Portugal to return to "contingency situation" on Sept. 15 for new school year

LISBON, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Portugal will return to the "contingency situation" on Sept. 15, with the objective of preparing return measures for the new school year, the Portuguese government announced on Thursday.

According to the basic civil protection law of Portugal, the "contingency situation" is the intermediate level of civil protection, above the lowest level of "alert situation" in which most of the country currently remains. The exception is the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, which is and will remain in a "contingency situation" with the return of students for the new academic year, Minister of the Presidency Mariana Vieira da Silva said after the Council of Ministers meeting.