First identified in Portugal just over a month ago, the omicron variant of the new coronavirus is already responsible for 82.9% of new infections in the country.
The information is part of the latest pandemic monitoring report, released this Friday (31) by the DGS (General Directorate of Health).
“Since December 6, there has been an exponential growth in the proportion of probable cases of the omicron variant, having reached an estimated proportion of 82.9% on December 29”, the report says.
As in several European countries, the spread of omicron in Portugal caused the widespread growth of Covid-19 cases.
Last Wednesday (29), the country, which has about 10 million inhabitants, registered 26,867 new cases in 24 hours: an absolute record since the beginning of the pandemic.
The high rate of vaccination coverage of the Portuguese population –89% are fully vaccinated– ensured that the number of hospitalizations and deaths did not keep pace with the growth of new infections.
This Friday (31), the country had 20,288 new cases and 18 deaths by Covid-19. There are 145 people admitted to intensive care units.
Exactly a year ago, on December 31, 2020, Portugal registered less than half of the cases now (7,627), but with four times as many deaths (76). The number of patients in ICUs was also more than three times the current one: 482.
The increase in contagion led to the cancellation of New Year’s Eve festivities in most of the country, but without major additional restrictive measures.
The government, however, implemented some measures to try to reduce the rate of new contagions.
One of the most significant is the imposition of telecommuting (home office) mandatory for all workers who can work from a distance. The measure runs between December 25th and January 9th.
During the same period, bars and clubs are also banned from working.
Authorities also decided to postpone the resumption of classes after the end-of-year break.
.
