News Porto.

This year, the century-old tradition of São João street parades did not take place as the Municipality of Porto cancelled official festivities due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, the Municipality urged people to take the party home. And Porto did what needed to be done, it celebrated in private.

This year, amid a pandemic, don't take the party to the streets, avoid crowds and find new meanings for the word celebration. The usual parades, crowds and parties have to be scheduled for 2021. Still, everyone can have their own celebration; to brighten moods all night long, Rádio Festival ensures a special broadcasting that will go from the early morning of the 23rd June till the first light of day of the 24th June. The broadcast kicks-off at 8am and will be playing for 18 hours straight.

About 30 years ago, the Customs Railway Branch in Porto was deactivated. It will be turned into an eco-track in a foreseeable future. The Municipal Executive unanimously approved this immediate solution, while a public discussion to debate the two possible definitive solutions to the railway branch is being prepared.

Celebrations of São João have been called off in Porto due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic; as such, Porto City Hall put in place several measures to prevent the gathering and moving around of people in Porto.

The Municipal Executive unanimously adopted the extension of free ride transit, the existing "Porto.13-15" to children up to 18 years old that reside in Porto. The investment by the Municipality is budgeted at 1.2 million euros per year, and it represents an addition of 90 thousand euros per month regarding the first year of application of that measure. In return for this increase, Porto City Hall will only pay the rides actually taken by free transit users (aka Andante).

The Municipal Executive has approved, this morning, the Municipal Strategy for Homeless people 2020-2023, during a private meeting. Long-term housing, an increase in the number of available beds at the Temporary Reception Shelter Joaquim Urbano, the opening of two additional solidarity restaurants, namely in Boavista and downtown, as well as the strengthening of capacity building and social and professional integration programmes are amongst the priorities.

Porto Municipal Theatre (TMP) features an online cycle to debate the future of performing arts during and after the pandemic. The cycle "Nada ficou no lugar, e agora?" features the second talk happens on 25th June, and the theme is "Management: challenges in a pandemic world"The talk starts at 6.30pm and it is streamed live on TMP's Facebook.

The mural painting by Vhils in Porto pays tribute to health professionals. It shows faces covered by face masks. The eyes are how we all communicate, after all, these days and these eyes show us courage and determination. The mural is located in the entrance to the visits wing of the São João Hospital in Porto.

The Casa Comum of the University of Porto reopens today, 22nd June, after being closed for over three months, under the lockdown to stop the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Starting at 6pm, the casa Comum inaugurates two exhibitions and offers a piano concert, at 6.30pm. Entrance is free, but previous appointment is mandatory, subject to room capacity under the pandemic preventive measures issued by the DGS.

A new urbanism is on the way in Porto, and Saturday was the first day that pedestrians got to enjoy urban car free zones. From 8am on 20th June to 8pm on 21st June, public space was just that, in sixteen streets in Downtown Porto and in the Historic Centre of the city. Public thoroughfares invited to added quality of life, and this demand for city districts to be made pedestrian is ever more relevant under the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.