East Timor Parliament unanimously approves state of emergency

LUSA East Timor’s Parliament on Thursday unanimously approved the request of the president for the declaration of a state of emergency in the country for one month, as a response to Covid-19.

The support was expressed, by name, by all 64 deputies present, after all the benches made political statements in favour of the arguments presented by the head of state, Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo, and defended in parliament by the prime minister, Taur Matan Ruak.

The period of the state of emergency begins at midnight on 28 March (3 p.m. on 27 March in Lisbon) and ends at 11.59 p.m. on 26 April (2.59 p.m. in Lisbon).

East Timor reported its first COVID-19 case on 21 March 2020.

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