CDS-PP calls for the closure of schools and “faster” and “no bureaucracy” support for the economy

Joana almeida 18 January 2021, 16:17

The Christian Democratic leader, Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos, considers that the fact that the Council of Ministers is considering new restrictions, five days after meeting, shows that the measures taken were “insufficient”, and asks that support to the economy arrive “faster” and “without bureaucracy”.

The president of the CDS-PP, Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos, defended this Monday that all schools up to 12 years old should be closed, to stop the contagions by Covid-19. The Christian Democratic leader considers that the fact that the Council of Ministers is considering new restrictions, shows that the measures for this new confinement were "insufficient", and asks that support to the economy arrive "faster".

"[Measures must be taken] to close all schools above 12 years old and universities due to the risk of contagion they present, and to increase significantly the capacity for testing infected people and all contacts," said the president of CDS-PP, at a press conference, on the measures that should be taken in the fight against Covid-19.

The Christian Democratic leader had already criticized the measures announced by the Government for the new confinement that came into effect as of 00:00 last Friday, saying that with "the Government's half-paints" and "the number of exceptions" provided for measures enacted, the fight against the pandemic may be delayed and “compromise all efforts” that will be made.

In the package of measures now outlined, Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos highlighted the need to contract the private and social sectors to help the National Health Service (SNS) respond to Covid-19 and non-Covid patients, “so that they are not more consultations and more surgeries were postponed, as is happening, for example, with cancer ”, and“ so that doctors do not have to choose between who lives and who dies ”.

The CDS-PP leader again suggested revising the vaccination plan against Covid-19, so that “older people are included in the first phase” of the plan and also called for a strengthening of public health teams to “interrupt the chains of transmission, making screening and health surveys that are overdue”.

On the support for the economy, announced by the Government on Thursday, Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos underlined that it is important to get them to “economy quickly and without bureaucracy”. "To continue wasting time is to lose even more lives for the Portuguese," he said, stressing that the fact that the Council of Ministers was meeting again, five days after having enacted the new rules, shows that these were "insufficient".

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