COVID-19: DGS says that mainland Portugal has 445 active outbreaks – News
The DGS points out that these data “dramatically contrast with the maximum number of active outbreaks recorded in February 2021, when there were 921 active outbreaks in mainland Portugal”.
Most active outbreaks were observed in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region, with 218, followed by the Center region, with 95, and the North region, with 84, while the Algarve had 33 active outbreaks and the Alentejo 15.
“There are 45 outbreaks in nursing homes. On the same reporting date, there were 847 cases of covid-19 outbreaks, part of which have already been recovered”, says the DGS in a reply sent to the Lusa agency.
The health authority notes that in this sector, too, the reduction in the number of outbreaks has been “reduced”: in February, Portugal recorded the highest number of active outbreaks in nursing homes: 405, corresponding to about 12 thousand infected.
“The drastic decrease in this context demonstrates the importance that vaccination has no control over the pandemic and in protecting the most vulnerable population”, she stresses.
The data also indicate the existence of 11 outbreaks in health institutions, with 88 confirmed cases.
Most outbreaks active on Monday (241) were in the discipline of education and teaching in the public and private sectors (schools, higher education, day care centers and other social facilities).
At the reporting date, there were 2,209 cases of covid-19 accumulated in these active outbreaks, which concern students, professionals and cohabitants, part of which are already recovered, says the Directorate-General for Health.
An active outbreak consists of two or more confirmed cases with an epidemiological link to each other in time and space. Only after 28 days have elapsed from the date of diagnosis of the last confirmed case (two incubation periods with no new cases) is the outbreak considered closed.
Portugal currently registers over 3,773 new cases of infection by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and 17 deaths associated with covid-19, in addition to a further increase in the number of hospitalized in wards and intensive care, according to official data.
The number of new covid-19 cases registered today is the highest since July 28, when there were 3,452.
According to the epidemiological bulletin of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) released today, 681 people are now hospitalized, 32 more than on Tuesday, of which 105 are in intensive care units, plus 12.
The rate of increase of the SARS-CoV-2 virus nationwide increased again by a significant increase, rising to 251.1 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, while the rate of transmissibility (Rt) rose to 1.20.
Covid-19 has killed 18,370 people in Portugal since March 2020 and 1,130,370 cases of infection have been recorded, according to data from the DGS.