Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of March 8th, 2021

Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Eighth Constitutional Government

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Press Release

Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of March 8th, 2021

The Council of Ministers met, at the Ministry of Finance, in Dili, and, after analysing the presentation that the Integrated Crisis Management Centre’s Situation Room gave, on the status of SARS-CoV-2 in the country and the high probability of community transmission situations, the Government decided to impose a mandatory health fence and confinement in the municipality of Dili, for seven days, from March 9th, 2021, 00:00 a.m. until March 15th, 2021, 11:59 p.m., with the possibility of extension for another seven days.

Thus, it is forbidden to travel, by land, sea or air, outside this municipality, except in duly based cases for reasons of safety, public health, humanitarian or other that prove necessary for the accomplishment of the public interest, authorized by the Minister of the Interior.

General home confinement of the population residing in the municipality of Dili is imposed, without prejudice to travel outside the residence when this is justified by reasons of imperative need for medical assistance of the person itself or of family members who are in their custody or care; participating in judicial or police proceedings, for which they are notified; purchase of goods or payment of essential services, such as the purchase of food, payment of electricity supply or payment of telecommunications services and internet access; and compliance with professional obligations which have not been waived by their employer.

The members of the Government and the highest executive body of public legal persons of indirect administration shall identify officials, agents and public administration workers who are responsible for ensuring essential services and who are not exempted from the duty to show up at their workplace.

The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and the Minister for Tourism, Commerce and Industry approve, by joint order, the model for identifying private sector workers who are not exempted by their employer from the duty to show up at their workplace.

It is forbidden to hold any events of a social, cultural, sporting or religious nature that imply the agglomeration of people.

The compliance with the duties arising from the previously provided will be supervised by the police forces.

Finally, the Council of Ministers approved the Vaccination Plan Against COVID-19, presented by the Vice Prime-Minister and Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Armanda Berta dos Santos, and the Interministerial Commission for the Preparation and Coordination of the Implementation of the Vaccination Plan Against COVID-19. According to the roadmap presented, the first 33,600 doses are expected to arrive in Timor-Leste in the fourth week of March 2021, and the launch of the first vaccination phase will begin in the second week of April. All persons over 18 years of age are expected to be vaccinated by the end of 2021. The vaccination of minors under 18 is expected to be carried out in 2022, but their planning is still dependent on the technical recommendation of the World Health Organization. Planning and preparation activities for the implementation of the vaccination plan are underway, such as preparation of storage condition and training of teams. END

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