Portugal drops most COVID-19 rules as Omicron ebbs

As an Omicron-fuelled wave of infections ebbs, Portugal said on Thursday it would drop most of its remaining coronavirus rules, including the requirement to show the COVID-19 digital pass to stay at hotels or a negative test to enter nightclubs. 'This is a very important moment,' Cabinet Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva told a news conference. 'This is another a step towards a return to normal life.' The new measures will come into force in the next few days, Vieira da Silva said, as they need still the final stamp of approval from the president.