa said that “it will be a different 1st of May for union centrals - and that is being clearly defined”.
“It is essential to understand that, in order to be successful in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic, as has happened so far, every day we must have the greatest degree of containment and isolation. Even beyond the state of emergency, we will not return to live life normally“, he stressed.
The current state of emergency in Portugal is only valid until midnight on 2 May and the extended restrictions for the long bank holiday weekend will mean that other measures will be needed to be put into place to enforce the lockdown.
The prime minister said that:”This in itself compromises the possibility of inter-county travel. Regardless of the state of emergency, there are a number of other legal instruments, be it public health legislation or the Civil Protection Base Law, which allows for the maintenance of confinement standards, restriction of circulation or conditioning in the operation of certain establishments”.
In other words, according to the Prime Minister, regardless of the state of emergency being lifted on 2 May, “it is certain and safe that, the country will not will return to normal “.
”Restrictions will continue to be in force with the legal authorisation that is necessary for this purpose. For 3 May, there are legal measures that allow the application of these restrictions on circulation,” he warned.
Meanwhile, PSP police trust that “everything will be fine” during the celebrations of the 1st of May.
The national director of the PSP expressed his confidence that “everything will go well” in the celebrations of Labour Day, namely in the fulfilment of the health authorities’ instructions regarding social distancing due to the pandemic of Covid-19.
“The articulation [with the union centrals] has already started and I have no doubt that everything will be fine and that they will comply with all the indications of the health authorities”, said Magina da Silva, in statements to journalists, in Porto, where he accompanied an inspection action on drivers within the scope of traffic restrictions during the state of emergency in the country.
The director of the PSP explained that the security forces have already had a “meeting in Lisbon” to prepare for the celebrations for 1 May and that others will be held across the country, in the places where the celebrations usually take place.
“The PSP has a long history of good understanding with the unions and I don’t think there will be any problem in the articulation”, he observed.
According to Magina da Silva, “the events of 1 May will have to follow the indications of the Directorate-General for Health regarding social distancing”.
“It is not for me to define these rules, but to guarantee that they will be extended in conjunction with the union centrals and I think that there will be no problem”.
The general secretary of CGTP, Isabel Camarinha, will mark 1 May at the Afonso Henriques shopping centre in Lisbon, as usual, but without the participation of thousands of workers and with social distancing being observed.
The CGTP leader acknowledged that mass actions are out of the question on this 1st of May due to the need for social distancing to stop the spread of Covid-19, but considered that the current employment situation requires that protests should still be heard.
According to the third state of emergency issued by the Portuguese government, participation in the official celebrations of the Workers’ Day, celebrated on 1 May are permitted to go ahead as long as they “observe the recommendations of the health authorities, namely in terms of social distance and the organisation and participation of citizens in the celebrations of Labour Day will be articulated by the security forces and services with the union centrals.”