Coronavirus: Essential public services

The Decree of the President of the Republic 14-A/2020 of 18 March declared a state of emergency in Portugal due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This was followed by Order3547-A/2020 of the Office of the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action, which was published and came into force at midnight on 23 March 2020.

Order 3547-A/2020 establishes measures to ensure there is no interruption in the supply chains for essential public goods and services. These services include  water supply, urban wastewater sanitation, urban waste management, energy supply – electricity and gas – and fuels, and public passenger transport. The Order also provides for initiatives intended to effectively combat the spread of the virus while carrying out these activities.