According to a dispatch from the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, released by the Civil House of the Head of State, the missions abroad of members with executive functions of the central and local administration are suspended for an indefinite period.
João Lourenço may exceptionally authorise the departure of the members of the executive "when the interests of the State so justify".
The order is justified by the need to adopt measures to "avoid the importation of cases and safeguard the health of the population in general", after the infection caused by the coronavirus has been declared pandemic by the World Health Organization.
The coronavirus responsible for Covid-19 was detected in December in China and has already caused over 4,600 deaths worldwide, leading the World Health Organization to declare the disease a pandemic.
The number of infected people has exceeded 125,000, with cases reported in around 120 countries and territories, including Portugal, which has 78 confirmed cases.
