As the number of positive Covid-19 cases in the past two weeks has exceeded the upper limit set by the government, Portimão faces a very real possibility of partial lockdown. 

In the past 13 days, Portimão has a total of 163 new cases. According to the government’s formula for calculating “high-risk” cities, the incidence has greatly exceeded the upper limit of 240 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. 

Another meeting of the “Crisis Cabinet” (Council of Ministers) will be held tomorrow. All signs seem to indicate that Portimão is about to adopt strict restrictions. 

“If (the government) conducts a reassessment now, Portimão will be included in the list,” the Portimão Council said in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Wednesday, November 11. 

This will translate into night curfews, limited weekends and more restrictions on restaurants, many of which are struggling to survive. In fact, as the government works desperately to contain the pandemic, it may even announce stricter measures for municipalities that exceed the limits. 

Nevertheless, the Portimão Council still hopes that it can overcome the situation. The council said: “Portimão has never given up. We must do everything we can to follow the health advice to avoid an outbreak like October 28 (35 cases) that will cause severe punishment to the community.” It added: “The next days will be decisive. At present, everyone’s choice is more important than ever.”