Lisbon, May 10 (IANS) The beach on the island of Porto Santo, in Portugal’s Madeira archipelago, will be the first to open to swimmers and sunbathers from Sunday but the rest of the country will have to wait until June to take a dip in the Atlantic.
The regional president of Madeira Miguel Alburquerque said the restaurants and changing room facilities will remain closed, however amid the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Efe news.
The rest of Madeira’s beaches will remain closed until May 15, providing the coronavirus remains controlled.
The Portuguese government is preparing a guide for local authorities when it comes to opening up beach areas.
The health authorities will outline social-distancing rules on the sand and parking spaces will also be regulated.
There are at least 481 oceanic beaches and 133 river beaches in Portugal.
So far, Portugal has 27,406 COVID-19 cases with 1,126 deaths.
–IANS
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