Portugal reimposed restrictions in and around the capital Lisbon on Tuesday to check fresh coronavirus outbreaks, prompting fears the summer tourist season will take a major hit.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa had said Monday some coronavirus curbs would be reimposed in the Lisbon even if the country of 10 million people has limited casualties to some 1,500 deaths and some 40,000 cases to date.
The new measures came after official data showed 9,221 new COVID-19 cases detected, notably in the capital and the wider Lisbon region, between May 21 and June 21.
Among new measures being introduced Tuesday in a region of some 2.8 million people are restrictions on gatherings of more than 10 people — 20 in other areas — while cafes and shops must close at 8 pm in the capital.
“I prefer that rather than close completely,” said Amandio Oliveira, owner of a kiosk with a terrace in the trendy Principe Real district.
“I hope tourists will come back in the end — these new measures are bad for the economy,” said the 66-year-old, wearing a plastic face visor.
With the virus still a threat he told AFP that “some people don’t take care and it’s the others who have to pay the penalty.”
Portugal took restrictive measures fairly early in the pandemic, hence its comparatively low toll of deaths and cases.
But the past four weeks had seen more cases emerge there than in any other European country bar Sweden per 100,000 population, according to data compiled by AFP from local authorities.
