Portugal on Saturday lifted its state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prime Minister Antonio Costa has said that the state of emergency, which started on March 18 and was renewed twice, has produced positive results and that there is no need for it to continue.

Costa has also announced a three-phase plan to reopen the country for businesses:

May 4: Shops smaller than 200 square meters - including bookstores, hairdressers, shoes shops and clothes stores - can reopen. The public service system will also resume operation, excluding some town halls.

May 18: Restaurants and coffee shops can open. Schools will open for students in the final two years of secondary education.

June 1: All stores and shopping malls can open at 50 percent capacity. Residents will need to stay two meters apart from each other. 

There are now 25,190 COVID-19 infections in Portugal, with 1,023 deaths.