PPortugal, like other countries, has been recording daily record figures for cases of infection, with no last day of 2021 having exceeded, for the first time, 30,000 infections, at a time when the Ómicron variant already has a higher than 80% in the country.

A number of infections soared to 1,182.7 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants in Portugal and the transmissibility index (Rt) also registered an increase, rising to 1.35.

There are now 151 counties in the country at extreme risk of influence and as health officials admit that the escalation of the pandemic could increase pressure on health and mortality.

Worldwide, Covid-19 has caused 5,428,240 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

You can consult interactive maps of the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic in Portugal and worldwide.

Follow the latest developments on Covid-19 here IN THE MINUTE:

10:25 am – More than 400 thousand testicles in one day

Last Thursday, December 30th, Portugal reached a new maximum of daily testing with 402,756 tests performed (9.2% positivity rate), of which 307,698 (76%) were rapid antigen tests (TRAg) for professional use, a testing task force reported today. Since the beginning of the pandemic, approximately 26.5 million Covid-19 diagnostic tests have been carried out in Portugal. These numbers do not include self-tests.

8:45 am – The number of infected and unvaccinated pregnant women is increasing in maternities

The Director of the Gynecology Service of the University Hospital Center of Lisbon North (CHULN) warned today of the increase in the number of pregnant women infected with Covid-19 without vaccination and for the impact on services, calling for vaccination. In a statement to Lusa agency, Alexandre Valentim Lourenço said that currently all “Lisbon’s main maternity hospitals have had more Covid pregnant women” and that the number surpasses the one registered in May, June or even last year.

8:40 am – Ship in Lisbon with more than 4,000 people and 52 positive cases

A cruise ship, flying the Italian flag, with more than 4,000 people on board, has been docked in the port of Lisbon for two days, after 52 people tested positive for covid-19, confirmed the captain of the Port of Lisbon.

8:35 am – ONE China detected 231 cases of covid-19 in the past 24 hours, 175 of which by local contagion, announced today as the country’s health authorities.

8:30 am – Bolsonaro rejects restrictions for those who do not want to be vaccinated

The President of Brazil on Friday rejected “any restriction” that could affect those who refuse the vaccine against the covid-19 disease, despite the country being one of the most affected by the pandemic of the new coronavirus.

8:20 am – Good morning and Happy New Year! 2022 is the year of hope for the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here, we begin the new BY MINUTE follow-up in the development of incidents related to Covid-19, at a time when many countries register daily infection values ​​that have never been reached before, a fact that happens due to the spread of the Omicron variant, which is more widespread than the previous ones. Portugal surpassed yesterday, the last day of 2021, for the first time, the 30,000 new cases in 24 hours.

Also read: AO MINUTE: Portugal is “going to endemic”; Reinforcements are 88% effective