Nightclubs to close for at least two weeks in Portugal

Portugal will shut nightclubs and bars from Saturday for at least two weeks to try to curb the spread of the omicron variant.

For New Year’s Eve, a negative test is required to enter restaurants, casinos, or parties in public spaces - however, there is also a limit of ten people to outdoor gatherings.

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Shops will have to restrict their capacity and negative COVID results must be shown when staying at a hotel or attending an event.

Prime Minister, Antonio Costa told a news conference: "This still isn't the normal Christmas we are used to," adding "if we do not adopt these measures now, the consequences on everyone's lives will be much worse after Christmas and the New Year."

Many of the rules according to RTE were supposed to come into force in early January but due to the current pandemic situation, the government pushed them forward.

Around 50% of new coronavirus cases in Portugal are due to the Omicron variant, the National Health Institute said in a recent report.

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Portugal also has one of the world's highest rates of vaccinated people with around 87% of its 10 million population fully vaccinated, but it is still suffering a surge in infections along with the rest of Europe.

In early December, Portugal announced that from midnight December 1, all attendees to nightclubs must present a negative COVID test even if they aren’t vaccinated.

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter