The Municipality of Porto keeps contingency measures till 10th May to prepare phased reopening

Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira issued an Order to renew the preventive measures in place to fight the current pandemic till 10th May. This means that this period is extended 10 days after the Emergency State is lifted. 

Rui Moreira sees this as "the necessary period to pursue a gradual, phased return of workers to municipal facilities and services", as "there is no effective solution to treat the disease just yet".

During this period, "the Municipality will adopt norms to a safe return to work, namely in the context of individual and collective procedures, hygiene and disinfection of facilities and the availability of all the material necessary to minimize risk, according to specificities and guidelines issued by the Government and Public Health Authorities", explain Mayor Rui Moreira.

Rui Moreira also stresses that the measures taken by the municipality so far have enabled "the successful mitigation of the pandemic effects among municipal workers", which shows that "the strategy was adjusted and the measures taken were mandatory to contain the disease".

This means that the contingency measures announced by Mayor Rui Moreira on 13th March "are in place till 23h59min59s, on 10th May 2020, without prejudice to further guidance", the Order reads.

Porto City Hall was the first in the country to cancel performances and concerts, public places and spaces, as well as the implementation of a Contingency Internal Plan for municipal workers and municipal facilities, such as the closing of all fairs and markets and municipal teleworking whenever doable, on 13th March.