Portugal has been affected for several weeks by an upsurge in the Covid-19 epidemic due to the Delta variant.
The country recorded this Wednesday
4,153 new contaminations, according to health authorities.
Almost half (1,928) are found in the Lisbon region.
Hospitalizations fell slightly but those in intensive care increased with 171 patients in these units.
This is a record since March 19.
Delta responsible for 100% of new cases
The Delta variant of the coronavirus, first identified in India, caused a rebound in contagions in Portugal in recent weeks, then it became predominant in the country.
According to the latest report from the National Institute of Public Health (Insa) released on Tuesday, the relative frequency of the variant reached nearly 90% for the week ended July 4.
In Lisbon and its surroundings as well as in the very touristy region of the Algarve (south), it was, according to this source, responsible for 100% of new cases over the same period.
New health restrictions and expansion of the pass
Even if 60% of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine and that 42% of the Portuguese are fully vaccinated (this is more than in France), the government has passed new measures to try to contain this variant more contagious.
The use of the health pass has been widened, in particular to stay in a hotel or, on weekends, to have access to the interior of restaurants in the most affected regions.
Read also Covid-19 in Portugal: epidemic, entry conditions and restrictions ... the point for your vacation
The hours of these establishments have been reduced and a night curfew, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., initially restricted to the 45 most affected municipalities, now applies to the 60 municipalities with the highest incidence rate. Almost all of these localities are located in the regions of Lisbon, the Algarve and large northern cities such as Porto and Braga, ie half of the Portuguese population.
