The actions implemented by the Angolan Government were immediate and of variable and adaptable intensity, culminating in the Declaration of the State of Emergency and extended three times.
However, despite the continuous risk of infection, there is an increasing need to ensure a better balance between the health strategy for prevention and combat, and the need to gradually relaunch economic activity, formal and informal, especially those used as a means of subsistence, and ultimately the return to normality of social life.
Without neglecting the rules for preventing and combating the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to create conditions for adaptation to a new social position, capable of ensuring, with security, the gradual recovery of economic and social life.
It seemed appropriate that on 26th May, after a thorough consultation by the President of the Republic His Excellency João Lourenço, the State of Public Calamity was decreed and its new measures determined to be applied across the various areas and the national territory.
Statement of the Public Calamity situation under the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Calamity Situation Statement
The Public Calamity Situation was declared from midnight (0h00) on 26th May 2020 and is in place as long as the mass propagation risk of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic remains.
Territorial Scope
The Public Calamity Situation is applied to all national territory of Angola.
Application
The measures adopted in the Public Calamity Situation can be changed as the epidemiologic situation evolves.
Individual protective measures
1) It is mandatory the use of a face mask in the following cases:
a) Markets;
b) Sale street;
c) Commercial establishments;
d) Closed spaces of public access;
e) Worship places;
f) Teaching establishments;
g) Collective transports;
h) Hair salons, barbershops, and beauty institutes;
2) Its recommended the use of a face mask in open spaces where the social distance is not possible to maintain;
3) Not using a face mask will make it impossible to access the above-mentioned places.
Civic duty of home reclusion
It is recommended to all citizens to abstain from circulating in public spaces and similar, as well as to remain at home, except for necessary and unavoidable circumstances.
Defense and sanitary control of the frontiers
1) Angolan frontiers remain closed, and the entrance and exits from national territory are subjected to a sanitary control.
2) The following situations are considered as special, and are subjected to a proper control regime defined by competent authorities:
a) Return to the national territory of national citizens and foreign residents;
b) Travel of foreign nationals to their countries;
c) Official travels;
d) Entry and exit of cargo, merchandise, and parcels;
e) Humanitarian help;
f) Medical emergencies;
g) Technical scales;
h) Entry and exit of diplomatic and consular staff;
i) Movement of corpses accompanied by two persons;
j) Entries for specific tasks by foreign experts.
Sanitary fence in Luanda Province
It is established a sanitary fence around Luanda Province from 0h00 of May 26th until 23h59 of Jun 9th;
Duty to communicate suspect cases
It is recommended to take temperature control at establishments, and in case of a suspect case its entry must be blocked, and the situation must be immediately reported to sanitary authorities.
Sanitary fences
1) Having a risk of community transmission and every time that the epidemiologic situation recommends, sanitary fences can be put in place;
2) The sanitary fence must be proportional to the contagion risk, and the following measures can be taken inside the fence:
a) Delimitation of the area;
b) Definition of entry and exit rules;
c) Definition of the rules regarding the working of services, establishments and other institutions inside the fence;
3) Citizens living in the sanitary fence area are subjected to epidemiologic and sanitary surveillance.
Obligatory tests and quarantine
Having a risk of community transmission and every time that the epidemiologic situation recommends, authorities can determine the compulsory quarantine and testing.
Public Services
1) Public services work from 08:00 to 15:00, in the following terms:
a) From May 26th, 50% workforce;
b) From June 8th, 75% workforce;
c) From June 29th, 100% workforce;
2) For the specific case of Luanda Province, public services work from 08:00 to 15:00, in the following terms:
a) From May 26th, 50% workforce;
b) From June 29th, 75% workforce;
c) From July 13th, 100% workforce;
3) Public services must create all the biosafety necessary conditions;
4) There is an exception for the port services and similar, as well as customs and tax delegations that can work with a 100% workforce from May 26th.
Sanitary units
It is determined the reopening of all preventive and curative services of public and private health units.
Special protection of vulnerable citizens
1) In the areas were the sanitary fence is established, the following citizens are under special protection to novel coronavirus COVID-19 infection:
a) Aged 60 years or more;
b) Those with chronic risk conditions such as immuno-compromised, renal, hypertensive, diabetic, cardiovascular, chronic respiratory disease patients and cancer patients;
c) Pregnant women;
d) Women with children under 12 years old under their care;
2) If the above-mentioned citizens are workers of a public or private institution they are dismissed as long as the sanitary fence is in place and should work from home.
Working from Home
1) Every time that condition allows it, citizens dismissed for the workplaces are under the regime of working from home;
2) It’s recommended the adoption of this regime, every time that the workers’ functions allow it.
Hotels and similar
1) Hotels and similar must adopt biosafety operational internal plans, made accordingly to the guidelines defined by competent entities.
2) They must assure:
a) Staff training, as well as proper individual protection equipment's;
b) Change of the rooms clothes, towels and sheets and proper disinfection of facilities;
c) Maintenance, cleaning, and disinfection of surfaces;
3) In case of a sick suspected person with novel coronavirus COVID-19, that person must be kept in isolation until the intervention of the sanitary authorities.
Teaching establishments
1) Teaching establishments, public or private, of superior level and II Cycle of Secondary Teaching start the academic activity from July 13th;
2) Establishments of I Cycle of Secondary and Primary Teaching, public and private, star the academic activity from July 27th;
3) Opening and working of Pre-School establishments are under specific rules;
4) The restart of academic activity is under the compliance of biosafety rules and social distance;
Professional training centers
It’s authorized the working of Professional training centers, public and privates, as long as biosafety and social distance rules are put in place.
Competitions and sports practice
1) Practice and federated sports activities are authorized from June 27th, and must be realized on close doors and under the compliance of biosafety rules and social distance;
2) The presence of spectators in competitions and sports practice in under specific rules;
3) Recreational collective sports practice is authorized from July 13th;
4) Recreational individual sports practice in open spaces is done with social distancing in the following terms:
a) Monday to Friday, from 05h30 and 07h30, and from 17h00 and 20h30;
b) Saturday, Sunday and holidays, from 05h30 to 19h30;
5) The restart of gyms and their working rules will be defined by a proper law.
Goods and services commercial trade
1) The commercial activity of goods and services, in general, is from 07:00 to 19:00, complying with all biosafety and social distance rules.
2) The workforce limit should comply with:
a) From May 26th, 50% workforce;
b) From June 8th, 75% workforce;
c) From June 29th, 100% workforce;
3) The maxim number of citizens inside the commercial establishments must be taken into account to ensure a 2 meter distance between them.
Restaurants and similar
1) Restaurants can open:
a) From May 26th, from Monday to Saturday, between 06h00 and 15h00;
b) From June 8th, every day until 22h30;
2) The occupation of the establishments should not exceed 50% of its capacity, and all the biosafety and social distance rules between clients must be observed;
3) Self-service and balcony services are not allowed;
4) Take-away and home delivery work every day from 0h00 to 22h00;
5) From June 8th, the performance of artists, individuals or in a group, in restaurants, are allowed;
6) If a restaurant has a pool or bathing area its used is authorized from August 15th;
Amusement establishments
Reopening and working of nightclubs, with or without dance spaces, game salons, and other amusement establishments are subjected to proper law.
Markets and street sale
1) Public markets work 5 days a week, from Tuesday to Saturday, from 06h00 to 15h00;
2) The remain rules applied during the emergency state, still apply in the Public Calamity Situation.
Industrial, fishing and farming activity
Are allowed complying with biosafety and social distance rules.
Civil Works (Construction)
1) Are allowed on the following terms:
a) From May 26th, public works considered as strategic, priority or urgent;
b) From June 8th, the rest of public and private works;
2) In all works is compulsory the use of face mask, biosafety rules, and social distance.
Activities and reunions
1) Activities and reunions performed in open space should not exceed the 50% capacity of the room, neither a maximum number of 150 people. Also, it is mandatory to comply with biosafety and social distance rules;
2) Activities with over 150 people are subjected to a previous authorization of sanitary authorities;
3) It’s allowed to have home gatherings for celebrations propose until a maxim of 25 people.
Recreational and cultural activities, and amusement in a public street or public spaces
1) Access to beaches, pools and other bathing areas are authorized from August 15th;
2) Libraries and similar are open from July 13th;
3) Museums, theaters, monuments, and similar work from June 8th, without exceeding 50% of their capacity and complying with biosafety and social distance rules.
4) Art and culture fairs, as well as exhibits in public or private spaces, start from June 8th, without exceeding 50% of their capacity and complying with biosafety and social distance rules;
5) Cinemas work from July 31th without exceeding 50% of their capacity and complying with biosafety and social distance rules.
Religious activities
1) Gathering for religious proposes, no matter where, starts from June 24th. Until then biosafety conditions to decrease the infection risk should be created;
2) Gathering for religious proposes, work on the following terms:
a) Mandatory use of face mask;
b) Cannot exceed the capacity of 50% of the worship place when preformed in a closed space, with a maxim limit of 150 people and a social distance of 2 meters between the participants;
c) The visible capacity of the space should be placed outside the worship places;
d) The recipient for offers must be placed in easy access points, and people should go there complying with social distance;
3) Worship places must be disinfected and ventilated at least three times a week, and its recommended that religious celebrations occur 4 times a week, preferentially in an alternate matter;
4) Closed space ceremonies are recommended to not exceed 2 hours duration;
5) Violation of point 2 can origin the suspension of religious activities.
Domestic workers
Domestic workers must work with facemask, and employee is obliged to create the necessary biosafety conditions, such as the facemasks.
Funerals
1) Funerals are allowed with a maxim of 50 participants, and must be done from 08h00 to 13h00.
2) Funerals resulted from novel coronavirus COVID-19 death ate allowed with a maximum of 25 participants;
3) Facemask and social distance is mandatory during the funerals;
Visits to hospitals and prisons
1) Visits to patients are allowed from Jun 29th;
2) Visits to detained citizens are allowed in the following terms:
a) Class C, from June 29th;
b) Class B from, July 13th;
c) Class A from July 27th;
3) The above points are not applied to lawyers practicing their jobs;
4) Face masks and social distance is mandatory during visits.
Collective transports
1) Collective transports, public or private, can circulate with the following capacity:
a) From May 26th: 50%
b) From June 8th: 75%
2) Not complying with the above can result in the vehicle apprehension;
3) Domestic flights are allowed, between places without a sanitary fence;
Official documents validity
1) It’s valid, even if they expired, until August 30th, the following official documents:
a) ID;
b) Driver license;
c) Vehicle documents;
d) Passports;
e) Resident cards and visas to foreign citizens in Angola;
f) Support documents necessary to renew the above documents;
Water and electric power payments
1) Water and electric power payments should be regularized until July 26th;
2) Areas under a sanitary fence can regularize their situation after the end of the sanitary fence.
