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Woman passing by carrying flowers in Lisbon

Video. All Saints Day in Portugal is overshadowed by coronavirus pandemic

Updated:

All Saints Day is traditionally marked by thousands of Portuguese gathering to mourn the loss of their loved ones, but this year some cemeteries will remain closed to visitors due to COVID-19.

The Christian holiday of All Saints Day is typically marked in Portugal by thousands gathering to mourn those who have died.

But with cemeteries closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tradition is a bit more complex in 2020.

Gatherings are limited to five people in Lisbon and the country introduced a partial lockdown to curb the spread of the virus just yesterday.

Few people showed up at the city's main cemeteries and there are travel restrictions in place this weekend to discourage gatherings.

The restrictions come as experts forecast that cases could increase significantly by next week and soon overwhelm the healthcare system.

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