Portugal bans free movement between municipalities around up

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Saturday announced a ban on free movement between municipalities around two upcoming public holidays.

The Portuguese will observe the Restoration of Independence Day on Dec. 1 and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8.

The ban on free movement from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2 and from Dec. 4 to Dec. 9 is part of the government's new set of measures to curb the COVID-19 pandemic under the "state of emergency."

According to the resolutions approved by the Council of Ministers, the new measures will go into effect on Tuesday when the "state of emergency" is renewed.

Another measure announced by Costa is the mandatory use of masks in workplaces and the suspension of teaching activities on Nov. 30 and Dec. 7, the eves of the two holidays.

"At work, viruses are transmitted and also at work, the mask protects against virus transmission. We still have a lot to strive for in order to achieve the desired result," the prime minister said in a speech to the nation.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), face masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress COVID-19 transmission and save lives.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreaks, wearing masks in public has been widely accepted in Asian countries like China, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam to limit the spread of COVID-19.