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dpa
Madrid
Due to a worrying spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus, Lisbon has been sealed off for two-and-a-half days.
Starting Friday afternoon at 1400 GMT until Monday morning at 0400 GMT, the 2.8 million inhabitants of the Portuguese capital will only be allowed to leave the greater Lisbon area for a valid reason.
Foreigners are only allowed to enter in exceptional cases.
Tourists landing in Lisbon to go on holiday in another part of the country or visitors flying back home are not affected.
However, tourists are not allowed to visit Lisbon at the weekend if they are staying somewhere else.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa rejected criticism that the measure was exaggerated in view of a still relatively relaxed situation. The lockdown was appropriate, he said during a visit to the Belgian city of Bruges. “If no action is taken, the pandemic will increase again.” Authorities blame the delta variant, first detected in India, for an increase in cases of infection in recent days.
Lisbon recorded its highest daily figure since February 19 on Thursday: 928 new infections within 24 hours.
The spike made up about 75 per cent of all 1,233 cases recorded nationwide, even though Lisbon’s metropolitan area is home to only about 27 per cent of Portugal’s 10.3 million citizens.
According to the central government, a decision on whether the lockdown will be repeated over the coming weekends will be taken at short notice.
Portugal, once a coronavirus hotspot, had successfully battled the pandemic during the winter and at times had some of the lowest levels in Europe in the spring. In response, the state of emergency to contain the pandemic ended on May 1 after five-and-a-half months.
Madrid
Due to a worrying spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus, Lisbon has been sealed off for two-and-a-half days.
Starting Friday afternoon at 1400 GMT until Monday morning at 0400 GMT, the 2.8 million inhabitants of the Portuguese capital will only be allowed to leave the greater Lisbon area for a valid reason.
Foreigners are only allowed to enter in exceptional cases.
Tourists landing in Lisbon to go on holiday in another part of the country or visitors flying back home are not affected.
However, tourists are not allowed to visit Lisbon at the weekend if they are staying somewhere else.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa rejected criticism that the measure was exaggerated in view of a still relatively relaxed situation. The lockdown was appropriate, he said during a visit to the Belgian city of Bruges. “If no action is taken, the pandemic will increase again.” Authorities blame the delta variant, first detected in India, for an increase in cases of infection in recent days.
Lisbon recorded its highest daily figure since February 19 on Thursday: 928 new infections within 24 hours.
The spike made up about 75 per cent of all 1,233 cases recorded nationwide, even though Lisbon’s metropolitan area is home to only about 27 per cent of Portugal’s 10.3 million citizens.
According to the central government, a decision on whether the lockdown will be repeated over the coming weekends will be taken at short notice.
Portugal, once a coronavirus hotspot, had successfully battled the pandemic during the winter and at times had some of the lowest levels in Europe in the spring. In response, the state of emergency to contain the pandemic ended on May 1 after five-and-a-half months.
