"The situation of the outbreaks and the transmission of the disease have changed," Rui Portugal said at the regular press conference to update information on the pandemic.

In the Central region, for example, half of the 10 active outbreaks have "family origin", which is due to cohabitation in holiday periods.

"It's no longer a question of work or social matters," the contagion stems from "coexistence between cohabitants as a family," said the head of the DGS.

There are 84 active outbreaks in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, 41 in the North, 13 in Alentejo and 16 in Algarve.

With regard to outbreaks in nursing homes, he pointed out that in the home of São José, in Barreiro, there are 31, out of 80 infected users and 14 out of 41 professionals with positive results for Covid-19.

Five of the users of this home are hospitalised, he said.

At the Nossa Senhora da Luz home in Torres Vedras, 49 of the 80 patients are infected with the new coronavirus and 25 of the 78 employees are sick. There are 28 patients in the home.

Rui Portugal said that for the time being, homes where cases of covid-19 occur will be assessed "on a case-by-case basis", stressing he prefers "local assessments" to any type of "national decision".