”The creation of rules regarding the management of small beaches in times of pandemic, by the government, must leave the autarchies and entrepreneurs that operate here space to decide according to each reality”.

This position was shared by the Mayor of Lagoa, Luís Encarnação, with the owners of the concessions and other entrepreneurs related to the services of support to the beaches of the municipality of Lagoa, in a meeting of this Monday, 11 May, held in the Auditorium Carlos do Carmo.

The purpose of this meeting was to share opinions to be articulated among the various people involved, about opening and controlling access to small beaches.

Luís Encarnação informed the participants at the same meeting that he has been developing contacts with the various levels of regional and national political decision-making, in order to raise their awareness of the need not to close small beaches during the 2020 bathing season.

He also defended that the positions to be taken should be agreed upon by the different parties involved: the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), the Maritime Authority (APS), the Health Authority (DGS), the municipalities and the entrepreneurs who operate on the beaches.

Luís Encarnação, accompanied by the councillor responsible for the beaches and the coast, Jorge Pardal, clarified that with this effort he intends to mitigate the enormous impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic is already weighing on the economy of the municipality of Lagoa, dependent on more than 90 percent of the Tourism sector.

On the other hand, the mayor stressed that the beaches are the most prized natural heritage of the inhabitants of the municipality and that preventing residents from enjoying the beaches would be both penalizing and unjustified.