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This Friday, Portugal registers five more deaths from covid-19 and 899 cases of contagion, which represents an increase of 1.3%. This is the fourth highest daily value of cases, after April 10 (1516), March 31 (1035) and March 28 (902). Since the start of the pandemic, the country has recorded 1,936 deaths and 72,055 infections.
Of the new cases, 505 (56%) were identified in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region, where three of the five deaths registered in the last 24 hours occurred. The other two deaths occurred in the North and Center. The data were released in the daily update of the epidemiological bulletin of the General Health Directorate (DGS).
47,003 people have already recovered, 327 more than on Thursday. There are more than 567 active cases, for a total of 23,116. This figure results from the subtraction of recovered persons and deaths from the total number of infections.
624 people are hospitalized (36 more than on Thursday), of which 86 are in intensive care units (one more than the day before). It is the highest number of hospitalizations since May 19, when 629 people were infected with the new coronavirus.
The overall fatality rate in the country is 2.7%. Approximately 86.7% of the people who died with covid-19 in Portugal were over 70 years old. The five deaths registered in the last 24 hours occurred in these age groups: a woman between 70 and 79 years old, two men and two women older than 80 years.
The region with the most cases of infection is Lisbon and the Tagus Valley: 36,904. They are followed by the North (25,869, 263 more than Thursday), the Center (5885, 52 more), the Algarve (1513, 47 more) and the Alentejo (1412, 30 more). The Azores registered 261 infections (two more than the previous day) and Madeira 211 (the same value as Thursday).
The highest number of deaths from covid-19 occurred in the North: 878. Then Lisbon and Vale do Tejo (742), Center (259), Alentejo (23), Algarve (19) and Azores (15) appear. Madeira has no record of deaths.
There are 287 active shoots
Portugal currently has 287 active outbreaks in the country, Health Minister Marta Temido announced this Friday at the press conference on the covid-19 pandemic. Unlike the areas with the most cases, the North is the region with the most active outbreaks, with 124. It is followed by Lisbon (93), Center (31), Algarve (22) and Alentejo (17).
According to the minister, the outbreaks in the north are linked to restaurants in Vila do Conde and a tourist trip in Vila Nova de Gaia.
The DGS still does not have figures for the beginning of the academic year
The general director of Health, Graça Freitas, explained, in the same conference, that the data related to the beginning of the academic year is still being collected.
Even so, he immediately clarified two situations: “first, when there is only one case, that case may not be detected in our outbreak grid because it is individual”;[segundo] there are circumstances in which, for example, it is a decision, not by Health, but by the Ministry of Education, to close some rooms for professional reasons ”.
“We are collecting information, we are fine-tuning, however we remain in contact and the beginning of the academic year is being very quiet, both in number of cases and in outbreaks, which has allowed a focused intervention,” said Graça. Freitas.
Still in terms of schools, the general director of Health explained that they are prepared differently for the beginning of the academic year, despite the measures announced “months ago.” Thus, the measures taken in closing (or not) schools are not “not having uniform criteria”, but “different situations in which preventive measures were not taken in the same way.”
According to Graça Freitas, there were schools that prepared better than others, some created “bubbles” and it was necessary to send home those affected by the same “bubble”, others did not. In the latter case, a positive case is enough for the entire school community to be isolated.
Rapid tests to be evaluated by experts from the Ricardo Jorge Institute
Raquel Guiomar, a laboratory test specialist at the Ricardo Jorge Institute, explained this Friday that rapid tests are being evaluated.
“The reference test is the PCR test, which allows you to have a highly reliable result,” he began by saying. However, now there are “rapid tests” that the Ricardo Jorge Institute, with other partners, had already evaluated in April and May, and at that time they were not approved.
“The group of experts will meet to make their recommendations and the evaluation of these new tests”, again, said the expert, who considered that these tests have some advantages, such as “fast results, low complexity of execution and allow to make the diagnosis close to the patient ”. These tests have “very specific selection and use criteria and these criteria will be defined by the experts.”
Raquel Guiomar also explained that after a rapid test, a person can be referred for a PCR test.
The evaluation of these tests is also being carried out internationally.
Still in terms of tests, the Minister of Health indicated that “an increasing number of tests per day” are still being carried out, referring to PCR tests. To date, an average of 18,238 tests per day have been carried out in September. The day with the highest number was September 16, with more than 23,000 tests performed.
