President admits continuation of the state of emergency until April 16

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa showed cautious optimism with the evolution of the covid-19 curve in Portugal, due to a slight slow down on the rise of cases over the past 24 hours. He said he expects “fast and ambitious decisions” from the European Council, but he sees the issuing of joint European debt as a “struggle” that’s far from the end.

Original text by Leonete Botelho published on Público on Mar.26, 14:29

The president admitted this Thursday that the state of emergency could be renewed next Wednesday, and that it could even be necessary “to add one more point to it”, if that’s seen as suitable “in the dialogue with the government”. “We have to follow how reality evolves”, said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the Belém Palace, after a teleconference with the head of the Portuguese Medical Association. “Next Tuesday morning we’ll have a new technical meeting with epidemiologists and political representatives”, said the head of State, underlining that any decision will be pondered “in dialogue with the government and the parliament”, which will have to approve the renewal. On his meeting with Miguel Guimarães, (head of the Portuguese Medical Association), who was at Hospital de São João, the president said the focus was on analysing the numbers issued by the Directorate General of Health, and he showed some optimism with the lowered growth rate of the disease in Portugal.

“We have to say this carefully, because we’ll only get to see if it’s a constant or not over the following days”, he said. But he stressed that, with a growth rate at 15%, “the curve has come away from the ones seen in other countries”, admitting this slow down could be a result of the first measures that were taken, especially closing schools on March 16.

Marcelo also found it very positive that there has already been a positive response from 5000 doctors in the private and social sector, as well as from retired doctors who’ll join forces in the fight against covid-19. He devalued the letter that the three heads of Portuguese health associations - Doctors, Nurses and Pharmacists - wrote to the prime minister, alerting to a “shortage of individual protection equipment”, and asking for protection for healthcare workers. “I don’t consider it alarmist or divisive, but rather a positive contribution for improving the response”, the president said. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he’s also awaiting “fast and ambitious” decisions from the European Council to strengthen the combat on its various fronts - health, economy and society - but he sees the issuing of joint European debt as a “struggle” that’s far from the end. “That decision requires unanimity, and there are countries firmly against it”, "the eurobonds", he added, confessing that much like the government, he does not understand the hesitation.