(Bloomberg) -- Portugal said it will continue to gradually ease confinement measures as planned, with more stores allowed to reopen from Monday.
Smaller shops with a street entrance may open from April 5 and outdoor seating will be allowed at restaurants and cafes, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said at a press conference in Lisbon on Thursday. Controls on the land border with Spain remain in place for now to help contain the spread of the pandemic, Costa said.
The number of daily coronavirus infections in Portugal eased in February and March after the country faced one of the world's worst outbreaks in January. The government said on Jan. 21 that the Covid-19 variant that emerged in the U.K. was spreading quickly, forcing it to implement additional strict confinement measures such as closing schools.
See also: France Heads to Monthlong Lockdown as Virus Gains in Europe
According to the plan presented on March 11, Portugal's secondary schools and other shops may open from April 19. Nursery schools reopened on March 15 as the government started to lift restrictions.
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