Portuguese police tighten controls ahead of Easter

Portuguese police monitored traffic out of Lisbon on Thursday with the country getting ready for a second Easter under restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Many families spend a long weekend travelling to other cities and districts for the Christian holiday, but this year, again, only those with a clear justification are allowed to leave their residential areas.

Portugal is preparing the second phase of its restart plan, which will begin on Monday, April 5, with the reopening of third-grade schools, terraces, gymnasiums and monuments.

At the moment, the country reports only a few hundred virus infections per day.

The COVID-19 death toll has also decreased dramatically, but officials fear that Easter could be another dramatic impact as the holiday season.

In January, Portugal was the most affected country in the world by population size, but a lockdown since mid-January reduced the incidence rate on the mainland to 67 cases per 100,000.