In a statement, the municipality indicated that the hearing requested "as a matter of urgency" from the prime minister, is scheduled for 18:00, at the São Bento Palace, in Lisbon.

The meeting was requested by Isilda Gomes "due to the decisions taken on Thursday in the Council of Ministers, which prevent Portimão from advance in the lockdown easing plan”

Isilda Gomes, cited in the note from the municipality of the district of Faro, expressed "great disappointment by the decision taken [by the Government], felt, once again, as a huge injustice".

Portimão, which retreated to the second phase of the plan 15 days ago, is one of eight municipalities out of 278 in mainland Portugal that does not advance on Saturday to the fourth and last phase of the lockdown easing plan defined by the Government with the country's entry into a situation of calamity, replacing the state of emergency.

Also prevented from proceeding to the fourth phase are Miranda do Douro, Paredes and Valongo, which remain at the level they are at, and Aljezur, Resende, Carregal do Sal, who retreated to different stages, but who are also retained, although may be “for a very short time”, because the Government has decided to carry out a weekly assessment.