Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa calls state of emergency over coronavirus crisis in Lisbon, Portugal, March 18, 2020. (Photo/Agencies）

LISBON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said Wednesday that the country will see a transition from the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic to a return to economic and social activities in May.

The president made the remark after meeting with economists, entrepreneurs, specialists, politicians and union members.

"If April goes well, this will make May start to be progressively different," he said.

"It is necessary to win in May," he reiterated, saying that it will be a cautious return.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa echoed the president, saying that the data so far indicate that the measures adopted "have been working."

"We must continue to make a big effort in April to regain freedom in May," Costa said.

"Each time we withdraw a restriction measure, the number of contagions will increase," the prime minister warned.

The "progressive and gradual" return to normality will have to be done with caution, he said, adding that he only foresees the arrival of the vaccine for the novel coronavirus in the summer of 2021.

"One day we will be able to live socially with this virus. What we cannot do is lose what we have already achieved," he stressed.

Costa insisted that despite economic costs, it is not possible at the moment to ease measures and send the wrong signal to the population that everything is fine.

On Monday, over 150 social figures signed a petition to the president, the prime minister and the parliament speaker, asking for a controlled return to economic activities.

The country declared a state of emergency first on March 18 and then renewed it on April 2 until April 17.

Both the president and the prime minister have pledged to extend the state of emergency until early May. The Portuguese parliament will vote to prolong it into the third phase for another 15 days.

On April 28, there will be a new meeting to decide what measures will be taken in the following month.

Portugal has registered 18,091 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 599 deaths, according to the bulletin released by the directorate-general of health on Wednesday.