Portuguese asked to steel for living with coronavirus

A hairdresser wearing a face mask cuts the hair of a client at a hairdressing salon in Lisbon, Portugal, May 4, 2020.

Portugal's Director-General of Health Graca Freitas explained that whether a vaccine turns up or not, it is expected that "human beings gain immunity and the virus becomes less aggressive."

LISBON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's Director-General of Health Graca Freitas said on Sunday that it is better for citizens to be prepared to live with the novel coronavirus as it will not disappear on its own.

"It is better to be prepared for this virus to become habitual in our lives," Freitas said at the daily press conference to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic.

She explained that whether a vaccine turns up or not, it is expected that "human beings gain immunity and the virus becomes less aggressive."

"If we have a vaccine, the better. If not, we will have to live with the virus until we have natural immunity," she added.

A worker wearing protective gear disinfects a metro train at a maintenance workshop in Lisbon, Portugal, May 7, 2020. Portugal started to revive its economy and society on May 4 after nearly 50 days of lockdown under the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Pedro Fiuza/Xinhua)

Meanwhile, on a day before Portugal enters the second phase of deconfinement, Secretary of State for Health Antonio Lacerda Sales said that the fear of COVID-19 "should not paralyze" the Portuguese, but rather make them "most attentive and vigilant" citizens.

Portuguese soldiers wearing protective gear disinfect a high school in Lisbon, Portugal, on April 29, 2020. Members of the country's armed forces carried out the disinfection of schools in preparation for a resumption of high schools. (Photo by Pedro Fiuza/Xinhua)

The second phase starts on Monday, with the reopening of restaurants and cafeteriasatlimited capacity, resumption of classes for secondary schools and shopping centers up to 400 square meters.

As of Sunday, Portugal has recorded 1,218 deaths from COVID-19 and 29,036 cases of infection, the health authorities said.■