UK

Tourist minister says Portugal will welcome British holidaymakers from mid-May

Editorial Bureau March 18, 2021

LONDON (UK) – Portugal will embrace British tourists from May 17 if there is a vaccination certificate or evidence of a recent negative COVID-19 test, said the country’s tourism minister. This has added to hopes for a travel recovery in Europe this summer. “We do hope to

Europe

Germany dispatches doctors, nurses and medical equipment to COVID-pounded Portugal

Editorial Bureau February 27, 2021

LISBON (PORTUGAL) -A German military aeroplane carrying 20 doctors, nurses, ventilators and hospital beds arrived in Portugal on Wednesday. The nation is witnessing a severe surge in the number of coronavirus cases prompting several European nations to offer help. The medical team will take care of a new unit comprising eight ICU beds in a […]

Europe

Medical staff and equipment to be sent to Portugal by Germany military

Editorial Bureau January 31, 2021

BERLIN (GERMANY) – Germany’s military will send medical staff and equipment to Portugal, where space in hospital intensive care units is running out after a surge in coronavirus infections, the defence ministry in Berlin said on Sunday. Portugal, which said on Saturday that only seven of 850 ICU beds set up for COVID-19 cases on […]

Europe

Portugal extends lockdown, restricts overseas travel as coronavirus cases surge

Editorial Bureau January 29, 2021

LISBON (PORTUGAL) – The Portuguese government has extended the nation-wide lockdown and announced restrictions on overseas travel on Thursday as PM Antonio Costa took the blame for the world’s worst COVID-19 surge, with hospitals on the verge of being overwhelmed. With a population of 10 million, Portugal reported a record 303 COVID-19 deaths and 16,432 […]

Europe

Portugal suspends all UK flights to deal with rapid spread of new COVID-19 variant

Editorial Bureau January 22, 2021

LISBON (PORTUGAL) – Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Thursday that all flights to and from Britain would be stopped for the time being from Saturday onwards as Portugal struggles to tackle the new variant of the coronavirus, which is randomly spreading. Costa told a news conference that only repatriation flights will be permitted […]

Europe

Carlos do Carmo, the ‘Sinatra’ of Portugal’s fado, passes away at 81

Editorial Bureau January 1, 2021

LISBON (PORTUGAL) – Portuguese singer Carlos do Carmo, one of the country’s most beloved artists who was known as the “Sinatra” of the soulful, melancholic fado music, died on Friday at the age of 81. Do Carmo, born in Lisbon in 1939, said goodbye to the stage last year after a long career during which […]

Europe

Portugal says it will relax COVID-19 rules over Christmas

Editorial Bureau December 5, 2020

LISBON (PORTUGAL) – Portugal will ease coronavirus rules over the Christmas period to allow people to visit loved ones but measures will be reinforced again a few days later to crack down on New Year’s Eve parties, the government said on Saturday. Prime Minister Antonio Costa told reporters a domestic travel ban would not be […]

Europe

Government official says Portugal must bring changes to the tourism-dependent economy after COVID

Editorial Bureau November 23, 2020

LISBON (PORTUGAL) – Portugal’s tourism sector is set to lose 60,000 jobs this year alone due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and a recovery is still far off, Tourism Secretary Rita Marques said on Monday. Some of the country’s regions must diversify their tourism-dependent economy after the pandemic, Marques also told in an […]

Europe

Portugal’s president mulls over COVID-19 state of emergency

Editorial Bureau November 3, 2020

LISBON (PORTUGAL) – Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Monday he was mulling over declaring a state of emergency as a preventive measure to fight the spread of the coronavirus at a time when infections are soaring. Rebelo de Sousa said in an interview with RTP Television he was considering the request made […]

Europe

Portugal PM Costa urges president to declare COVID-19 emergency

Editorial Bureau November 2, 2020

LISBON (PORTUGAL) – Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa asked the country’s president on Monday to declare a state of emergency. He was suggesting the same as a preventive measure to fight the spread of coronavirus during a time when infections are soaring. The last COVID-19 state of emergency, which under Portuguese law is limited to […]