The renewed state of emergency will be in effect between 00:00 on Wednesday, December 9, and 23:59 on December 23, and Prime Minister António Costa stressed that the measures related to the Christmas and New Year period will be subject to evaluation on December 18 to confirm the trend of improvement in the covid-19 pandemic.

Regarding the restriction measures for the new state of emergency, António Costa said that the Government's strategy was to prolong what is already in force until Christmas, with “less intensity in restrictions on the 24 and 25 December and 1 January”.

Also according to the prime minister, in the week after the New Year, “the same level of restrictions” that will exist until Christmas should be maintained.

Period between 9 and 23 December

“Extremely high risk” and “very high risk” counties

- Prohibition of circulation on public roads between 23:00 and 05:00 on working days.

- Prohibition of circulation on public roads on the weekend between 13:00 and 05:00.

- General home lockdown between 23:00 and 05:00 on working days, and from 13:00 on weekends.

- On business days, commercial establishments must close until 22:00. Restaurants, cultural facilities and sports facilities must close until 22:30 (catering establishments can operate until 01:00, but only for home deliveries).

- On weekends and holidays, commercial establishments can only operate between 08:00 and 13:00. The catering can work after that time, but only for 'take-away' and home deliveries.

“High risk” counties

- Prohibition of circulation on public roads between 23:00 and 05:00.

- General home lockdown between 23:00 and 05:00.

- Commercial establishments must close at 22:00. Restaurants, cultural facilities and sports facilities must close at 22:30 (catering establishments can operate until 01:00, but only for home deliveries).

“Moderate risk” counties

- Commercial establishments cannot open before 10:00 am, with the exception of hairdressers, barbers, beauty salons, restaurants and the like, cafeterias, tea houses and the like, driving schools and technical vehicle inspection centres, as well as gyms.

- Most commercial establishments are to close between 8 pm and 11 pm, and the closing time, within this interval, as well as the opening time, may be fixed by the mayors of the city councils, subject to a favourable opinion from the local authority of health and security forces.

- Restaurants must close at 1:00 am (with new admissions until midnight), with their capacity limited to 50% of capacity. Groups are limited to six people (unless they belong to the same household), except in establishments located within 300 meters of a school and in the food courts of shopping centres, where they are limited to four people (if not from household).

Christmas lockdown rules

- Circulation between municipalities is allowed between 23 and 26 December

“Extremely high risk”, “very high risk” and “high” counties

- On 23 December, the curfew remains between 01:00 and 05:00, except "for people who are travelling".

- On the 24th and 25th of December the curfew will be only from 02:00 and until 05:00.

- On December 26 (Saturday) the ban on driving on public roads comes into force only at 11:00 pm.

- On the 24th and 25th of December, and regardless of their location, restaurants can operate until 1:00 am (public access must be excluded for new admissions at 12:00 am) and closing hours do not apply to establishments cultural.

- On December 26th, the catering establishments can operate, for meals in the establishment, until 15:30.

New Year lockdown rules

- Circulation between municipalities is forbidden between 00:00 on December 31, 2020 and 05:00 on January 04, 2021, “except for health, emergency or other reasons specifically provided for”.

- The holding of parties or celebrations public or open to the public of a non-religious nature is prohibited on December 31 and January 1, 2021.

- According to the prime minister, on New Year's Eve “public gatherings of more than six people are not allowed”.

- On December 31, the ban on driving on public roads only comes into force at 2:00 am.

- On January 1, 2021, the curfew takes effect at 23:00.

- On New Year's Eve, catering establishments and the like, regardless of location, may close until 1:00 am (public access must be excluded for new admissions at 12:00 am).

- On January 1st, in the “extremely high risk” and “very high risk” counties, catering establishments and the like can only operate, for meal service in the establishment, until 15:30.