- Title: Lisbon residents fear the worst as lockdown returns to some areas
- Date: 26th June 2020
- Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (JUNE 26, 2020) (REUTERS) ODIVELAS SKYLINE, MUNICIPALITY AFFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS CASES BUILDINGS IN ODIVELAS ODIVELAS STREET PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) ODIVELAS RESIDENT, PATRICIA RIBEIRO, SAYING: "There are a lot of people (on the streets). I'm even afraid of getting the virus. My mother is sick and I'm afraid to bring the virus home." PEOPLE WEARING FACE MASKS ENTERING BUS BUS DRIVER WEARING FACE MASK BUS LEAVING SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) ODIVELAS RESIDENT, LEONOR OLIVEIRA , SAYING: "I think the authorities should be on top of certain situations to see if this was starting to get on the axis because this is getting bad." (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) ODIVELAS RESIDENT, RICARDO PORTUGAL, SAYING: "I came to shave and do my hair and then stay at home. We have to stay at home. Walk around the neighbourhood, but if possible, stop parties, the drinks. If you want to drink you can order it, drink it at home, next to the television, is the best option. " PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET VARIOUS OF BUTCHER CARLOS NERY GRINDING MEAT MINCED MEAT (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BUTCHER, CARLOS NERY, SAYING: "I agree and trust in the intelligence of those who did that, who already knew that the end was going to be this. The people are Portuguese, we know how it is, eating sardines and other things and that's it ... it happens. I also had orders that I knew were for gatherings and probably led to this, some were more careful than others." NERY ATTENDING COSTUMER ODIVELAS SKYLINE
- Embargoed: 10th July 2020 14:58
- Keywords: COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown
- Location: LISBON, PORTUGAL
- City: LISBON, PORTUGAL
- Country: Portugal
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001CK0CV2F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Patricia Ribeiro, a cleaner living in the outskirts of Portugal's capital Lisbon, had no option but to continue to go to work during the country's lockdown to make ends meet.
On Friday (June 26) as every other day, like thousands of others in the municipality of Odivelas, part of Greater Lisbon, the 36-year-old often takes overcrowded public transport to work in the hear of the city.
Now, nearly two months after the state of emergency was lifted, Ribeiro's area is one of 19 civil parishes in Greater Lisbon where people will have to go back to staying at home from next Wednesday as authorities deal with a worrying wave of coronavirus there.
"There are lots of people on the streets... everywhere," Ribeiro told Reuters. "My mother is sick and I'm afraid to take the virus home," she added.
Those living in the affected areas will be allowed to leave home to buy essential goods and to travel to and from work, and there will be a limit of five people for gatherings.
But residents said the asking people to stay home might not be enough to solve the problem.
Images of packed trains and buses to and from the city centre have raised alarms, with many blaming public transport for the new cases.
"I think authorities should be on top of certain situations (...) because this is getting bad," said 55-year-old Leonor Pereira, who also lives in Odivelas.
Health experts are also concerned, especially about authorities' capacity to keep those infected or those who have been in contact with positive cases at home.
Portugal, which has reported a total of 40,866 cases and 1,555 deaths from the coronavirus, has been hailed as a success story in the fight against the disease.
But the localised outbreaks in the outskirts have kept cases increasing at a steady daily rate in the hundreds for the past month.
(Production: Miguel Pereira, Catarina Demony) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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