In a press conference after the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers in Lisbon, the Minister of State and the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, explained that, in the context of the “more controlled epidemiological situation in the country”.

The minister clarified that bars and clubs do not have to open and that only those who want to function as cafes and pastry shops do so "without changing their activity" officially.

“If and when they want to work in another category that exists and has similarities in terms of organising spaces, they can do it without changing their activity”, he said.

The bars and clubs that choose this option can operate until 20:00 in the Metropolitan Area of ??Lisbon and until 01:00 (with entry limit at midnight) in the rest of the continental territory.

“Bars, other drink establishments without shows and drinks establishments with dance spaces remain closed, but they can now open if they function as cafes or pastry shops, without the need to change the respective classification of economic activity”, said a press release from the Council of Ministers.

Mariana Vieira da Silva said, when questioned by journalists, that the Government continues to consider that there are still no conditions for the opening of night entertainment spaces, since they are “closed places, with a large concentration of people and with difficult ventilation”.

Owners of bars and clubs that do not choose to open as cafes and pastry shops and remain closed can still benefit from the simplified 'lay-off' regime.