António Costa was speaking at a press conference at the end of the Council of Ministers, after the Government approved the country's transition plan from a state of emergency to a state of calamity in the face of the covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Prime Minister, "the mandatory use of community masks in some spaces where inevitably the number of people and their proximity is more difficult to avoid" will be imposed.

"It is the case of public transport, it is the case of commerce, schools and closed places where there is a high number of people - even imposing the rules, which we will impose, of social distance", stressed the leader of the executive.

António Costa also stated that, in this new period of state of calamity, the country will have "an abundance of masks in the market, contrary to what happened two months ago, masks for community protection and gel or other protection materials will be in abundance".

In addition to the issue of the mandatory use of masks, the Prime Minister referred that, in this new period of calamity, the Government will also set "maximum capacity, with reduced levels, in order to continue to ensure that in the spaces that that will be available there is sufficient separation between people so that there is no excessive risk of contamination ".