Portugal allows those with COVID to vote on election day

20/1/2022 7:22

        Portuguese voters with COVID-19 and those in isolation will be allowed to leave home to cast their ballot when the country holds a snap election on Jan. 30,
        with the hour of 6-7 p.m. recommended for the trip, the government said on Wednesday.
        
        The announcement came on the day Portugal, which has almost 90% of its 10 million population fully inoculated, reported 52,549 new COVID-19 infections, the highest daily figure since the pandemic began, stoked by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
        
        Interior Minister Francisca Van Dunem told a news conference quarantined voters should only head to polling stations from 6 to 7 p.m., urging those not infected to go before that period.
        
        "We need a social pact that allows everyone to vote in safety," said Van Dunem, asking those in isolation not to take public transport but walk or use their own vehicle instead.
        
        The recommended hour is not mandatory, however. Those with the virus must wear a face mask, keep a social distance and can only leave home to vote.