"I think that these solutions found by the Government are looking for exactly a different path, an alternative path, it is not to be adopting a path that was adopted in a much more serious situation, with six thousand, seven thousand, reached 16 thousand cases a day, with two thousand, three thousand, four thousand inpatients, it reached six thousand inpatients, 900 in intensive care, 300 dead, that is not what it is about”, he said. "For different situations, different solutions have to be found and the different solution that is found now is not a solution or a state of emergency of total confinement throughout the territory, but interventions that are selective depending on the situation of the municipalities", he added .

The President of the Republic, who was speaking to journalists in Castelo de Vide (Portalegre), at the end of the inauguration ceremony of the Casa da Cidadania Salgueiro Maia, a project that involves a global investment of three million euros, reacted to the Government's announcement about the number municipalities that are at high or very high risk level. Of the 278 municipalities in mainland Portugal, there are 45 at high or very high risk level of incidence of Covid-19, with more restrictive measures being applied, including the restriction of circulation on public roads after 23:00, the Government announced today .

At a press conference, after the meeting of the Council of Ministers, in Lisbon, the Minister of State and Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, said that in high or very high risk councils there will be a restriction on circulation on public roads " from 11pm until 5am” , explaining that the measure aims to reduce crowds, so “there is no exception” related to the presentation of a negative covid-19 test or digital vaccination certificate. The Government's intention is for the measure to enter into force as soon as possible, anticipating that this could happen as of Friday.

Regarding the update of the risk map, Mariana Vieira da Silva informed that the municipalities at very high risk of incidence of covid-19 have increased from three to 19, joining Albufeira, Lisbon and Sesimbra another 16 municipalities that are now retreating in the plan of deconfinement, namely Almada, Amadora, Barreiro, Cascais, Constância, Loulé, Loures, Mafra, Mira, Moita, Odivelas, Oeiras, Olhão, Seixal, Sintra and Sobral de Monte Agraço. The very high level of risk of transmissibility of Covid-19 identifies the municipalities that register, for the second consecutive evaluation, an incidence rate higher than 240 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days (or higher than 480 if they are municipalities with low population density ).

As for the municipalities with a high risk level of incidence of Covid-19, they became 26, namely Alcochete, Alenquer, Arruda dos Vinhos, Avis, Braga, Castelo de Vide, Faro, Grândola, Lagoa, Lagos, Montijo, Odemira, Palmela , Paredes de Coura, Portimão, Porto, Rio Maior, Santarém, São Brás de Alportel, Sardoal, Setúbal, Silves, Sines, Sousel, Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira.

The high risk level applies to municipalities that register, for the second consecutive assessment, an incidence rate higher than 120 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days (or higher than 240 if they are municipalities with low population density). In addition to these 45 councils at high or very high risk level of incidence of covid-19, for the first time they recorded an incidence rate above 120 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days (or above 240 if they are low density councils there are 21 municipalities in alert situation: Albergaria-a-Velha, Aveiro, Azambuja, Cartaxo, Bombarral, Idanha-a-Nova, Ílhavo, Lourinhã, Matosinhos, Mourão, Nazaré, Óbidos, Salvaterra de Magos, Santo Tirso, Trancoso, Trofa, Vagos, Viana do Alentejo, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Vila Nova de Gaia and Viseu.