Government Loosens Lockdown, Portuguese League Can Resume May 30

Logo Portugal League (ligaportugal.pt)

JAKARTA - Portugal's top league, Primeira Liga can be played starting May 30. The remaining matches of this league are about 10 rounds away.

This policy came out of the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, as the country began to relax its lockdown to kickstart a troubled economy.

Costa said the league needed permission from the health ministry to resume, and matches had to be played behind closed doors. Meanwhile, individual sports such as golf and tennis can be continued starting Monday 4 May.

The Primeira Liga was suspended on March 12, with FC Porto ahead of reigning champions Benfica by a point after 24 rounds. Porto, last season's runners-up, have collected 60 points.

Portugal will become one of the first European major leagues to continue its campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, France and the Netherlands have canceled their seasons since last month.

Portugal reported 25,045 cases of coronavirus and 989 deaths, a relatively low figure supported by one of the highest testing rates in the world at 37,000 per million people.

The country's health system remained under 65 percent of hospital bed capacity during the pandemic, with nine in 10 cases being treated at home and only one percent requiring intensive care.