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Portugal is dropping most of its Covid-19 restrictions as infection numbers fall, but people who test positive for the virus must continue to self-isolate whether they have symptoms or not, the government said on Thursday.

Proof of vaccination is no longer required to enter a venue, including hotels and restaurants, but certificates are still required to be presented when entering the country, Mariana Vieira da Silva, a cabinet minister, said at a news conference.

People going to bars, nightclubs, sporting events and other large public venues no longer have to show negative test results, she added, but they remain a requirement for people visiting nursing homes or hospitals unless they show proof of one full vaccination.

More than 95 percent of the Portuguese population is fully vaccinated, the third highest percentage in the world after the United Arab Emirates and Brunei.

Close contacts of people who have tested positive will no longer have to self-isolate, the minister said. A government recommendation that people work from home wherever possible will also be dropped and restrictions on the number of people allowed into shops and malls will be lifted.

However, masks are still required in indoor public spaces, including cinemas, theatres, shops and public transport.

Portugal’s seven-day moving average of new coronavirus cases has fallen to about 186 from 541 per 100,000 population at the end of January, but remains higher than the EU average of about 156. The seven-day average of daily deaths per 100,000 population has by from a peak of 0.5 this year to just over 0.4 earlier this month, below the EU average.

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