Stay at home. Stay home. Reste à la maison. Quédate at home. Bleibt zu Hause. I left the house. There is no going back, these 15 days (at least, because the Government admits they may already be more) is to keep collected at home. Just go out to the essentials and nothing more. If you are over 70 or have chronic illnesses, avoid going out altogether. It is normal to have doubts, the times are unprecedented. We collected some of the main questions that are in the air and we tried to answer them, using all the measures and all the legislation that was passed in the last few days. His routine turned upside down overnight, the country is different, the world has changed. We give you a helping hand to get started in this new condition that we are all in. Everything will be fine, everything is going to be alright, everything is going well, all the good stuff, alles wird gut, tutto andrà bene.
- I’m sick with Covid-19 but I’m not that bad, can I leave the house?
No. The regulation, which takes effect at midnight this Sunday, says that it is mandatory to stay at home. And if you do, know that you are committing a crime for disobedience and that you can be punished with a prison sentence of up to one year or a fine of up to 120 days. And it can be higher, if it is qualified disobedience: two years in prison or a fine of up to 240 days.
- I have nothing, I feel normal, will I be able to leave the house or not? And to do what?
If you are not sick or under surveillance, you can. But the recommendation is to collect as much as possible in your home and leave only if you have to go to work (and cannot do it in telework), to assist any family member who needs it or to accompany your children, for example, in a outdoor recreational activity. As for going shopping, forget it. Furthermore, there will also be very few open establishments (see list below). And the general guideline is to leave only for what is essential.
- So can I go with my son to the street to get some air? And can I walk the dog?
Yes, you can go for a walk with your pet. And you can also take your child for a walk, spend energy, air. As long as it is for short periods. Here it is simple, to think that the recommendation is to avoid crowds of people, if everyone does the same and for a long time, the objective of isolation is lost. Avoid situations that promote close contacts with other people. Always keep the safety distances of others: 2 meters.
- I am over 70, can I leave?
In your case, you can only go out to do very specific things. It is part of the risk group – such as the immunocompromised, the hypertensive, the diabetic, the cardiovascular patients, the people with chronic respiratory disease and the cancer patients – which is the population that is already known to have more difficulties in facing the disease ( here we start from the experience of other countries). You will have to remain in compulsory isolation at your residence and can only go out in very exceptional circumstances, such as going to the bank, the post office (you can go to receive your retirement, no problem), go shopping for something essential, go to the center health or for a short walk or walking your pet, if you have one. But the idea is to avoid going out, so ask for help from your family, neighbors or the parish council, for example. Combine with a restaurant you already know, in your area of residence, to take food home (the Government has called for these businesses to provide this type of service).
- Do I have to walk down the street with any written justification for what I’m going to do?
No prior authorization is required for your travel.
- And do I have to bring a mask and gloves when I go out?
The Directorate-General for Health said two things about this. Masks should only be worn by suspected Covid-19 infections or those who care for infected people. He even explained that misusing the mask can increase the risk of infection. The same for the use of gloves, says the DGS that only recommends its use when treating someone infected or when cleaning with a disinfectant. But, be careful, DGS also admits that in the future, when there is material for everyone, there will have to be pedagogy for the correct use of masks. Which indicates that it can be advised in these situations, provided they are used correctly. But the essential measure is social distance: not to be less than 2 meters from others. More than using a mask or gloves.
- I’m out of Portugal, I want to go back and I don’t have a flight, how do I do it?
The Government is trying to resolve it on a case-by-case basis, the Prime Minister said. You should contact the representative of Portugal in the country where you are. What the Prime Minister explained was that when there is a significant number of Portuguese in this same situation, it is easier to speed up transport, but the same does not happen for isolated cases.
- I arrived in Portugal today, can I leave?
No. Those who arrive, starting on Monday, the 23rd, have to be quarantined for 14 days.
- Can I ride public transport?
Yes, public transport will have a capacity reduced to one third of the maximum number of seats available, so that people can maintain the social distance due. At this stage, in Lisbon for example, Carris and Metro are not charging a ticket. Operators are also required to clean transport vehicles, according to the recommendations established by the Ministry of Health.
- Do I have time to go out?
No, in any condition or age group, not even in the population at risk, although there is a call for them to leave their homes as little as possible and maintain special protection.
- Can I go exercise outside or get some air? What if accompanied?
Yes. But for short periods. The only recommendation that exists for companies, is to avoid gatherings. Forget football tournaments with friends, that paddle group and other sports that expose you to contacts with other people. Football, rugby and similar fields, futsal, basketball, handball, volleyball, roller hockey and similar fields are closed; – Shooting fields, tennis courts, paddle tennis and similar, swimming pools. Collective physical activity is prohibited.
No. All religious celebrations are prohibited by the Government. Even before the announcement of the state of emergency, the Catholic Church, for example, had already announced the suspension of all celebrations with faithful present, opting for the transmission of the celebrations through online platforms.
- Can’t you even go to football?
Stadiums cannot open either. The Portuguese Football League suspended the championship.
- But who will control if I don’t follow the rules?
The Security Forces will walk on the street to monitor compliance with what has been defined. And they can also advise you and inform you about what you can and cannot do, always in the logic of avoiding excessive exits. They will also assess how the state of emergency is going and propose the existence of sanctions, which the Government admits to applying if measures are not accepted.
- Can you send me home, is that it?
They can, if you are on the street without a valid reason, if you are violating any of the recommendations. But the idea is that in this first phase the performance is mainly pedagogical, it was the guarantee given by the Government when it presented these measures.
- Can I get in the car and go for a walk without getting out of the car?
No. You can only drive in your car if you are going to do any of the permitted activities or to refuel.
- But are there gas stations open to supply?
Yes, there is.
- Maybe I can take advantage of this stop to go and deal with documents, I have the citizen card even expiring…
Forget about it, not only will you get the Citizen stores closed, due to the concert of people that imply, but there is also no rush. By the end of June, any identification document that has expired by the end of February will be accepted. At this stage, only Citizen Spaces will remain open.
- A friend died, can I go to funeral services?
Funerals will be limited in number of people – a decision that each municipality will have to make – and the safety distance between those present, 2 meters, will have to be guaranteed.
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