The government of São Tomé and Príncipe plans to propose to the President of the Republic and extension of the state of emergency in the country for a further two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Jorge Bom Jesus said on Friday in São Tomé.
In a statement the prime minister noted that the decision was a result of, “the dramatic developments in the COVID-19 pandemic around the world,” and because he considered that, “domestically we have not yet consolidated all the diagnostic conditions and responses.”
Bom Jesus also said that, “taking into account that some foreign citizens are still stuck in our country, due to a lack of flights, we have informed the Ministry of Defence and Internal Order to authorise the automatic extension of visas for 30 days at no additional cost,” according to the STP-Press news agency.
The Prime Minister added that the government was drawing up a mitigation plan for the economic, financial and social impact of the pandemic, which is due to be approved in the next Council of Ministers meeting, “the guidelines of which have already been shared with social consultation partners.”
Source: Macauhub