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Daily Record
Daily Record
Lifestyle
Andy Rudd & Sophie Law

Portugal gives major travel updates on reopening beaches and hotels to tourists

Portugal has announced when it will reopen hotels and hotspots to tourists as it eases coronavirus lockdown.

The country is to allow holidaymakers to visit beaches from June 6 - and will use an app to let them know if they are full or have sunbathing space.

Tourists will be asked to stay 1.5m apart and sport or activities with more than two people will not be allowed, The Mirror reports.

Holidaymakers will also be able to see if hotels or restaurants are safe with an award.

The 'Clean & Safe' seal will be awarded by local tourism officials and will show if an establishment has met the recommended hygiene procedures to protect against the virus.

Other new rules include guest checking into their rooms a full 24 hours after the last occupant has left to allow time for thorough cleaning and airing of the space.

Waiting for sunbeds may come to an end as some hotel guests will get one for their own exclusive use.

Buffets are unlikely to be offered, but room service is expected to thrive.

Prime minister Antonio Costa announced the new rules and said police would be keeping watch on tourists as the country starts to reopen.

The new app, developed by the Portuguese Agency for the Environment, will use a traffic-light system of red, yellow and green to ensure there is no overcrowding on beaches during the summer months.

It will use real-time mobile phone data and numbers submitted by beach businesses to establish how many people are on beaches at any given time.

The government is working with phone operators to collect data not just on the number of people on the beaches but also how spread out they are, the Portuguese government said.

The country is due to launch the second phase of a sector-by-sector plan to reopen the economy on Monday, with restaurants, museums and coffee shops reopening at reduced capacity.

Schools are also resuming for certain year groups.

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