At a time when the country is in a state of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the executive wanted to ensure that, despite the “exceptional situation [in the country] and the proliferation of registered cases of contagion”, there is a “ guarantee of essential services to the country ”, informs the Ministry of Environment and Climate Action in a statement.

For this reason, the minister tutored by João Pedro Matos Fernandes signed today “three orders that come into force at 00:00 on March 23, 2020, and that cover essential areas such as water supply, urban waste management, supply of energy, electricity, gas and fuels and also transport ”, says the press release.

The objective is to “ensure the continuity and no interruption in the provision of public services” for water supply for human consumption, sanitation of urban waste water, urban waste management, energy supply (electricity and natural gas), availability liquid fuels and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and the operation of public passenger transport, according to one of the orders.

In this document, the Government emphasises that, in all the sectors mentioned, "the entities and companies that manage the systems must define the teams necessary to guarantee the activities described".

To this are added two orders addressed to the Portuguese Environment Agency and the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, in order to guarantee the fulfillment of their obligations.

Also today, the Minister of the Environment and Climate Action, João Pedro Matos Fernandes, sent a message to all workers in the services and companies he supervised.

"I address today, all those who, with their work and dedication, continue to guarantee the smooth functioning of essential services in our country".

Expressing his “sincere thanks” to these officials, the minister notes that “the country cannot stop and will not stop”.

“I ask you to be very careful, to comply with the rules of hygiene and protection that are public, but to continue, because more than ever, the country and the Portuguese depend on your work”, he adds.

The Covid-19 pandemic has already claimed 12,895 deaths and 300,097 people are infected in 169 countries and territories.