Portuguese president announces 15-day extension of State of Emergency

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced on Thursday 15-day extension of State of Emergency in order to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

"After hearing the experts, with the favorable opinion of the Government and the broadly consensual authorization of the Assembly of the Republic, I have just renewed the state of emergency until the 17th," Rebelo de Sousa said in a televised national speech from the Belem Palace in Lisbon.

The state of emergency, which was declared by the president on March 18 and would end on Thursday midnight, will be renewed until April 17 under the new endorsement.

The state of emergency, the first of its kind in Portuguese history, has been in force in Portugal since March 19 and, according to the Portuguese Constitution, cannot last longer than 15 days, but can be eventually renewed with the same time limit.

In the second phase of the state of emergency, the government is empowered to take more restrictive measures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Early in the day, Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced that Portugal will close passenger traffic at all airports during the Easter period between April 9 and 13, except for state, cargo or humanitarian flights.

"It is an extraordinary measure, with a view to preventing circulation from abroad to Portugal or from Portugal abroad," Costa said at a press conference.

According to the bulletin of the Directorate-General for Health on Thursday, the number of confirmed cases in Portugal rose in the past 24 hours from 8,251 to 9,034, while the deaths increased from 187 to 209.