DILI, 29 september 2020 (TATOLI) –The State Council (EC) and the Superior Council for Defense and Security (CSDS) has agreed with the request made by the Government to renew the state of emergency for an additional 30 days.
The EC and CSDS recommended that President Francisco Guterres Lu Olo, issue a request to parliament for the extension to the current state of emergency.
Francisco Maria de Vasconcelos, who represents the president, revealed that the measures implemented in the sixth period of State of Emergency would be significantly stricter about the entrance points into Timor-Leste. There will be a specific regulation relating to the control and movement of people using the land borders and also controlling the people inside mandatory quarantine sites.
“The measures implemented for the sixth period of State of Emergency are similar to previous measures; however, this period will be stricter on the entrance points to protect our citizens who have not to be affected by the disease,” he said.
The fifth state of emergency issued by the President Lu Olo takes place between 5 of september and 4 of october 2020 and underline that Timor-Leste state policy is based on the implementation of measures aimed at avoiding the risk of importing COVID-19, in particular in the application of restrictive measures to prevent and control the virus.
“We don’t know when the end of the COVID19 pandemic will be, and it has hit the whole world. The number of positive cases continues to increase in neighbouring countries such as Australia and Indonesia, in particular Nusa Tenggara Timur Province (NTT),” highlighted in the press release from the office of president.
The Council of Ministers then decided to approve the extension of the state of emergency and the request has already been sent to the President of the Republic.
Journalist: Tomé Amado
Editor: Agapito dos Santos/Nick kettle
