“Right now we have indicators that may allow the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) to reanalyse this entire process in the next few days, eight or 15 days, and, if these indicators are maintained, we will be able to alleviate these restrictions”, António Lacerda Sales told journalists.

The Secretary of State maintained that it is important at this time to pass the Easter period, taking into account that it is a time of greater social mobility, and also of the start of classes.

“It is good that these next few days can elapse to see if this period of greater social mobility has had any impact on the incidence, which so far has been decreasing”, stressed António Lacerda Sales, noting that Portugal currently has 577 cases of infection per 100,000 inhabitants in the last seven days and the transmissibility index is less than one.

According to the official, these indicators have not had an impact on general mortality.

“Using these good indicators and, if we keep them in the next week or for the next two weeks, the DGS will certainly be able to reanalyse this measure, namely the use of masks, and may eventually, within one or two weeks, proceed with the relief of these restrictions, particularly in schools”, he underlined.

António Lacerda Sales also noted that “this decision is imminently technical” and that “good political decisions are always supported by good technical decisions”.