Virus

Here,  grocery stores, pharmacies and large stores like Walmarts are allowed to open and allowed to sell anything - a very sore point here as these large stores are selling lots of non-essential items like TVs, etc. while privately owned small shops are closed other than for curbside pick-up of online orders only.  (Although most small shops have just closed - I suppose not worth having a staff available for the odd pick-up order.)

The government have acted quickly to stop the coffee in the street thing. See below for the new measures mentioned last night.

• A ban on weekend travel between municipalities is reinstated;
• All establishments of all types must close at 20h00 during the week and 13h00 on weekends. The exception is food retailing which on weekends can operate until 17h00;
• The sale at the door on any non-food establishment, such as clothing shops, will be prohibited;
• The sale at the door of any kind of beverage, even coffee, is prohibited;
• The presence and consumption of food outside or in the vicinity of establishments is prohibited;
• All restaurants in shopping centres are closed, even if they are take-away;
• Sales and discounts promoting the movement of people are forbidden;
• It is forbidden for people to stay in public spaces such as gardens. They can be frequented, but they cannot be places to spend time at;
• Municipalities are asked to limit access to areas that invite concentration of people, such as river margins (“marginais”, “ribeiras”), including spaces to play tennis or “pádel”;
• Senior universities, day centres and community centres are closed;
• Travel for on-site work will require a written declaration from the employer;
• In the next 48 hours companies with more than 250 employees must send the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) the nominal list of all employees whose in-person work they consider indispensable.

Wow, that is how it should be done!  Very sad for the businesses but this is what's needed.  There are too, too many loopholes in our lockdown.  As much as no one would enjoy the severity of Portugal's lockdown, it is the only way to get things under control (anywhere).   Months and months of wishy-washy lockdowns do not help businesses either!

A step in the right direction but it is essential now that schools etc must be closed and children confined to home.  Surely children must be among the chief carrier suspects?

I can totally understand the domestic issues, in my small cul de sac there is an abusive husband and she’s been terrified, but feels she cannot escape , awful the repercussions from this virus !