António Costa did not want to reveal in detail what the gradual return to normal life will be like, but he said this morning that he will follow the recommendations of the common strategy to release restrictions defined by the European Commission. In Observer interview, the prime minister said that the “method” in that document corresponds “exactly” to what Portugal defined. And if Úrsula Von der Leyen only presents the document on Wednesday morning, European sources contacted by the Observer revealed parts of the document that give clues about what Portugal will look like after the end of the restriction measures. Promote the use of a application to monitor infected (although less invasive than in China), keep risk groups, particularly the elderly, at home, and make a massive testing are some of the recommendations of the European Commission.
At the same time, in the same document cited by European sources to the Observer, provision is made for reopening of clothing stores with the same care as supermarkets, restaurants reopened with less capacity and shorter hours and classes with fewer students. The use of non-surgical masks by the population is also recommended. There are two certainties in the document, which Costa also noted this Tuesday in the interview with the Observer: the return will be “gradual” and as soon as the measures are lifted, infections will inevitably increase. Regardless of how much care is taken, people on the street are always more exposed than at home.
The Von der Leyen commission, as a source who accompanied the process explained to the Observer, wanted to have “a coordinating role for returning to normality”, in order to outline a common response and begin to resume the free movement of people and goods. But the Member States refused. Countries do not give up being the ones to define when they start again, whether in Health or Education. Despite this, the Commission has decided to promote a “role” in which it sets standards for this return to normality in the European space. That is where this set of recommendations comes from, which António Costa anticipated this Tuesday morning and which would soon be known.
In the document, the Commission warns that “although the road back to normality is very long, it is also clear that extraordinary measures of containment cannot last indefinitely”. It is considered “indispensable” to plan the stage in which the return takes place so as not to jeopardize the health of citizens or to overburden health systems. This, in the Commission’s view, can only be done with a “well-coordinated” response from the Member States.
Over several moments, in the document, “gradual” opening is advocated, but also that this opening will always imply an increase in infections. Despite this reality, there are better conditions than others to promote post-confinement return. The European Commission will define, in the document to be presented on Wednesday, three major criteria that must be taken into account for the Member States to understand if they are in the phase of beginning to “relieve” the confinement: epidemological, health system capacity and monitoring.
In the criterion epidemological, each country must take into account its “curve” and understand if the growth of cases has stabilized, having to take into account the number of infections, as well as the mortality rate. Portugal recorded a 3% increase in cases this Tuesday and is one of the countries in the European space with the situation, apparently, more controlled.
The second criterion focuses on capacity of the country’s medical services. If they are “full”, then they should not start opening the restrictive measures. For example, a country that has only 50 percent full hospitals is better prepared to risk some opening measures. In this criterion, exemplifies the Commission, account should be taken of the occupancy rate of intensive care, the number of beds available (both public and private), stock medicines (antibiotics, muscle relaxants), as well as the protective material (masks) and ventilation available. The commission also warns of medical interventions that were postponed during Covid’s critical period that could put pressure on hospitals. In this parameter, Portugal had been stabilizing and even decreasing the number of hospitalized people, but it went up this Tuesday, including in the ICU (Intensive Care Units).
The third criterion is related to the monitoring capacity. As it is known that the number of cases will increase, the European Commission wants to guarantee “the ability to assess day by day how the situation evolves”. This is because it is necessary to take a step back and reverse the lifting of a restriction measure if the cases increase too much.
From the moment that measures start to reopen, it is necessary to increase the control to limit the risk of infections to start. According to what European sources have described to the Observer, precisely to allow monitoring, the European Commission admits the use of mobile applications to control the movements of those infected. “Basically, it is recommending what the French want to apply and which led to Macron being criticized a lot. Of course, it could never be an application as they did in China, as this would pose data protection issues in the Member States ”, explains a European source to the Observer.
Basically, the Commission says that a mobile application that respects privacy, but that warn a citizen who is increasing the risk of being close to an infected person it can “be an effective tool in exit strategy”. According to the European Commission, these applications can help to “interrupt infection chains more quickly and efficiently” than the “general containment measures” themselves.
For the sake of data protection, the infected should remain anonymous and the data completely deleted after the end of the pandemic. The Commission adopted on 8 April 2020 a recommendation for the development of a common European approach (called the Tool Box) for “the use of digital media that enable citizens to take effective and targeted measures of social distance” as a contribution to a output of the so-called “lockdowns”.
In addition, the European Commission recommends a “huge extension” in the ability to test, referring to both “Covid tests” and serological tests, which allow you to see the level of immunity. In addition, provided it is scientifically validated, the Commission asks that consideration be given to the deployment of “self-test kits” in order to reduce pressure on the health system. In South Korea, tests were essential to contain the virus.
The Commission further suggests that Member States continue to increase the responsiveness in health systems, and should not lose focus at this point. As for the demand for the vaccine, this effort will continue to be coordinated at European level and the European Commission informs that the European Medicines Agency foresees that the vaccine will take one year until it is available on the market.
The European Commission also proposes that containment measures are no longer general and are “targeted”. He also says that the measures must be separated from each other so that they can be evaluated and gives as an example a space of one month between the measures.
With this policy of openness, the recommendation is for there to be a “strict confinement of risk groups”. This includes the senior population, in a measure that the President of the European Commission had already anticipated and that the Portuguese Prime Minister admitted to putting it into practice this Tuesday morning: “It is clear that we will have to maintain these restrictions and they will be so much more demanding for those at greater risk. ” Brussels also advises reopenings with geographic disparity: if there is an area of the country with fewer cases it can reopen and with less risk of infection, it must reopen, even if the more intensive social isolation continues elsewhere. In this case too, António Costa has already admitted a country to “multiple speeds“
The European Commission does not impose measures, but it does give concrete examples of how to reopen the economy. In the document, the Commission says that there is no reason for retail stores (clothing, footwear, etc.) to remain closed. THE recommendation is for them to reopen, albeit with the same care as in the supermarket: controlled capacity and people keeping a distance of at least 1.5 meters.
The restaurants and cafes, exemplifies the Commission, should also reopen gradually, but with “reduced capacity” and “reduced hours”, which allows to reduce the risk of infection. Still in the area of food, canteens in factory spaces, schools and universities must be attended by shifts in order to have the minimum concentration possible. This is a measure, moreover, that is already contained in several contingency plans for companies that have remained open.
In companies, it is advised that people don’t all go to the workplace, telecommuting continues to be encouraged and also the implementation of shift schedules. The work can be interrupted, with the groups not crossing, having the advantage of limiting the risks at the same time that they are assumed by all the workers, not creating a situation of inequality.
Regarding the public transport, these should circulate with less people (therefore, more often) and with a permanent disinfection. One of the committee’s councils, moreover, Member States to have a “continuous disinfection policy for public spaces, strengthening disinfection teams”. The European Commission also makes a parenthesis to say that the use of private cars should be allowed, as it reduces the risk of infection.
As to schools – where, as in other situations, Member States have full autonomy to do things differently – the European Commission advises that schools reopen with more cleaning care, smaller classes, in a way that allows distance and that teachers and students start to progressively return to schools.
In the meantime, new rules from Brussels on how to collect waste from the sick have already been made public this Tuesday.
Regarding bars, clubs and even summer festivals, the Commission warns that this contact will be for a “final stage”. It will not be for the moment of reopening, although he warns that one day he will have to return to social contact again.
The Commission further says, although there is no common action, that “Member States must notify each other and the Commission itself before taking action [de abertura]”. In this case, Brussels suggests that countries have a specific person to contact (“single point of contact”), a kind of red telephone for Covid-19. The borders between Member States must also be reopened gradually. External borders (outside the EU), however, should only be considered in a second phase. The Commission also promises to give more advice soon on how States should advise citizens on summer holidays.
The Commission also commends solidarity between Member States and admits which countries, if they have the capacity, to promote the treatment of citizens of other EU countries, as has already happened with Italians who were received in Germany and other similar cases.
The Commission’s document can still be changed until it is presented this Wednesday morning, at 11 am, but these are the guide lines already submitted to the Member States. Countries have, however, room to do things their way. Throughout the document, the Von der Leyen commission emphasizes that the “essential criterion is always that of health”, but warns that it must have a “scientific basis”. Hence the three criteria. The President of the European Commission presents the document this Wednesday, 15, at 10 am (11 am in Brussels). In the document already made known to the Member States, it is said that this “Guidance Protocol” is not “a static document” and will be updated and revised over time.
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