LISBON, Portugal (AP) – Portugal’s new daily cases of COVID-19 have risen to more than 14,600 to set a new national record on Wednesday as the country suffers one of the worst pandemic rises in the world.
Health officials have officially reported 14,647 new infections – about 3,600 more than the previous daily record set four days ago.
The increase shows no signs of easing, with the government and health experts predicting it will peak next week.
The number of patients with COVID-19 in hospital and in intensive care also increased to new record highs, with 5,493 and 681, respectively.
“The gravity of the situation is clear to everyone,” Health Minister Marta Temido told reporters.
The public and private health sectors and the military are working together to meet the needs, she said, but added that “resources are limited.”
The pandemic has been on the rise in Portugal since Christmas, when restrictions on assembly and movement have been eased for four days.
Portugal has the highest seven-day average rate of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the world and the second highest rate of new deaths, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday.
Overall, the country of 10.3 million people has 581,605 confirmed cases and 9,465 confirmed deaths.
In another concern for the Portuguese authorities, a study by the country’s disease control agency said a new variant of the virus first identified in the south-east of England could account for 60% of new COVID-19 cases in the UK. Portugal within two weeks.
The study conducted by the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, based on data collected from December 1, was published on Tuesday.
Growth is pushing the public health system, especially hospitals, to the limit of its capacity, and the government is struggling to keep up.
Deputy Secretary of State for Health António Lacerda Sales said the system is in full swing.
“We are doing everything we can to increase the capacity of the system,” he told reporters.
A 58-bed field hospital was to open later Wednesday in the capital, on the grounds of the University of Lisbon campus.
To alleviate the pressure on hospitals, authorities are opening more temporary medical facilities in places outside the health sector.
The government said on Wednesday that facilities in hotels, university residences and church spaces will soon have 2,300 beds in which patients can be kept under observation.
Meanwhile, authorities have launched a COVID-19 rapid test program at schools in the worst-affected areas amid a sharp increase in cases.
Portugal is blocked, but the government is reluctant to close schools. It is said that if schools close, there are children who will not receive adequate meals, who do not have a computer, do not have access to the Internet and who do not have their own room at home and do not receive any help for their studies.
However, some teachers are dissatisfied with the policy and are pushing for the closure of the national school.
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