Portugal has lifted its last remaining health requirement for the use of face masks. Coverings are no longer mandatory in medical facilities or retirement and nursing homes, although health authorities still recommend their use by vulnerable residents and visitors, especially patients who have been diagnosed with a respiratory illness.
According to the Portuguese government, Portugal had already eliminated most of the restrictive measures introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in line with similar policies adopted in other European countries.
Now, it noted in an official statement, the end of the last remaining protective measure was justified due to the favourable evolution of the epidemiological situation, scientific knowledge and effectiveness, the high vaccination coverage achieved in Portugal, and the level of knowledge acquired by the population about public health, including the use of a mask, respiratory etiquette, ventilation of spaces and physical distancing.
All of this, it said, had made it possible to reduce lethality and mortality, and the incidence of the disease and its impact on health services, and to resume customary economic and social activity.
Updated advice about current health protocols in Portugal, including the Algarve, is available on the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s travel advice website.