Portuguese companies suffer massive blow from coronavirus outbreak

Published April 14, 2020
A woman carrying her shopping and wearing a face mask as protection against the new coronavirus leaves a supermarket in Lisbon, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Armando Franca) — Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
A woman carrying her shopping and wearing a face mask as protection against the new coronavirus leaves a supermarket in Lisbon, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Armando Franca) — Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Around 80 per cent of Portuguese companies still operating or temporarily shut due to the coronavirus outbreak reported a sharp drop in their revenues, at times exceeding 75pc, as authorities tightened lockdowns, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Around 78pc of businesses blamed the revenue free-fall on restrictions implemented by Portugal's Socialist government as part of a state of emergency to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The emergency was initially declared on March 18 but is set to be extended until May 1.

A woman carrying her shopping and wearing a face mask as protection against the new coronavirus leaves a supermarket in Lisbon, Portugal on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. — AP
A woman carrying her shopping and wearing a face mask as protection against the new coronavirus leaves a supermarket in Lisbon, Portugal on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. — AP

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