Lisbon municipality adopts new coronavirus measures

New provisions on hygiene and payment exemptions were adopted by the local government

Cities and their local administration are at the forefront of enforcing the decisions and approaches of their national governments during the coronavirus pandemic. That is especially true in the cases of larger urban centres and their authorities that have been forced to enforce nation-wide directives through a local and tailor-made approach.

In the case of Portugal, many of its cities have allowed themselves significant freedom when it comes to protecting their constituents – not only from the healthcare side of the pandemic but also from the economic woes that are bound to follow.

New measures adopted in Lisbon

Earlier last week, the City Council of Lisbon arrived on decisions for new approaches and measures in both directions – on the healthcare side as well as the economic side.

When it comes to protecting the health of locals, authorities in the Portuguese capital announced that it is unanimously recommending its citizens to use facemasks in social interactions and in confined spaces. To make widespread use possible, the local government has begun exploring the alternatives for setting up different points for picking up masks as well as various procurement methods, ensuring a supply for all who are in need of a facemask.

Furthermore, the municipality is considering measures for the local taxi services. On the one hand, it has agreed on funding the disinfecting of vehicles, thus allowing safer travel for their drivers and passengers. On the other, the local government is mulling how best to make use of local taxi operators considering the imposed travel restrictions – some of the proposed solutions include using them for municipal businesses thus ensuring the effective flow of communication between local officials in Lisbon – such a measure would also alleviate some of the financial burden on taxi operators.

Finally, when it comes to the economic side, the Lisbon City Council also announced the suspension of all parking fees on municipal property as well as the possibility of rent exemptions for households that have lost their sources of income.

Such solutions not only work to the benefit of the health of citizens of Lisbon but also ensure that at least some of the economic pressure on them is alleviated.