Coronavirus infections in North rising; in Algarve falling but high

Portugal’s populous North region continues to show an upward trend in new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19, but the 14-day rate remains below 120 per 100,000 of population, while in the Algarve the infection rate has fallen but is still above the national average, according to data released on Tuesday.

According to the figures, released at a briefing for senior officials at the Lisbon headquarters of the medicines regulator, Infarmed, given by André Peralta Santos of the Directorate-General of Health (DGS), the last two weeks has seen a stabilisation in the 14-day cumulative rate of SARS-Cov-2 infections, which he said was “a good sign”.

Peralta Santos stressed that there was some variation across the country in terms of this rate, with some municipalities still having over 120 new cases per 100,000 of population, and that there was a downward trend in large urban centres, “which stabilises the national incidence.”

He also noted that in the last week growth in incidence had been recorded in some municipalities in the North such as Paredes, Paços de Ferreira and Penafiel; this, he said, “causes some concern”.

But he described as “good news” the turnaround in the situation in Odemira, in the Alentejo region. Although the incidence remains high,” it has already started a reversal and has a downward trend.”