Lisbon, Sep 24 (IANS): Portugal announced that October 1 it will advance to the "state of alert", which is the third and final phase of the lockdown decreed in the country to control the Covid-19 pandemic.

Several reopening measures, such as the removal of restrictions on customer numbers in restaurants, shops and cultural shows, have been announced as the country is expected to inoculate 85 per cent of the population by next week, reports Xinhua news agency.

Evening entertainment venues such as bars and clubs could reopen since then and the mandatory use of masks will only be required for public transport, large agglomerations, nursing homes, hospitals and concert halls.

Customers of restaurants and hotels will no longer have to present a vaccination certificate or negative test of Covid-19, according to the government.

Since the onset of the pandemic early last year, Portugal has registered a total of 1,064,876 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 17,938 deaths.