Prime Minister António Costa said, on Thursday, that the state of calamity should remain in place, for 19 boroughs of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, for another 15 days.
In addition to containment rules, recommended for the whole country, people in these areas have a civic duty to remain at home, gatherings are limited to 5 people and open-air events and markets are banned.
Data released on Thursday, updated daily by the epidemiological bulletin of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), reveal an additional 13 deaths by COVID’19 infection in the last 24 hours, all in the region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley, where there were 328 new cases, accounting for 78% of all new cases, with a lethality rate of 3.63%. The number of deaths is the highest in the last 38 days.
Since the beginning of the COVID’19 pandemic, there were 821 deaths in the North, 527 in the Region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley, 248 in the Center, 18 in the Alentejo, and the Algarve with 15. The Azores confirmed 15 deaths, and Madeira had no fatalities.
Areas with the highest community spread cases include Amadora (1,780), Braga (1,256), Cascais (1,061), Gondomar (1,093), Lisbon (3,645), Matosinhos (1,292), Odivelas (1,183), Porto (1,414), and Sintra (2,850).
Currently, there is a total of 45,000 confirmed cases in the country, of which 487 are hospitalized and 30,049 have recuperated. Hospitalized patients represent 1.08% of all reported cases, 73 are in intensive care, 1,480 suspected cases are waiting laboratory test results, and 34,102 people remain under surveillance.
Azores and Madeira
The Azores have not recorded new cases of COVID’19 in the last 24 hours, except for one active case on Terceira island, involving a visitor who was returned to mainland Portugal.
Currently, the Azores have confirmed five active cases, four in São Miguel and one in Flores. Since the outbreak began, the region has recorded 154 cases of COVID’19 infection of which 130 people have recovered and 16 have died.
In Madeira, a traveler arriving today tested COVID’19 positive and remained in lockdown in a residence in the municipality of Funchal.
In total, the Region has 95 confirmed cases of COVID’19, of which 2 are active and 93 are recovered cases.
Following the COVID’19 outbreak, Portugal has declared a state of emergency, downgraded to a state of “public calamity” at the end of April for some restricted areas, while most of mainland Portugal remains in a “state of alert.”
The number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants is currently the second highest in Europe, after Belgium, according to data from the EU’s disease control center.
If you are travelling by air to mainland Portugal, your temperature will be checked on arrival, and if it is high or you show signs of being unwell, you will be referred to the health authorities, among other measures.
Travel to Madeira, Porto Santo and the Azores is different. Travelers will need to complete and submit a traveler questionnaire 24-48 hours before they arrive, and will be required to show proof of a negative COVID’19 test carried out 72 hours before arriving, or take a test on arrival and await the results within 12 hours at place of accommodation.
For COVID’19 updated travel information visit US Embassy in Portugal
Carolina Matos/Editor with PAJ/Staff
