Municipality of São Brás de Alportel launches exceptional staff reduction measure to guarantee basic services

Municipio launches exceptional staff reduction measure to guarantee basic services to the population and support to companies to encourage social isolation

In view of the developments in the propagation of the new Coronavirus COVID 19 at regional, national and international level, the Municipality of São Brás de Alportel, supported by the recommendations issued at a national level and by the Municipal Working Group COVID19 (created to reflect the appropriate measures to the municipal reality) ), approved an exceptional measure that guarantees the functioning of essential services to the population but reduces the number of staff.

The measure will be in effect from March 16 and until the end of the month, when the decision will be reevaluated, as it is a preventive measure, to combat the spread of this pandemic.

The reduction, to the indispensable minimum, of the workers/collaborators to face-to-face service, without prejudice to their 100% salary, through the establishment of rotating service schedules and the use of teleworking and other alternative modalities adapted to the different services will allow to make a contribution promoting greater social isolation, the only weapon in combating the spread of the virus.

Workers who are exempt from attending their job should reduce their social contacts to the minimum necessary, and must remain in their homes and remain preventive and contactable, as they may be called upon to provide service at any time, is available to, if the situation worsens, they can, at any time, be called upon, regardless of their category or function, and in the best interest of the municipality, to reinforce the basic services to be provided to the population.

The Municipal Contingency Plan – COVID 19 is dynamic and has allowed for the adaptation of measures according to the needs felt on the ground facing the local and global developments of this challenging pandemic.

It is recalled that on March 12, the Municipality announced the closure of public sports, cultural, recreational and similar facilities to the public and the temporary transfer of them to third parties for carrying out activities.

Cultural, sporting and social activities, as well as fairs and non-food markets, and commuting in municipal public transport outside the municipality were also suspended.

The Municipality of São Brás de Alportel has been launching an awareness campaign aimed at different audiences and set in motion with posters, flyers, local media and other physical means of dissemination as well as through social networks.

In addition to the messages addressed to the general population making known, the habits of hygiene and protection against COVID-19 and the messages addressed to the younger layers, remembering that in this period social isolation is an important tool for individual and general protection, the campaign arrived also to commerce and services establishments, the civil construction sector and all companies, in the form of a call for the urgent adoption of measures, including the temporary closure, which is being followed by a large part of the spaces, allowing a quarantine voluntary council.

Aware of the strong impacts of adopting these measures on the local economy, the municipality defined a set of incentives for companies that temporarily close doors, namely the exemption from the payment of occupancy fees for public space and advertising and water supply, during the period to which the closure corresponds.

In order to access these measures, the company must inform the Entrepreneur’s Office by email empreendedor@cm-sbras.pt

For restaurants and food distribution establishments, the Municipality calls for temporary closure and total closure of terraces, encouraging the replacement by Tale Away regime for home delivery.

The Municipality also decided, in mutual agreement with the companies, to suspend the municipal works in progress until public health and safety conditions are met.

A measure in which the Municipality sets the example and leaves the appeal to the civil construction and similar companies that collaborate in preventing the spread of COVID 19, suspending the execution of works.

The Municipality leaves a strong appeal to the population to follow the recommendations of the General Health Directorate, namely with regard to prevention measures.