Decree-Law No 99/2020
Amends the exceptional and temporary measures concerning the COVID-19
The epidemiological situation in Portugal caused by the COVID-19 disease has required the Government to approve extraordinary measures to prevent the transmission of infection by SARS-CoV-2, subject to permanent consideration and reassessment because of the evolution of the pandemic in Portugal.
Considering the progression of the pandemic and the emergency experienced in the establishments and services providing health care to the National Health Service (SNS), it is important, in the field of health, on the one hand, to guarantee its response capacity, speeding up the procedure for contracting doctors of certain specialties especially required in the fight against the pandemic, in the entities of the corporate public sector of the SNS. Thus, until 31 December 2020, the respective maximum administrative bodies will be granted managerial autonomy to enter into open-ended employment contracts with doctors, with no formalities required. On the other hand, recognizing the essential role that health professionals have played throughout the fight against the pandemic, an increase in holiday days for these professionals is envisaged, as well as the option of earning, instead of the enjoyment of these additional holiday days, a remuneration.
Considering also that one of the impacts that the pandemic has caused on the lives of citizens has been the delay in holding medical disability assessment boards – because they have been suspended due to the need to mobilize, concentrate or direct public health doctors to fight the pandemic situation of OVID-19 disease – which lead to waiting for situations for users, to make up for this delay, the validity of medical certificates of multi-use incapacity expiring in 2019 or expiring in 2020 shall be extended until 31 December 2021, provided that they are accompanied by proof of an application for a disability assessment with a date earlier than the date of validity.
Also, it is important to clarify that the exceptional public procurement regime contained in Decree-Law no. 10-A/2020, of 13 March, as currently worded, applies to the contracting of goods and services to reinforce the provision of public services through digital means and contact centres with citizens, as well as to the contracting of road passenger transport vehicles to reinforce the rail and road networks.
